The Incredible Flower Road Trip Through South Carolina Is The Ultimate Spring Adventure

English poet Thomas Tusser once noted, “Sweet April showers do spring May flowers.” Of course, here in South Carolina, we begin to see flowers much earlier than May. The colors of spring add such beautiful joy to our lives as we experience the transition of seasons in an awe-inspiring way. We’ve put together a flower road trip through South Carolina with some of the absolute best spots across the state for enjoying the emergence of spring.

Google Maps

This scenic spring road trip includes five stops and eight hours of drive time with the route as shown on this handy map. Now, depending on where you live, you may wish to re-order the stops to better suit your starting location. Go to Google Maps and adjust as you wish! You'll need to allow for 2-3 days, depending on how much time you'd like to spend at each stop. Check Vrbo.com for available rentals wherever you'd like to stay overnight along the way.

South Carolina Botanical Garden, 150 Discovery Ln, Clemson, SC 29631, USA

Upcountry South Carolina/Facebook

Our South Carolina road trip route begins at the South Carolina Botanical Garden in the upstate region. It's a 295-acre sanctuary of colorful blooms in every season of the year. There is no admission charge, and it's open from sunrise to sundown every day of the year.

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Hopelands Gardens, 135 Dupree Pl, Aiken, SC 29801, USA

Visit Aiken SC/Facebook

Next, after about 2.5 hours on the road, we'll enjoy a breathtakingly beautiful 14-acre public garden that was acquired by the city of Aiken in 1970 from the estate of Hope Goddard Iselin. Also free to enter, Hopelands Gardens is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

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Swan Lake Iris Gardens, 822 W Liberty St, Sumter, SC 29150, USA

Swan Lake Iris Gardens/Facebook

Just under 2 hours from Hopelands Gardens is Swan Lake Iris Gardens in Sumter, where you'll enjoy an abundance of iris blooms of over 120 majestic varieties along with potentially seeing all eight species of swans. This is the only public park in the country where this is possible! Open daily from 7:30 a.m. to dusk, there is also no admission fee for this park.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC 29414, USA

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens/Facebook

We'll come to America's oldest garden after about an hour and 40-minute drive from Sumter, the quickest on our route. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston date back to 1676 when the Drayton family built a small house with a garden at this location. With over 500 acres, there is a lot to see and do here, and you could easily spend a complete day doing so! There are admission fees to enjoy this must-see attraction.

Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576, USA

Brookgreen Gardens/Facebook

Our final stop, just under two hours from Charleston, is the magical Brookgreen Gardens. Called the floral jewel of South Carolina's coast, these gardens cover a massive 9,127 acres and showcase stunning sculptures as well as beautiful springtime blooms. There is also an admission fee to see these gardens.

If you’ve visited all of these gardens on our spring road trip through South Carolina before, which is your favorite? They each certainly have their own charm.