Over in Spartanburg, there’s a near ghost town surrounding the ruins of an old cotton mill, complete with its old source of power: a waterfall that’s still pretty spectacular. The site consists of 13 acres of ruins, trails, gardens, and more. It’s a wonderful spot to land on a day trip in South Carolina.

Welcome to Glendale Shoals Preserve, and all the gorgeous scenery found at this almost ghost town just outside of Spartanburg.

Google Maps/Devin DiMattia

Back in the 1830’s, Glendale Shoals was established as the community known as Bivingsville.

Google Maps/Hung Do It was founded by a doctor by the name of Bivings, who moved from North Carolina and started a yarn mill along Lawson’s Fork Creek.

Soon, the community was filled with 60 homes of employees of the mill, and about 400 residents.

TripAdvisor/jlantern3 The mill boomed until the mid 1850s, when Bivings left and the mill was auctioned off in 1856. It was reopened and suffered downturns off and on through World War II.

The mill here was sold a few more times before it finally closed for good in 1961.

TripAdvisor/jlantern3 In 2004, a fire broke out at the mill, destroying all but the empty carcasses of some of the exterior walls.

These days, the mill and its surrounding 13 acres function as a preserve.

TripAdvisor/jlantern3 It’s a wonderful place for a peaceful escape. Picnicking is a popular activity at Glendale Shoals Preserve.

The one-mile Glendale Shoals Trail is a perfect way to explore the revamped property and admire the cascading waterfall that spills over the dam along the creek

TripAdvisor/jlantern3

Be sure to include crossing the circa 1928 pedestrian bridge in your visit.

Google Maps/Ken Lane This is the bridge workers would cross from their home in the village over to work at the mill. It was restored in 2018.

Glendale Shoals Preserve is open from dawn to dusk. Admission is free. Learn more about the space here.

Google Maps/Devin DiMattia

Google Maps/Hung Do

It was founded by a doctor by the name of Bivings, who moved from North Carolina and started a yarn mill along Lawson’s Fork Creek.

TripAdvisor/jlantern3

The mill boomed until the mid 1850s, when Bivings left and the mill was auctioned off in 1856. It was reopened and suffered downturns off and on through World War II.

In 2004, a fire broke out at the mill, destroying all but the empty carcasses of some of the exterior walls.

It’s a wonderful place for a peaceful escape. Picnicking is a popular activity at Glendale Shoals Preserve.

Google Maps/Ken Lane

This is the bridge workers would cross from their home in the village over to work at the mill. It was restored in 2018.

You can find out more about the history of Glendale Shoals in this previous article!

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Address: Emma Cudd Rd, Spartanburg, SC 29302, USA