There's just something about Clemson in the fall. The weather finally starts cooling off, the mountains begin showing off their colors, and Saturdays in Death Valley bring a kind of excitement that's hard to explain unless you've experienced it yourself. And when Homecoming rolls around, there's something a little sweeter about it all. Old friends come back to town, alumni and families return to places they've loved for years, and familiar faces begin filling the streets. It's one of those times of year that reminds you just how special this little corner of South Carolina really is.
For Lee and Aimee Hill, owners of Elkmont Trading Company, this time of year brings together so many of the things they love about living and doing business in Clemson. There's the excitement of football season, the changing weather, and the opportunity to see people who have made Elkmont part of their visits to town for years. Homecoming has a way of bringing everyone back together, and after nearly three decades in business, Lee and Aimee have come to appreciate those familiar faces just as much as the season itself.
When asked what makes Homecoming special, Lee's answer started with something every southerner can appreciate.
"For one, a change in the weather! if it's Homecoming, then it is fall. Fall colors are here or just around the corner. Fall in the upstate is about as good as it gets."
He's not wrong. Fall in the upstate is hard to beat. For Lee and Aimee, it's cooler evenings around the fire pit, music playing in the background, and finally getting to pull out those favorite fall layers. It's also one of their favorite seasons to buy for Elkmont, bringing in new collections and refreshing the store for the months ahead. With Clemson well into football season, the anticipation of another gameday, and a little Christmas shopping beginning to sneak in, there's always something happening around the store.
But their connection to Clemson goes much deeper than football season. Although Lee didn't grow up in Clemson, the upstate eventually became the place he knew he wanted to call home. Originally from East Tennessee, he first discovered the area through his love for the Chattooga River and the outdoors. After completing a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, he found himself choosing between job opportunities in Chicago and Seneca. Chicago offered the better job, but Seneca offered the mountains, the river, and the kind of life he wanted to build.
"The better job was in Chicago. The Chattooga was near Seneca. I chose the job in Seneca," Lee recalled.
That decision eventually led him to purchase what was then known as Outdoor Adventures in 1998, beginning the journey that would become Elkmont Trading Company. Along the way, he earned his MBA from Clemson and built a life in a community he had grown to love. What began as a decision influenced by his love for the outdoors became something much more permanent.
"Clemson means home to me," Lee shared.
When Lee talks about the area, it's easy to understand why. Within a short drive, he can be paddling the Chattooga, spending time in the mountains, or enjoying an afternoon on Lake Hartwell. Greenville is just up the road, and Death Valley and Littlejohn Coliseum are practically in his backyard. There's a little bit of everything here, but without losing the slower pace and friendliness that drew him to the Upstate in the first place.
"The upstate is a hidden gem," Lee said, reflecting on how much the area has to offer beyond the beaches and golf courses South Carolina is often known for.
Aimee's roots in the Upstate run deep. Having grown up in the area and attended Wren High School, she's seen Clemson and its surrounding communities evolve over the years. While she may be a University of South Carolina graduate, she's always appreciated the energy and traditions of Clemson football.
Some of her fondest memories date back to when the original store was located directly across from Memorial Stadium, where football Saturdays brought tailgaters, familiar faces, and a front-row seat to the excitement of gameday.
"I miss being across from the stadium where we could tailgate and see all the tailgaters. I personally like going to the games even though I'm a USC grad," she shares.
While Elkmont has since moved to its current location on Liberty Drive, that connection to Clemson football has only continued to grow. In fact, when Lee and Aimee moved away from the stadium, Aimee wasn't sure what that would mean for their Clemson gameday business.
"When we moved away from the stadium, I didn't think we would sell Clemson Gameday anymore. We're actually selling more of it now than we did before which is exciting."
Today, Clemson apparel has become an important part of Elkmont's identity, and there's a lot more that goes into it than simply stocking orange and purple. Behind the scenes, Lee and Aimee spend time designing, sourcing, and selecting custom pieces, keeping the collections fresh and finding new ways to offer something a little different. Aimee talked about the time, thought, and dedication that go into bringing those pieces to the sales floor, and it's become one of the ways Elkmont continues to reflect the community around it.
