Waterfall Hero Hikes: Kings Mountain National Military Park

Kings Mountain National Military Park is a nearly 4000-acre National Park Unit in York and Cherokee counties, South Carolina. The park commemorates the Battle of Kings Mountain, an important victory for the patriots in the Revolutionary War. Thomas Jefferson called the battle "the turn of the tide of success". Fought on October 7, 1780, the battle was between American Patriots and American Loyalists - no British troops. The Patriot forces were composed of the Overmountain Men who had traveled from Tennessee and North Carolina and Kings Mountain is the southern terminus of the Overmountain Victory Trail. The park was established in 1931 to commemorate the important victory. Kings Mountain State Park is adjacent to the military park and the Kings Mountain Trail loops between the two.

Contact Information:

2625 Park Road

Blacksburg, SC 29702

Phone: (864) 936-7921

Directions:

From I-85, take exit 2 in North Carolina. Go south on NC-216 for one mile, after which it crosses into South Carolina and becomes SC-216. Go another 2.5 miles to enter the park. The visitor center is on the left.

Map:

Trails:

Kings Mountain Trail:

Kings Mountain Trail is a blue-blazed, 16-mile loop trail that leads between Kings Mountain National Military Park and Kings Mountain State Park. It is a designated National Recreation Trail. To access the trail from the National Military Park, begin at the visitor center, where a short spur leads to the main trail. It's a loop so can be hiked in either direction.