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Looking for parks in Easley? My favorite time of year has arrived, and I am so excited! Spring is working hard to break its way into the Southern summer. Recently my kids and I decided to leave the “big city” to check out the suburbs. We set out on a mission to explore some of the Easley parks and were pleasantly surprised with what we discovered!

We’ve also added some information for you about all parks in Easley and Pickens Counties, even if we haven’t had the opportunity to visit them yet.

Our Favorite Parks In Easley, SC

Once Upon a Time, in my former life, I was a baseball wife. My family spent countless hours at baseball parks. I’d been to JB Owens Complex on many occasions. I had no idea there was a playground – obviously, my visits took place before I was a mom. The playground has a climbing structure, one slide, and a swing set. A nice covered picnic shelter has seven tables and a Powerade machine. This might come in handy if you are like me and always manage to forget drinks! While the playground itself is pretty ordinary, it’s the surrounding area that caught my attention. In a very large wooded area, you’ll find a disc golf course. There are plenty of places to tie up your hammock, too. I saw several of these the day we were there. You have no idea how badly I wanted to join them! Can you say relaxing?!

Are you familiar with free libraries? Well, good news! Pickens County has placed one at this playground. If you have books your family has memorized, bring them and make an exchange. There’s one other feature I have to tell you about before moving on. Red Owens Complex has a “Born Learning Trail.” If you’re like me, you have no idea what that is. It’s just what the name says… a trail where you learn. Stations for younger children are set up across the field. Your job is to follow the directions on each sign. It is one of the coolest things I’ve seen outdoors! It provides such a wonderful teaching opportunity.

Pope Field is a small playground for ages 5-12. What stood out to me most were the four slides. Three are side by side. I didn’t have the kids with me on this particular trip, but I can easily imagine the races that would take place. In addition to the playground, there are two ball fields and a picnic shelter.

This park will appeal to you for several reasons. There are two separate playgrounds. The one for ages 2-5 is simple and somewhat secluded. There are two covered shelters and a bathroom. Please note, I am using the term “bathroom” loosely. I’d suggest you make everyone go before heading to this park.

The upper playground, for ages 5-12, is pretty large. It sits beside a basketball court and two volleyball stations. Remember to bring balls to take advantage of these courts. There are no shelters, but several picnic tables and plenty of green grass with perfect spots to throw down a blanket.

Hagood Park is also the perfect place to bring your furry friends. There are two separate fenced-in parks for your dogs. You heard that right! One park is designated for pups, the other for larger dogs.

Picnic tables, a shelter, a concrete walking trail and trains are just a few of the features this park offers. If you have a kid who loves trains, this should be on your list of places to visit. And three cheers for a nice clean bathroom at Doodle Trail Park. Learn More About Having Fun on The Doodle Trail in Easley, SC

Alice Mill Park102 Nalley Street, Easley

Kings ParkOak Circle, Easley

Nalley Brown Nature Park380 Adger Road, Easley

Woodside Park200 South 8th Street, Easley

Check Out Our Guide To Spending A Day in Easley, SC For More Fun Things To Do

Our Favorite Parks In Pickens County, SC

I saved the best for last. Jaycee Park is located off Main St in Pickens. I was so excited about this park, I picked the boys up from school and drove all the way to Pickens a SECOND time so they could see it. With the price of gas, that speaks volumes.

I followed the GPS the first time to get photos and check it out. I immediately fell in love. The largest structure is wooden with a slide, ladders, and a bridge. It reminded me of Kids Planet. Everything else is made of tires. There’s a zip line, swings, balance beams, and even ladders made of tires. The boys were fascinated. The climbing wall was ocean-themed and the walking trail was paved. There was even a Born Learning Trail on the other side of the fence.

A gate from the playground leads to a shallow creek with a sand bar. If your children are into skipping rocks and wading in ankle-deep water, you could easily spend the majority of your time here. It wouldn’t hurt to throw water shoes and a towel in your bag. You might be sorry if you don’t – I may or may not be speaking from experience.

