We made a quick visit to Greenville, South Carolina, recently. Since it’s only a two-hour drive from Atlanta, Greenville is an easy day trip or a good halfway point stop on the way to Charlotte.

Plus Greenville is fun to visit any time of year. A major highlight is Falls Park on the Reedy, right in the middle of downtown. Visitors can explore both sides of the Reedy River on the Liberty Bridge. Spanning 345 feet, the single cable suspension bridge provides unobstructed views of the falls.

We planned to do some hiking, but stopped to eat lunch first. Popping into New Realm Brewing in the West End, we realized how quickly Greenville is growing. About a decade ago, we discovered the fun downtown area along Main Street. Now, development has spread from downtown Greenville’s commercial district across the river to Fluor Field, built in 2006. Restaurants, shops, and high-rise apartments now surround the baseball field, which was initially home to warehouses and lumber yards.

Located inside the former Cigar Warehouse, New Realm offers seating for 300 on two indoor levels. Outside, there’s a bar, more seating, and green space for live music and other events. I ordered a burger and then ventured downstairs, where a lively bunch of soccer fans were glued to the large screen TVs featuring a big game. While I didn’t see it, the building boasts a 25-person speakeasy available for private rentals.

Grand Bohemian Hotel

After lunch, we headed to Falls Park, where we noticed a large, new building that resembled a National Park Lodge. It turned out to be the Grand Bohemian Hotel, built by Richard Kessler, who also built the Bohemian Hotel Riverfront in Savannah. Situated at the eastern edge of the Liberty Bridge, the seven-story hotel offers 200 luxury rooms and suites.

The lobby, with a four-sided, stack-stone fireplace, beckoned us to come inside. The same stack-stone design surrounded the front-desk area, creating a cave-like atmosphere. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and windows surrounded the wide-open space, leading us to verandahs overlooking the Reedy. After a while, we continued to the art gallery showcasing Kessler’s own collection of Native American and Western art, followed by the library and gift shop. Although we had already eaten, we did peek into the restaurant, Between the Trees, with more views of the falls.

Paris Mountain State Park

Friends who lived in the area suggested Paris Mountain State Park for hiking, just a 20-minute drive from downtown. Since rain-threatening clouds had rolled in, we decided to forego the park’s 2.9-mile Brissy Ridge hike that we had mapped out. Instead, we stopped at the Old Bathhouse after paying $6 admission per person at the park gates. The bathhouse was recently restored to house the Education Center. We spoke to the park ranger, who pulled out a map and suggested the short, but scenic, Lake Placid trail.

Just steps outside the Education Center, the 13-acre lake offers a beach area and a roped-off swimming area. Park visitors can also rent kayaks, canoes, and pedal boats to take out on the lake (weekends only). The trail followed the shores of the 13-acre lake, taking us to the dam at the far end.

The Paris Mountain Water Company built Reservoirs #1 (Mountain Lake) and #2 (Lake Placid) in 1890 and 1898, respectively. As Greenville grew, so did its water needs. By the 1930s, Table Rock Reservoir replaced Paris Mountain for its water supply. That left Paris Mountain available for public enjoyment.

During the Depression, FDR assigned the Conservation Civilian Corps (CCC) to build 16 state parks in South Carolina. The young men arrived in 1935 and Paris Mountain State Park officially opened a few years later. Around 1940, the CCC built a 2,000-seat amphitheater with a stage area. Home to the popular Music in the Woods free concert series, the amphitheater sustained significant damage from Hurricane Helene last year. Park officials hope to rebuild the stage in time to host the concert series in the fall of 2026.

To see the amphitheater, we took the Mountain Creek trail. Just past that area, we could really see lingering hurricane damage with downed trees and bridges. In fact, the bridge connecting the Mountain Creek trail to the Turtle trail (which leads back to Lake Placid) hasn’t been rebuilt yet. Backtracking, we entered the Education Center to look at the exhibits.

More Paris Mountain History

First, to clarify, Paris Mountain is officially a monadnock, not really a mountain. The Cherokee Indians primarily inhabited the land until Richard Pearis came on the scene. Pearis (who sometimes spelled his name Paris) obtained the land (many say illegally) after settling down with a Cherokee chief’s daughter. Pearis, a Loyalist during the American Revolution, fled the area, and the state confiscated the land in 1777. In the 1890s, the three-story Altamont Hotel provided a summer escape for travelers. Later, the facility became a Bible college until it burned in 1920.

In addition to historical pictures, we learned that South Carolina’s state parks were segregated until 1966. African Americans could not visit Paris Mountain. The African American counterpart was Pleasant Ridge State Park, which opened in 1951. (Today, Greenville County operates Pleasant Ridge).

When Civil Rights discussions began, many state parks, including Paris Mountain, chose to close instead of integrating. However, the Forestry Commission reopened the parks, now fully integrated, in 1966.

Brissy Ridge Trail

We managed to return to Paris Mountain a few weeks later and hiked the 2.5-mile Brissy Ridge Trail. While tons of fun, it is rated Moderate to Strenuous. We took the trail counter-clockwise, starting with the strenuous section (which is closed to bikes) first. It descends 2,200 feet to Buckhorn Creek. From there, we crossed the bridge and began the less strenuous portion (which shares the path with mountain bikes) along the ridge and back to the parking lot.

I definitely experienced more of Paris Mountain with this hike. I think in the wintertime, we’d have more views along the ridge, but it was still a great workout in nature.

Conclusion

We only scratched the surface of Paris Mountain’s 17 miles of hiking/biking trails, so I’d like to return soon. For more information about Paris Mountain State Park, click the website here. Currently, Camp Buckhorn offers primitive campsites and a rustic lodge for group camping. However, plans are underway to build the luxury, 150-room Inn at Altamont by 2030.

Click New Realm Brewing’s website here to learn about upcoming events. For information about Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville, click here.