Greer's two biggest bodies of water are reservoirs. Lake Robinson and Lake Cunningham are owned and managed by Greer CPW, the Commission of Public Works, and they supply Greer's drinking water. That explains a lot about how you use them. Fishing takes a permit as well as a state license. A kayak needs a reservoir permit before it goes in the water. The office that sells those permits is open Tuesday through Saturday and closes for lunch.
This fall brings two changes. On Saturday, October 17, CPW opens Lake Robinson for a free day of kayaking, yoga and lunch on the lawn. Then, if the weather cooperates, the City of Greer plans to open the first phase of the South Tyger River Greenway by late fall. The city calls it Greer's first major trail project, and it's the first waterfront space in town built just for walking.
How the reservoir parks work
You can drive to either lake on any day without paperwork. CPW lists both parks as open sunrise to sunset all year. The only closures are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. If you want to fish or put a boat in, a few more steps apply.
Lake Robinson, also called the J. Verne Smith Recreation Area, is at 2544 Mays Bridge Road. It covers about 800 acres and has a boat ramp, three fishing piers and event sites you can rent. The walking path is short. AllTrails puts the J. Verne Smith Recreation Area Path at about 0.3 miles out and back, running past the fishing docks.
Lake Cunningham is at 2844 N. McElhaney Road. It covers about 200 acres and is used for fishing and boating. It has a boat ramp, a shelter and a covered fishing pier. CPW closed all three for dam maintenance in early 2025, and the park reopened on March 8, 2025.
CPW's 2026 fees are low:
- Fishing: A CPW permit costs $5 a year for South Carolina residents and $15 for out-of-state residents. You also need a valid South Carolina fishing license.
- Boats: $5 for a day, $30 a year for nonmotorized craft, or $55 a year for motorized craft up to 10 horsepower.
- Paddlecraft: CPW's lake rules allow kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, rowing sculls and sailboats that don't need state registration. They still need a reservoir permit before launch.
- Where to buy: The Lake Warden's office at Lake Robinson is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., and closed from noon to 1:00 p.m. Bring your state fishing license, boat registration and a valid ID.
The office hours matter more than the fees. Permits are sold only during those hours, so if you decide on a Sunday morning to paddle, you can't buy one that day. The easiest fix is an annual permit bought on a weekday and kept in the car.
The shelters are an option for groups. In 2026, Robinson Shelter 1 rents for $300 a day and has six covered tables, a deck, outlets and shared accessible restrooms. Robinson Shelter 2 is $150 with four covered tables. At Lake Cunningham, Shelter 3 is $100 and has three covered tables, nearby accessible parking and the covered fishing pier.
October 17: a free day on the water
Lake Robinson Day is the one day each fall when the reservoir is set up for the public. You don't need a permit, a boat or a reservation for most of it. Greer CPW runs it on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It's free for all ages. CPW took the event over in 2022. Before that it was called Day of Celebration.
CPW is open about what the day is for. Here's Stephen Kennette, the utility's Water Treatment Plant Manager:
"Lake Robinson is not just a scenic, recreational asset for the Greer area—it is a vital source of drinking water for our community and beyond."
Here's how the four hours lay out:
- 10:00 a.m.: Gates open. More than 25 exhibitors set up, including City of Greer Parks, Recreation and Tourism, Greenville Water, the SC Aquarium, TreesUpstate, Greater Greenville Master Gardeners and the Lake Cunningham Fire Department.
- 10:30 a.m.: Free 45-minute yoga session with fitness instructor Lauren Crabtree Anderson, held on the large shelter overlooking the lake. It's capped at 40 people and requires signing up ahead. Bring your own mat and water bottle.
- All morning: Free kayaking from Cole's Bait Shop, first come, first served. You'll sign a waiver and get a life jacket in your size.
- 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Lunch on the lawn, with a burger and hot dog bar from Wild Ace. Free meal tickets are limited and are reserved online. CPW says to come anyway even if tickets run out, since some people who register don't show up.
There's more going on around that schedule. TreesUpstate is giving away free trees while supplies last, and CPW reminds people to call 811 before digging. Kids get a bounce house, an obstacle course and a football game. The Blood Connection is running a blood drive with online sign-up.
The only paid part of the day is the rain barrel workshop, run by the Watershed Ecology Center. For $55 you get a 55-gallon barrel that used to hold Coca-Cola syrup, plus a conversion kit. You have to register and pay online ahead of time, because no barrels are sold at the event.
If you're going, you can also bring donations for Greer Relief. Its wish list includes pasta and sauce, canned fruit, beans and vegetables, peanut butter, toilet paper, laundry soap, dish soap, body wash, household cleaner and toothpaste.
The river trail behind the ballfields
Lake Robinson Day is one day a year. The South Tyger River Greenway is meant to be open every day.
It starts at Country Club Road Park, 2501 Country Club Road. The park covers 51.81 acres along the Tyger River and has two baseball fields, three rugby and soccer fields, batting cages, a concession stand, restrooms and a picnic shelter. The new trail runs along the river side of the park, behind the fields.
Phase 1A is 0.7 miles long and 12 feet wide, with concrete, boardwalk and natural surfaces and two scenic overlooks. Crews started clearing trees in February 2026 and began pouring concrete in April. According to a Greer News update dated September 19, the boardwalk is finished. So are concrete stairs with railings that lead down to it from the fields, along with wiring for future trail lighting and bench areas.
The finished trail is planned to be about two miles long and ADA-compliant, with several overlooks and pollinator gardens. It will run from Country Club Park to Greer Golf and Greer High School. The city has also listed Cypress Landing as a future connection. Greenville County Council member Kelly Long gave $5,000 toward a trailhead sign and a pollinator garden.
The cost tells you something about how much of a commitment this is. In October 2025, Greer City Council approved a $985,881 construction bid from Foothills Contracting Services LLC for the first phase, paid for from the city's real-property fund. Keck + Wood handled design and planning, including easements. For a city whose public waterfront has mostly come with permits and warden's hours, this is new: close to a million dollars spent so people can walk along a river for free, any day of the week.
You can walk part of it now
You don't have to wait for the greenway to see this stretch of river. UGATA's Upstate Trail Corps worked with the City of Greer's Parks, Recreation and Tourism department to build a nature trail of about one mile inside Country Club Road Park. It overlooks the South Tyger River and is already complete. UGATA built it to connect to the greenway eventually, so walking it now is a preview of the river corridor the new boardwalk will open up.
A few things are still undecided, and the city hasn't hidden them:
- Opening day: As of the September 19 update, Phase 1A was still under construction. City officials said it "could be open to the public by late fall," depending on weather and other outside factors. No ribbon cutting has been announced.
- Later phases: The city has shown a rendering of Phases 1A and 1B together. But any construction after Phase 1A needs City Council approval first.
- Grant money: In April 2025, the city said it was waiting to hear about a South Carolina Recreation Trails Grant application for Phase 1A. We haven't found any announcement of an award since then.
- Parking: The city's park listing doesn't say where trail users should park or how many spaces there are. On weekends when games are scheduled, the ballfield lots may be full.
Until the boardwalk opens, an October Saturday can include both spots. Spend the morning of the 17th at Lake Robinson for the kayaks and the Wild Ace lunch. Then drive to Country Club Road Park and walk UGATA's river trail, where you can see the new boardwalk being built.
Some homes in Greer sit within a short walk of a new greenway trailhead. If you'd like to talk through how a new trail can change the way buyers see a house nearby, and how to show that in a listing, the design-minded team at Brockelman Realty would be glad to help. Book a Consultation and we'll walk through it with you.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
