With Kids!

children at falls on the reedy
Falls on the Reedy – just beyond the accessible trail

Greenville, South Carolina is a vibrant southern city that draws people in by both it’s situation in nature, surrounded by water falls and mountain trails, and it’s charming downtown.

We went with two main goals: beautiful trails and good ice cream. While I was nervous about the lack of accessibility information I was able to find while planning, you’ll be happy to know we excelled at both goals!

Greenville, South Carolina has plenty of accessible options to make a great getaway for wheelchair users and others with mobility needs.

Getting There and Around

You can fly directly into Greenville for a reasonable price. There are two airports, so just make sure you’re aware of locations before booking rental cars and accommodations.

GSP (Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport) is where you’ll book. It’s the main airport.

wheelchair on play runway at runway park
Runway Park entrance

GMU, Greenville’s downtown airport, is a small airport that you’ll want to visit for their fun Runway Park playground with a view of small planes taking off and landing while you play. They also have mini golf and a café – making it a mini day trip of its own!

Parking

Parking at metered spaces with your handicap placard is free and removes time limits on the space. We had difficulty finding a space on Friday evening and the evening of a major ball game, but otherwise we were always able to park near our destinations.

We had a vehicle, so I have no experience with public transportation. Though, it doesn’t really seem like you would need public transportation. Everything in town is close enough to stroll to, and everything outside of town is far enough that a bus won’t help.

Trails

One of the best ways to experience the natural beauty of Greenville is by exploring the city’s accessible trails. Finding wheelchair accessible waterfalls can be quite a challenge, but Greenville has plenty that are easy to get to!

The Swamp Rabbit Trail is a particularly popular option, as it offers a smooth and wide path that is perfect for wheelchairs. The trail runs for over 20 miles, and takes you through town, forests, wetlands, and along the Reedy River. There are also several parks along the trail, providing an ideal spot for a picnic or a break.

We only did a small section of the trail, and focused on Falls Park on the Reedy. Falls Park on the Reedy is a wheelchair accessible nature park, with waterfalls flowing throughout, right in the heart of downtown Greenville! There’s an elevator just beyond Spill the Beans that can take you to any level of the park, or you can go behind the building for a winding ramp.

boy casting a fishing line at paris mountain
Fishing at Paris Mountain

If you’re looking for a more challenging trail experience, the Paris Mountain State Park has options that are more mountain and less town. The park has several wheelchair-friendly trails, including Summit Trail, which offers stunning views of the city from the top of the mountain. Oddly, we didn’t do the accessible trails, but spent our time at the rather inaccessible lake.

You can find more details on both trails on AllTrails.

Dining

Oh. My. Yum.

When it comes to dining, Greenville has a wide range of wheelchair-friendly restaurants to choose from. We didn’t eat at nearly enough of them to be your main source of information. Knowing that most restaurants we found were wheelchair friendly, check out this guide and call ahead to double check accessibility! Make sure you do some BBQ, and save room for dessert every night.

Cake and Ice Cream

I asked my two local friends for their favorite ice cream joints, and each of them gave me a list of their top three – with no overlap. Naturally, we had to try them all!

chocolates
If ice cream isn’t your thing, you have options at River Street Sweets!

In two days’ time, we visited, Spill the Beans, Creme Shack, Marble Slab Creamery, River Street Sweets (if you’re tired of ice cream, try a fantastic pecan praline), Luna Rosa, and Jeni’s.

All of these were wheelchair accessible, right in town, and delicious. I’d have to say the clear winner for us was Spill the Beans. You order a base ice cream and choose your mix ins (it’s similar at Creme Shack and Marble Slab), but the chocolate base is one of the best chocolate ice creams I’ve had. Anywhere. Also, it’s right at the top of Falls Park on the Reedy. You can grab your treat and enjoy it by a waterfall!

Ice cream is a pretty standard travel necessity for us, but this time we made such an incredible discovery that I needed to add the cake category. Brick Street Café was not only absolutely charming and over-the-top welcoming, they served the best cake I’ve ever bought. We ordered the carrot cake, the peanut butter cake, and “the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.” Of course, we also tried the sweet potato cake that they’re famous for. They were all mind-blowingly delicious. A slice of cake is $9, but it’s likely to feed two. Even if you eat it all by yourself, you won’t be sorry. Seriously, this cake just got a whole paragraph in my travel blog.

Playing

Greenville has plenty of activities for people of all abilities to enjoy. The Greenville County Museum of Art is a great place to start, with a wide range of exhibits and a wheelchair-friendly layout.

The Children’s Museum of the Upstate is another popular destination, with interactive exhibits and activities that will keep kids entertained for hours. This was also where we discovered that our ACCESS card does not get us a Museums4All admission in all states! If you have an EBT for food benefits, you can enter the children’s museum for $2, but Medicaid customers are still full price. Half of us ended up going to the incredible public library next door, instead. We had an excellent time, and had plenty to do until the other crew was done at the children’s museum.

The Mice on Main make walking through town fun for all ages, as you hunt for tiny mice sculptures as you go. All of the mice are in accessible destinations.

There are also art installations throughout town, keeping things interesting.

pinterest pin wheelchair accessible greenville sc
Pin for later!

Byrd’s Famous Cookies is a yummy stop, and a great place for sweet souvenirs. The front door is not wheelchair accessible, but you can enter through the shopping center on the left.

Lake Robinson was a great place for wheelchair friendly fishing. It’s also a boating and kayaking destination, but there are no accessible kayak launches.

Sunset Park is a small all abilities playground in town. There are other options if you’re up for a short drive. Greer has a great, accessible, playground and a cute downtown if you want to make a day of it!

Sleeping

We had a house… but, unfortunately, not one I can recommend! This was one of those embarrassing instances when the disability travel blogger didn’t ask enough questions and assumed that a house labeled as “wheelchair friendly” was accessible. Oops!

Greenville has all of the major chain hotels, if you have a preferred brand that has worked for you. We’ve had the most success with Hilton.

Get Going!

Greenville, south carolina pin
Pin for later!

Greenville, South Carolina turned out to be an excellent destination for people with mobility issues with a variety of wheelchair-friendly trails, restaurants and activities that offered a great way to experience the city. Phew!

From the smooth and wide path of the Swamp Rabbit Trail, to the many ice cream stops on Main Street, or the interactive exhibits at the Children’s Museum of the Upstate or the Hughes Main Library, there’s something for everyone in Greenville. So pack your bags, bring your wheelchair and go explore!

Looking for more wheelchair accessible destinations? Check out our favorites from last year!

RetireGuide.com also has some great trip ideas for accessible travel.