Top 20 Scenic Drives in South Carolina. SC Best Scenic Drives

Top 20 Scenic Drives in South Carolina. SC Best Scenic Drives

#1. Blue Ridge Mountains: Walhalla to Whitewater Falls
A spectacular 75-mile drive through forests, around and over mountains, and across rivers and gorges, offering majestic vistas and cool, idyllic resting spots. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Walhalla, SC - Scenic Drives - 75 miles

#2. ACE Basin: Walterboro to Old Sheldon Church
This trip begins in the historic, charming, well-preserved town of Walterboro, then takes you through the watershed of the enchanting Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Walterboro, SC - Scenic Drives

#3. Mountain Bridge Natural Area: Jones Gap to Keowee-Toxaway
This 80-mile drive takes travelers through the Mountain Bridge Natural Area and up and down the Blue Ridge escarpment. A long precipice at the southern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Pickens, SC - Scenic Drives - 80 miles

#4. Historic Charleston: Daniel Island to James Island
This fascinating and diverse drive in metropolitan Charleston takes visitors across major waterways, through stunning saltwater marshlands, along inviting beaches, and past numerous beautiful homes. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Charleston, SC - Scenic Drives

#5. Historic Beaufort and Sea Islands: Beaufort to Hunting Island State Park
This 30-mile trip begins in the historic, picturesque waterfront town of Beaufort and carries sightseers across salt marshes, creeks, and the Beaufort River to the quaint town of Port Royal,. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Beaufort, SC - Scenic Drives - 30 miles

#6. Edisto and Ashley Rivers: Charleston Plantations to Francis Beidler Forest
Beginning on the west side of Charleston, this 70-mile drive passes Drayton Hall, Middleton Place, and Magnolia Plantations on the Ashley River, then travels through isolated rural areas. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Drayton, SC - Scenic Drives - 70 miles

#7. Congaree Basin and Lake Marion: Hopkins to Santee State Park
This is a pretty 65-mile countryside ride to scenic natural areas and remote villages in South Carolina’s upper coastal plain. Special Attractions: Congaree Swamp National Monument, Cedar Creek. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Hopkins, SC - Scenic Drives - 65 miles

#8. Waccamaw Neck: Murrells Inlet to Pawleys Island
This 20-mile coastal drive begins in the restaurant-laden fishing village of Murrells Inlet and takes travelers to exquisite Brookgreen Gardens, salty Huntington Beach State Park. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Pawleys Island, SC - Scenic Drives - 20 miles

#9. Thoroughbred Country: Aiken to Barnwell
Begin in elegant Aiken and travel 75 miles through horse pasture countryside, past the dark waters of the South Edisto River, and into old railroad towns that time has passed by. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Aiken, SC - Scenic Drives - 75 miles

#10. Sassafras Mountain - South Carolina Highpoint
Highpoint rank by height: 29th. Here's another state that hasn't done much to mark its highest point. However, the region is attractive in its natural state . From the guidebook "Highpoint Adventures: The Complete Guide to the 50 State Highpoints"

Sunset, SC - Scenic Drives

#11. Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway: Lake Hartwell to Cowpens
Passing by state parks, fruit orchards, and small villages, the 110-mile Cherokee Scenic Highway (SC 11) follows an ancient Cherokee pathway in the looming shadow of the southern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Walhalla, SC - Scenic Drives - 110 miles

#12. Francis Marion National Forest: Awendaw to Biggin Church Ruins
A 48-mile cruise in the Coastal Plain through nature, history, and rural culture, past beautiful forests, marshlands, and streams, punctuated with historic sites. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Awendaw, SC - Scenic Drives - 48 miles

#13. Cotton and Sand Hills: Woods Bay to Cheraw
A 115-mile jaunt through cotton fields, peach orchards, and forested sand hills, beginning at a boggy “Carolina bay” and ending in the pretty and historic town of Cheraw. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Lynchburg, SC - Scenic Drives - 115 miles

#14. Midlands Forest and Rivers: Newberry Loop
A 110-mile loop drive highlighted by charming little towns, delightful old churches, and the rivers and woodlands of the Enoree/Tyger District of Sumter National Forest. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Newberry, SC - Scenic Drives - 110 miles

#15. Winyah Bay and Santee River Delta: Georgetown to McClellanville
Beginning in the heart of historic Georgetown, this 45-mile tour takes visitors through plantation-dotted coastal marshland and the northern edge of Francis Marion National Forest. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Georgetown, SC - Scenic Drives - 45 miles

#16. Lake Moultrie Loop: Pinopolis to Diversion Canal
A 70-mile trip around the edges of Lake Moultrie, full of canals, history, and natural beauty. Special Attractions: Pinopolis, Old Santee Canal Park, Tail Race Canal, Francis Marion Forest, Swamp Fox . From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Pinopolis, SC - Scenic Drives - 70 miles

#17. Wateree Basin: Wateree River to Santee National Wildlife Refuge
This 95-mile drive through rural Coastal Plain South Carolina is a delightful blend of nature, history, agriculture, and southern culture in its most basic sense. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Camden, SC - Scenic Drives - 95 miles

#18. Wadmalaw, Johns, and Edisto Islands: Rockville to Edisto Beach
This 75-mile trip across South Carolina’s rural Sea Islands begins in the village of Rockville and ends at Edisto Beach on the Atlantic Ocean, crossing Wadmalaw Island, Johns Island, and Edisto Island. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Rockville, SC - Scenic Drives - 75 miles

#19. Lower Savannah River Valley: Estill to Hilton Head Island
Beginning in the rural town of Estill and ending at the edge of the popular seaside resort of Hilton Head Island, this 97-mile drive in the Lower Savannah River Valley takes visitors through remote coubtry. From the guidebook "Scenic Driving South Carolina"

Estill, SC - Scenic Drives - 97 miles

#20. Oscar Wigginton Memorial Scenic Byway
A 14-mile highway through the wooded foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Located in the extreme northwest corner of South Carolina in the gentle foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. From the guidebook "National Forest Scenic Byways East & South"

Walhalla, SC - Scenic Drives - 14 miles