For Lee, Clemson football has always been about more than what happens on the field. Of course, he loves the tradition of The Tigers running down the hill, but what he appreciates most is the atmosphere surrounding the program and the people who make it what it is.
"Clemson is unique and I really appreciate the family atmosphere generated by the fans, alumni, students, and locals."
That sense of family extends well beyond football Saturdays. Clemson is the kind of place where people form connections that stay with them long after graduation. Lee has watched alumni return to the area over the years, not just for games and reunions, but to put down roots again. Some come back to raise their families, others return to retire, and plenty simply find themselves missing the place they once called home.
"There's a reason, Clemson is in their blood." - Lee Hill
It's a sentiment that feels especially fitting during Homecoming. There are plenty of places people enjoy visiting, but there's something different about a town that people keep finding their way back to.
And in many ways, that's the kind of connection Lee and Aimee have always hoped people would have with Elkmont, too.
When they moved the store to its current location in 2014, they saw an opportunity to bring something different to Clemson. They envisioned a thoughtfully curated space that combined quality merchandise, a welcoming atmosphere, and the kind of shopping experience typically found in larger cities and mountain destinations.
"Aimee and I wanted to give locals a place that rivaled shopping experiences in Cashiers, Highlands, Asheville, and Greenville," they shared.
That vision eventually helped inspire a saying that's become closely tied to the store: "If you haven't been to Elkmont, you haven't been to Clemson."
But creating that kind of experience has meant being willing to change and grow along the way.
Over the years, Elkmont has evolved from a traditional outdoor outfitter into a store that offers a little bit of everything, from footwear and outdoor gear to women's clothing, men's apparel, gifts, and custom gameday collections. And while Lee's love for the outdoors helped establish the foundation of the business, Aimee's artistic eye has played a major role in shaping what Elkmont has become.
For Aimee, that evolution has also been personal. She learned to trust her own creativity, follow her instincts, and step away from the idea that there's only one right way to run a retail store.
"For the longest time I felt like I had to stay between these certain lines - oh, this is how you're supposed to do it, but I realized at some point that I can go outside of the lines."
She went on to describe the freedom of realizing she didn't have to follow the same guidelines as every other retailer or continue doing things simply because that's how they'd always been done. She could try something new, take a different approach, and make the store feel more like them.
"Breaking the rules but in a good way."
And that personality is reflected throughout Elkmont, from the collections they bring in to the way everything is displayed. Aimee has never wanted the store to feel like a copy of somewhere else. She wants it to have its own identity, something customers recognize when they walk through the doors.
Of course, running a small business for nearly three decades hasn't come without its challenges. The retail world has changed, customer preferences have shifted, and businesses everywhere have had to find ways to adapt. For Lee and Aimee, staying relevant has meant listening to their customers while continuing to bring their own ideas to the table.
It's also meant finding ways to show up for their community when it matters.
One of Lee's favorite memories of running Elkmont has very little to do with clothing or outdoor gear. During the solar eclipse, when protective viewing glasses were nearly impossible to find in the Upstate, he drove more than eight hours to Memphis to purchase 5,000 pairs. He brought them back to Clemson and sold them for just a dollar over cost, giving people throughout the area an opportunity to safely enjoy the event.
Then, during COVID, when toilet paper had become surprisingly difficult to find, Elkmont found a way to help with that, too. Through restaurant distributors connected to their former Elkmont Tap & Cellar business, they were able to source toilet paper and offer it to the community for about a dollar a roll.
They aren't necessarily the stories you'd expect to hear from the owners of a clothing and outdoor store, but they say a lot about the kind of business Lee and Aimee have tried to build.
"It wasn't about making money, it was finding a way to be of service during a difficult time in the community," Lee explained.