This is just a rough overview of some of the family parks in the Easley/Pickens area. A short drive from Greenville, you’ll enjoy checking out these new discoveries as much as I did.

Town Creek Bike Park545 State Road S-39-190, Pickens

The Town Creek Bike Park (TCBP), is an off-road bicycling facility with a number of features, including:

Check Out Our Guide To Spending a Fabulous Day in Pickens, SC For More Fun Things To Do

Looking for other parks and playgrounds in the Upstate? Be sure to check out our ultimate guide to parks near Greenville!

This article was originally written by Andrea Beam and has been updated by the Kidding Around Team.

Kids Play and Cafe in Easley, SC is the answer to what many parents of small kids have been asking for in the Upstate, SC – a large, safe, and fun place for their kids to play indoors that also includes wifi, coffee, and snacks for parents and their kids. We visited and have all the details on Kids Play & Cafe!

A brand new indoor play place, cafe included, is now open in Easley, SC and we know our readers are absolutely going to love this place. Kids Play & Cafe was designed by parents and their kids for parents and their kids. It has all kinds of fun and interactive play structures and is perfect for indoor fun plus great coffee – what a great combination!

We’ve got all you need to know about Kids Play and Cafe in Easley and how to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the fun!

About Kids Play & Cafe

Kids Play & Cafe started out of a dream a decade ago that Jennifer and her husband, Keith, thought about doing far in the future. Keith was in the military and settling in one place and creating an awesome indoor play place would have to wait. After their two daughters were born and started growing up, the girls got in on the dream and the family started to take steps to make it happen.

And here they are. It’s obvious a lot of thought went into this place. The play structures were designed completely by the family themselves to maximize imagination as were the little tiny town structures. The setup was designed so parents can sit comfortably and pretty much see their kids all of the time yet chat with their friends if they want to.

And coffee – good, local coffee – is available. High-five to Jennifer and Keith.

The couple also asked for a lot of input on what parents would want to purchase for food and drinks at the cafe, which they took into consideration when figuring out what to offer.

The Play Structures

There are two play structures connected by a bridge in the 5400 square foot space. They are soft play, climbing structures that allow not only kids to play on them but also their parents if they want. I tested it out myself and indeed, there is enough space for an adult to get up in there and play!

There is a set of three slides plus a twisted barrel slide. There are tunnels, a little zip line, swing, ball pit, and climbing structures within each play area. And there is only one entrance which makes it a bit easier to keep track of the kids.

The Imaginative Play Areas

These little tiny town-inspired play areas are my favorite things in the entire place. Jennifer and Keith’s daughters’ fingerprints of imagination are all over these, which I think makes them extra fun.

The barber shop is adorable. There are a lot of dress-up clothes, play hair care and makeup items, a barber chair (very comfortable, I may add), hats, a mirror, and lots of other thoughtful and fun touches.

The kitchen has all kinds of play pots and pans plus a little breakfast table with a menu. There are play fruits and vegetables in a pantry setup and an apron.

Next door is the doctor’s office, which has all kinds of play items you’d find in a medical office plus charts and first aid kit supplies. It’s adorable.

And lastly, there’s a supermarket complete with tiny shopping carts, reusable bags, grocery items, and a scanner for checkout.

The Cafe + WiFi

Besides excellent coffee sourced locally from a vet-owned coffee roaster, the cafe has smoothies, lunchables, snacks, drinks, and some healthier items available.

There are plenty of seating options available around Kids Play & Cafe where parents can even bring their laptop to work, get caffeinated, and let their kids run around and get out energy.

Birthday Parties

Of course Kids Play & Cafe in Easley is offering birthday party packages because, really, this is a great place to hold a party.

All parties include at least 75 minutes of play and 45 minutes of festivities in their private party room. Packages start at $309 and include a certain number of kids and add-ons like food and decorations as you need. Weekday parties are a little cheaper and all packages can be found on their website.

