Kings Mountain National Military Park is a National Military Park near Blacksburg, South Carolina, along the North Carolina/South Carolina border. The park commemorates the Battle of Kings Mountain, a pivotal and significant victory by American Patriots over American Loyalists during the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. Thomas Jefferson considered the battle "The turn of the tide of success."
A one and a half mile paved trail leads from the visitors' center around the base of the mountain along the Patriot lines and ascends to the crest where the Loyalists were positioned. The trail passes several monuments, large and small, the earliest dating from 1815, as well as Patrick Ferguson's grave, giving a good sense of the battleground. The trail is moderately steep in places. As part of the NPS' Centennial Initiative, the trail will be rehabilitated to eliminate the steeper sections of the trail, making it accessible to everyone.
There is a feeder trail to Brown's Mountain. The mountain is one of the three main mountain summits of Kings Mountain National Military Park and is the highest in the park. The other mountain summits are Joes Mountain and Kings Mountain.
The park is free to enter. The visitor center has a movie, a bookstore operated by Eastern National, and a museum. The museum has artifacts from the battle and audio exhibits inside walk-in trees that resemble the 1780 battlefield.
It's recommended to check the calendar of events prior to visiting. Typical events will include re-enactment weekends, trail maintenance events, astronomy gathers and more. The calendar can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/kimo/planyourvisit/calendar.htm.
Open Daily 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Extended Weekend Hours from Memorial Day to Labor Day - 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Weekends Only)
All park facilities, including hiking trails close at mentioned times above.
Park Closed:
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 20, 2020)
Presidents Day (February 17, 2020)
Columbus Day (October 12, 2020)
Thanksgiving Day (November 26, 2020)
Christmas Day
New Year's Day
Bicycles are only allowed on Main Park Road. A bicycle rack is provided at the Visitor Center.
Picnics are only permitted in designated areas.
Pets are not allowed in the buildings and must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet and attended at all times.