And while those moments stand out, so much of what makes Elkmont special happens in the smaller, everyday interactions.
For Aimee, one of the most rewarding parts of owning the store has changed over the years. If you'd asked her five years ago, she says her answer probably would have centered on the creative freedom of running the business and being able to put her own stamp on things.
Today, it's the people.
She's watched young employees come through Elkmont, learn new skills, grow in confidence, and eventually move on to new opportunities. Seeing them take what they've learned and apply it outside of Clemson has become one of the things she values most.
And there's something particularly meaningful about seeing those same employees come back to visit.
"Also that our people care enough to want to come back and see us, which means we have made an impact."
It's a reminder that the relationships built inside a small business can last long after someone has moved on to a different job or a new chapter of life.
For Lee, there's a similar kind of satisfaction in helping customers find something that will become part of their own memories. Whether it's gear for a weekend in the mountains, clothing for an upcoming trip, or something special for someone they love, he appreciates knowing that what Elkmont offers can become part of experiences that matter to people.
"That's what it is all about..." he shared when talking about helping customers get outdoors and create memories with their families and friends.
And then there are the customers who have been coming back for years.
For Aimee, that's one of the things that makes Homecoming weekend especially meaningful. Some shoppers have been visiting Elkmont since the early days, while others have made stopping by part of their Clemson football traditions. Every fall brings another opportunity to see those familiar faces and catch up with people they may not have seen since the previous season.
"It's great to see all the repeat shoppers and people who have shopped with us for years," Aimee shared.
Lee feels much the same way. He knows that Clemson is a place where visitors play an important role in the community, whether they're returning alumni, parents visiting their students, or families spending time at their homes on Lake Hartwell or Lake Keowee. And he wants Elkmont to be somewhere locals feel proud to bring those visitors.
"We want Elkmont to be that unique experience where locals have a place to bring friends and family when visiting."
It's a simple idea, but one that's guided so much of what they've built. They want customers to enjoy being there, to feel comfortable asking for help, and to find something they might not have discovered anywhere else.
And when they look toward the future, neither Lee nor Aimee seems interested in standing still.
Aimee says she's feeling reenergized about the store and excited to bring in new ideas, new updates, and a renewed focus on making Elkmont one of the most unique places to shop in the Upstate. After years of learning, adapting, and finding her own creative direction, she's looking forward to what comes next.
Lee, meanwhile, hopes the store continues to become a lasting part of Clemson's community.
"I want Elkmont to be a heritage brand in the community, a place where heirlooms are found."
It's an idea that goes beyond what someone might purchase on any given day. It's about finding something meaningful, something that becomes part of a memory, or maybe even something that's passed down over time.
Aimee's hopes for the future are just as personal. When asked what she wants people to remember about Elkmont, she didn't begin with the merchandise or the appearance of the store.
"Warm, welcoming, inviting atmosphere."
She hopes people remember that Elkmont was a business that invested in its community, gave back, and appreciated the people who supported it. That gratitude has become a big part of how she views the store and the relationships they've built through the years.
And perhaps that's where Elkmont and Clemson Homecoming have the most in common.
Both are about the people and the memories that bring us back. The familiar places we look forward to visiting, the traditions we share with family and friends, and the feeling of returning somewhere that still feels like home.
For Lee and Aimee, being part of Clemson means getting to share in a little piece of those traditions. From the longtime customers who remember the original shop across from Death Valley to the families discovering Elkmont for the first time, every season brings another opportunity to be part of someone's Clemson experience.
And as another Homecoming arrives, they're looking forward to all the things that make this time of year special: the cooler weather, the excitement around town, and most importantly, the people who continue to walk through their doors.
So whether you're back in Clemson for the weekend or lucky enough to call this place home year-round, we hope you'll stop by and see us at 100 Liberty Drive.
After all, there's a reason we've always said, "If you haven't been to Elkmont, you haven't been to Clemson."
Welcome home, Tigers. We're glad you're here.
Lee, Lem, and Aimee Hill.
