Visitors
We love having visitors, and you could say we know a thing or two about hospitality. Whether you’re interested in adventure or a laid back vacation, Laurens County has the attractions you’re sure to love—take a tour our historic cities, enjoy fishing and boating on our shores, or enjoy authentic Southern hospitality at one of our family- owned restaurants.
2019 – 2020 Community Guide & Business Directory
Recreation
Calling all adventurers, bikers, hikers, boaters and swimmers! If you love stunning natural beauty and an active lifestyle, Laurens County has the parks, trails, rivers and lakes you’ve been looking for. Explore Laurens County’s recreational opportunities. Laurens County is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts with its lakes and rivers, hiking trails, national forests, hunting areas and golf courses.
There are many parks in the county plus a variety of indoor recreational activities and three YMCA’s nearby. Sports fans in Laurens County enjoy easy access to NASCAR racing, nationally-ranked college athletics, and professional football, baseball, basketball and hockey teams.
Auto Racing: Laurens Speedway offers auto racing from April through September. Darlington International Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway are easy drives.
Hunting / Skeet Shooting: Hunting opportunities are available on private lands or tracts leased by hunting clubs. Clinton House Plantation offers duck, whitetail and turkey hunts in addition to their corporate meeting and conference facilities. Skeet shooting is available at Harris Springs Sporting Clays and Shooting Preserve.
Golf: Laurens County has two private 18-hole Golf courses: Musgrove Mill, an Arnold Palmer World Class Championship Course. Lakeside Country Club also has swimming and tennis. Rolling S Golf Club is a public 18-hole course. There are 50+ golf courses in the upstate within a short drive, and Augusta, home of The Masters, is only a couple of hours away.
Skiing: Laurens County is just a short drive away from such beautiful mountain resorts as Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain, and Ober Gatlinburg.
Water Activities: Private and public lakes are numerous, including Lake Greenwood with over 200 miles of shoreline, and Lake Rabon. The Enoree and Saluda Rivers provide excellent fishing, boating. Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Hilton Head make ideal weekend getaways. (as seen Lake Rabon, right.)
RV-ing: Cane Creek Motor coach Resort is located on twelve rolling acres on the shore of Lake Greenwood. If you’re looking for the most beautiful and relaxing setting in the Southeast, you just found it.
Parks: Great Smokey Mountain National Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains are easy drives, and within the county, there are 12 parks with playground equipment and recreational opportunities. Some offer picnic shelters, basketball courts, and ball fields.
Spectator Sports: The local high schools have baseball, football, basketball, and soccer teams, as does Presbyterian College. Atlantic Coast and Southeastern Conference sports are only an hour away at Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. Greenville has minor league baseball and hockey. Charlotte and Atlanta offer professional baseball and football teams.
Arts & Events
Throughout the year the county offers events for all ages to enjoy throughout the year. With Laurens County within an hour’s drive of Columbia and Greenville, the state’s two largest metropolitan areas, big-name entertainment is close at hand.
Presbyterian College provides a variety of lectures, plays, films, art shows, and concerts from September through April. Clinton High and Laurens High bring forth their talents for their spring theatrical performances, and the Laurens County Community Theatre offers several performances of top name productions each season. (as seen right.)
Local artists have a chance to share their work at The Artists’ Coop located on the historic square in Laurens.
Laurens County welcomes spring each year as the landscape burst with flowers. In April, the Spring Tour of Homes showcases the diverse architecture in the city of Laurens, and the Joanna Festival features crafts, rides for kids, food, and entertainment. Ware Shoals’ Catfish Feastival, on the banks of the Saluda River, is held Memorial Day weekend.
During the dog days of summer there’s the Laurens County Relay for Life, the City of Clinton New Kids on the Block, or Comin’ Home to Cross Hill. And as the temperatures cool in October find fun at the Aunt Het Festival in Fountain Inn, Gray Court’s Gospel Music Festival, Squealin’ on the Square in Laurens, and Halloween events for the entire family.
During the holidays, Laurens County shines with seven Christmas Parades; the Spirit of Christmas Past in Fountain Inn, Laurens Lights, “Polar Express” tours, and the Reindeer Run in Laurens.
Laurens County Museum encourages residents and visitors to help preserve the area’s heritage through education and preservation. Laurens County Museum is located at 116 South Public Square. Laurens, SC 29360. Their weekly hours are Tuesday thru Sunday from 10:00AM to 3:00PM and you can visit us online at www.laurenscountymuseum.org to check out our many events happening throughout the year.
The Gray Court-Owings Historical Society is located at 4711 N. Old Laurens Road in Gray Court. The Society is open from 2:30-4:30 p.m. the second Sunday of each month. For more information contact Dianne Culbertson, President, at 864-876-2667.