Waterfalls and water slides are staples for outdoor fun in the heat of the summer season in South Carolina. But what if you could have both in one spot? How about a waterfall water slide? That’s just what you’ll find at the end of a very short trail just off of the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Byway (SC-11) in the Upstate.
Found along the Little Eastatoee Creek, the Long Shoals Roadside Park (sometimes called Long Shoals Wayside Park) is a fun place to take the kids, or yourself, on a hot summer day.
After a short hike of about 0.2-mile, you'll find yourself alongside a very long smooth rock shoal that rises, in part, out of the water yet is still submerged enough in places to create a natural water slide.
The park is a hidden secret of the locals who flock here on warm summer days for hours and hours of family fun. Of course, having an inflatable along means you'll fly down the slide.
Check out this video from YouTube user Jimmy Gilstrap captured at Long Shoals Roadside Park.
Bring a picnic and spend the entire day. Be sure to deposit your trash in receptacles or take it home with you. There is plenty of room on the shoals to spread out and enjoy.
Use this Google map to navigate to the park found near Pickens on SC-11. The hiking trail at the park goes from the parking area to the shoal and then carries on for several hundred yards alongside the creek for a total distance of 0.8 miles. Learn more about the trail from our friends at AllTrails. The park is open daily rom 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission and parking are always free.