Tips to Enjoy Kids Play & Cafe in Easley

Here are a few tips so you can enjoy your time at Kids Play & Cafe.

Visit Kids Play & Cafe

Admission for kids a year old and younger is free. Admission for kids ages 2-3 years old is $10.95/weekdays and $12.95/weekends. Admission for kids ages 4-12 is $12.95/weekdays and $14.95/weekends. Admission is good all day.

If Kids Play & Cafe announces membership options, we will post them here.

Normal hours will begin on Monday, April 10, 2023.

Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10 am – 7 pm Tuesday – ClosedFriday and Saturday from 10 am – 8 pm Sunday from Noon – 6 pm

Kids Play & Cafe 210 Fern Street, Easley Kids Play & Cafe Website | Kids Play & Cafe Facebook | Kids Play & Cafe Instagram864.307.8080

Want more indoor play?

Check out this list of Indoor Playgrounds near Greenville, SC.

Parks and Playgrounds in Easley and Pickens, SC

The Book Warehouse Outlet in Easley, SC is enormous and has all kinds of books, puzzles, games, magnets, cards that are all brand new and all 70% off. We have all the details on how to take advantage of their public sales.

I stumbled upon the first Book Warehouse Outlet sale completely by accident as I was in the area one Saturday in December and saw a sign for a book sale. Being an avid book lover, I took my chances, followed the signs, and arrived in heaven.

There were cookbooks, fiction books, nonfiction books, books about math, books about space, journals, puzzles, games, crayons, notebooks with colored pencils, board books, and awesome gifts. All of them were brand new and all of them were 70% off. What had I stumbled into?

About the Book Warehouse Outlet

The world of book publishing is very complicated. I have some experience in part of the process and I feel like I still don’t know much. From what I gathered speaking with the wonderful people who run the Book Warehouse Outlet, the pallets and pallets of books and other goodies are essentially extras or overprinted items. They are all in perfect condition.

The warehouse is about 300,000 square feet total, although the public doesn’t get to roam around all of it. What they do get to see and walk through is plenty. I’ve been a few times and still have not gone through all the stuff they have. They have more than 1,000,000 books in there.

The warehouse isn’t open to the public daily, only during their public sales, which are not on a regular schedule yet. Your best bet is to follow The Book Warehouse on Facebook or stay tuned to our calendar since we’ll have the sales posted.

Navigating the Warehouse

If you love books, games, puzzles, etc., then you probably won’t want to leave this place. The hours pass by quickly as you roam around the boxes and aisles seeing what they’ve got. Every sale is different since the warehouse is constantly getting in new products so you never know what you’ll find.

They have:

Some of the goodies are labeled by genre and as each sale comes and goes, the team at the warehouse has done different things to make everything easier to find. But it still doesn’t look like a regular bookstore and, honestly, I love that. It’s like a big treasure hunt!

The pallets are all pretty much either the same book or game or puzzles or at least similar items. Things are not thrown all over the place – everything is neat and organized and I found it a lot of fun to just browse through everything to see what I could find.

Also, the prices on the books, games, puzzles, etc. aren’t marked up and then 70% off is taken. They are the prices you’d find in any bookstore – except way cheaper!

Tips on Shopping the Book Warehouse Sale

I cannot overstate how huge this place is and how much stuff they have for sale. It’s maybe just a tad smaller than Costco and can be overwhelming. After I went the first time, I told my kids we are taking lunch the next time and spending a lot of time there. It’s that big. Here are a few tips on how to make the most of your time:

Bring a foldable wagon or cart: They don’t have shopping carts there (it would really clog the aisles) so you can bring your own shopping bag or cart. I saw people with those foldable beach wagons and thought it was brilliant. They also had boxes that you could label with your name and leave on the side of an aisle so you could just drop stuff in there and go back to shopping.

If you can’t find the price, ask: The staff here are awesome and incredibly helpful. If you can’t find the listed price, just ask.

Bathrooms are limited: There are only a couple bathrooms so make a bathroom run beforehand if you need to. There are some gas stations nearby.

