Pleasant Ridge Park
Address: 4232 Hwy 11, Marietta, SC 29661
- Fishing Lake
- Mountain Biking
- Playground
- Restrooms
- Retreat Center
- Shelter
- Walking Trail
NOTE: As we remain in the recovery phase post-Hurricane Helene, please note that some trails at this park are closed and not accessible at this time. Use caution and note that trail users are assuming their own risk when riding on the trail. There are still storm hazards present. For your safety, do not try to access closed trails.
Current Trail Statuses:
JFA Trail – Open
Mill Creek Path – Open
Long Loop- Open
Beginner Loop- Open
Sassy’s Pass – CLOSED
Short Loop- CLOSED
Leroy Smith Nature Trail – CLOSED
Pleasant Ridge Park
Pleasant Ridge Park is a 272 acre former state park located on scenic Highway 11 in northern Greenville County. Home to Camp Spearhead, a residential summer camp for persons with disabilities, Pleasant Ridge Park includes a camp and retreat center that hosts special events, team building activities, and weddings throughout the year. The park is known for its picnic shelters, fishing lake, and multi-use trail system.
Park Hours of Operation
March – October 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
November – February 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Night Riding: Not currently available at this time, the park closes at 6 PM from November – February. Please check back for updates.
Hiking & Mountain Biking
Pleasant Ridge Trail System
Prior to trail use please visit one of our two trail kiosk for more detailed information on our trails.
Kiosk locations – Shelter 1 Parking and Shelter 2 and 3 Parking
The JFA trail is a 6 mile trail loop around Pleasant Ridge Park open to hikers and mountain bikers 7 days a week during park hours. The JFA Trail is directional and rotates monthly – hikers and bikers travel in opposite directions. Users may access the JFA trail from the head at Shelter 1 parking or via Mill Creek Path at Shelter 2 and 3 parking.
Sassy’s Pass is a .5 mile and is a part of the JFA trail. Sassy’s Pass provides a less steep option to the upper sections of the trail system.
Leroy Smith Nature Trail is the first trail built at Pleasant Ridge Park. This .58 mile trail offers access to Pleasant Ridge Falls as well as access to the fishing lake; via the Leroy Smith Lake Trail .03 miles. This trail is accessible from shelter 1 parking and is a loop trail that ends near where it begins. Direction of use for the Leroy Smith Trail is always clockwise.
Mill Creek Path is a paved path that is .62 miles and is an out and back trail. Primary access to Mill Creek Path is from Shelter 2 and 3 parking; it may also be accessed from the JFA Trail at two points. Mill Creek Path is open to all users and is bidirectional.
Fishing
Fishing Rules & Regulations
- A South Carolina Fishing License is required for anyone 16 years of age or older.
- No more than 5 Trout, Bass, or Catfish in any combination per day, per person in possession at any time.
- No more than 8 Bream per person, per day can be taken.
- No more than 2 fishing rods per person can be used at the same time.
- Only Bass and Catfish longer than 16 inches may be kept.
- No boats of any type allowed at any time.
- No swimming at any time allowed in the lake.
- Fishing is allowed only during park hours.
- Do not climb on or over the dock guard rails.
- Please throw all litter in the nearest trash can.
To Report Violators Please Call Operation Game Chief at: 1-800-922-5431
Pleasant Ridge Camp & Retreat Center
The Pleasant Ridge Camp & Retreat Center is located at Pleasant Ridge Park. This facility can be rented by the public for retreats, weddings, family reunions and other events. Click here for more information about the Pleasant Ridge Camp & Retreat Center.
Volunteer
Contact Marty at mdaigle@greenvillecounty.org if you are interested in helping out at the park.
Register to be a Park Heroes here to hear about volunteer opportunities with Greenville County Rec throughout the year.
Join and follow Upstate SORBA for trail building projects on the JFA Trail and other mountain bike trails in the Upstate.
History of Pleasant Ridge Park
This 272 acre park is Greenville County Rec’s jewel in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was developed by the SC Commission of Forestry and the SC Department of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism in the 1950’s to promote tourism in the Upstate. The park was established for the African American community. Neighboring Paris Mountain State Park was built for the white community. In the 1960’s both parks integrated. In 1985 the State decided that other parks like Jones Gap within 30 miles of Pleasant Ridge were capturing most of the tourism traffic and offered Pleasant Ridge to Greenville County Rec.
The park has since been a favorite get-away for local residents, just 40 minutes from downtown Greenville. A 4 acre lake offers great fishing. There are also picnic shelters, and trails. Pleasant Ridge Park also offers the Pleasant Ridge Camp and Retreat Center which is home to Camp Spearhead and Camp Courage. Camp Spearhead provides residential camping experiences for youth and adults with special needs and disabilities. Camp Courage provides camp experiences for youth with cancer and or other blood disorders.
Shelter #1
This shelter has a grill, fireplace, electrical power, 12 picnic tables, and can accommodate approximately 72 people. Restrooms are within 50 feet of the shelter.
Full Day Reservations Only: 9 am – 9 pm (9 am – 6 pm after Daylight Savings)
Cost: $155.00. Additional fees & permits may be required, depending on size and scope of event.
Reservations: Click Here to reserve a full-day shelter online. Call 864-288-6470 if you have additional questions.
Please note that shelter reservations may not be made any earlier than January 1st for the given year.
Shelter #2
This shelter has a grill, electrical power, 8 picnic tables, and and can accommodate approximately 60 people. Restrooms are not adjacent to the shelter. Parking is not permitted at the shelter, but drop off if allowed. This shelter is not available between Dec. 1st and March 1st.
Full Day Reservations Only: 9 am – 9pm (9 am – 6 pm after Daylight Savings)
Cost: $155.00. Additional fees & permits may be required, depending on size and scope of event.
Reservations: Click Here to reserve a full-day shelter online. Call 864-288-6470 if you have additional questions.
Please note that shelter reservations may not be made any earlier than January 1st for the given year.
Shelter #3
This shelter has restrooms, a grill, fireplace, electrical power, horseshoe pits, 8 picnic tables, and can accommodate 48 people. Restrooms are adjacent to the shelter. The playground is approximately 100 feet from the shelter. Parking is not permitted at the shelter but drop off is allowed. This shelter is not available between Dec. 1 and March 1.
Full Day Reservations Only: 9 am – 9 pm (9 am – 6 pm after Daylight Savings)
Cost: $105.00. Additional fees & permits may be required, depending on size and scope of event.
Reservations: Click Here to reserve a full-day shelter online. Call 864-288-6470 if you have additional questions.
Please note that shelter reservations may not be made any earlier than January 1st for the given year.
Payments & Refunds: Payment is due in full at the time of reservation. A refund, less a $15 processing fee will be given for reservations cancelled 14 days prior to the event. Refunds will not be given for cancellations made less than 14 days prior to the event date. Refunds will not be given for inclement weather.