Bring a lunch: You’re going to be there awhile. Bring some food, eat when you’re hungry, then get back at shopping.

New stuff is added: The warehouse gets new shipments in daily so what you saw at the last sale may not be available at the next one. And they will put out new stuff for the upcoming sales – it’s like finding treasure!

The Next Book Warehouse Sale

The next Book Warehouse Outlet public sale will be September 30th and October 1st, 2023.

Book Warehouse Outlet1859 Dacusville Highway, EasleyThe Book Warehouse Outlet Facebook page

About Easley

EASLEY, S.C. (WSPA) – Easley has a well-preserved history that can be seen in parks, museums and even downtown.

Easley’s history starts with railroads which were originally named the Atlanta-Charlotte Airline and weren’t even supposed to run through Easley.

“Some people that lived in what is now the city of Easley volunteered to build a depot if they would run it through Easley and they did,” John Cutchin with the Easley Area Museum, said. “The railroad was instrumental to the cotton mills coming to this area.”

Historians said the names of the individuals who brought in the mills were influential to the area.

“In 1900, John Geer from Greenville opened Easley Mill,” according to Cutchin and one of the investors, William Milliken Hagood built Glennwood Mill and his son-in-law built Alice Mill.

Alice Mills was sold and became Alice Manufacturing where the logo has a unique history that involves Walt Disney.

Cutchin said, “Later when the McKissick family had it, Mr. McKissick wrote a letter to Walt Disney asking for permission to borrow the logo for Alice in Wonderland for their product and Walt Disney wrote back and said that’s fine by him. No money transpired just a verbal handshake.”

The Easley Area Museum holds a lot of the history of the mills, including a loom that was donated to Alice Manufacturing.

In the late 1990s, a lot of the mills started to close their doors but most of the workers stayed.

According to Cutchin, “Most of the mills sold the property to the workers that rented them prior to that. Most of the mill villages exist to one extent or another.”

If you ask anyone, they’ll say Easley is familiar with growth and a lot of things that helped it build it to what it is today are being transformed to help all the new people coming in.

“Ealsey Mill is now being converted into lofts,” said Mayor Butch Womack who said even the silos that closed in the 1970s are getting a facelift.

“It’s been reopened now as a restaurant and activities. I think there are five businesses in there now.”

The mayor said growth is good for the city and the downtown is thriving with the new people coming in and hopes there is something for everyone.

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EASLEY, S.C. (WSPA) — Dozens of residents filled Easley’s city council chambers and lobby Monday night as city council prepared to vote on ordinances that would annex nearly 100 acres of land into the city.

“What is happening in Easley is not progress,” said one resident. “It is a nightmare. Enough is enough.”

The property is located at the intersection of Brown Drive and Sheriff Mill Road and would be annexed from Pickens and Anderson County.

Residents are concerned that if council votes to annex the property, they will consider a proposal to build single family homes there.

“No one wants more development in Easley,” said the resident. “I have had several people tell me they plan to sell their homes and move out of Easley because they can’t stand to live here anymore.”

In the last three weeks, more than 1,000 residents have signed a petition, all saying they do not want the land to be turned into new homes.

Some residents worry development and construction will harm the environment.

“Farms are being destroyed with flooding,” said Kelsey Crooks. “Ponds are being destroyed. There’s no answer. There’s no accountability. There’s no responsibility.”

Meanwhile, others are concerned about how growth will affect nearby schools.

“Easley High School cannot handle any more students,” said an Easley High School student. “The student population keeps getting larger while the staff and administration do not.”

City Council listened as residents lined up to speak. Councilmember Denise Davidson said growth is needed to sustain the city, but she continued to encourage residents to speak out.

“I think that the power is in the hands of the people, and they need to come out, speak and voice their concerns about issues facing the city,” said Davidson.

In a unanimous vote, city council decided to delay voting on the ordinance. They have up to 160 days to revisit it. In that time, council members said they will review and adopt a new zoning ordinance.