Great Piece of History - Review of Kings Mountain National Military Park, Blacksburg, SC - Tripadvisor
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Nice Historical Park worth stopping at.

Kings Mountain tells the story of a significant Revolutionary War battle. I enjoyed the Battlefield... read more

Reviewed December 30, 2023
riles2475
,
Robesonia, Pennsylvania
via mobile
Kings Mountain- Fascinating!!!

I was intrigued to finally visit this National Park. Passing by the road sign for many years piqued... read more

Reviewed October 16, 2023
CathyP1953
,
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
via mobile
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Reviewed June 12, 2018

We visited Kings Mountain National Military Park while camping at the state park over Memorial Day weekend. Military through the Ages event was going on for the holiday weekend. We didn't catch the battle reenactments, but there were a lot of exhibits on wars throughout American history. It was a lot of fun talking to the folks from different wars and a great learning experience. We saw military rations and parachutes from World War 2, medical devices and remedies from the 18th century, and learned how different weapons worked in different periods. We also hiked the 16-mile Kings Mountain Trail that connects the national and state parks. There are shorter hiking options available as well. Overall, a great place to learn about history and enjoy nature.

Date of experience: May 2018
Thank Justin P
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed May 28, 2018

Junior Ranger Program a must for kids [in this park, doing the Bonus activities gets you an extra patch]!!! We are doing the program in various parks, and when we got to this one we discovered that during this weekend the park has their "Extra" programming in place. So in addition to the normal Visitors Center activities, Hiking activities, camping (in the nearby state park), and picnic activities... there was a demonstration of different era's uniforms and musket live fire (blanks); The Hiking trail is lined with recycled tire rubber, lending for a nice shock absorber as you walk the 1.5 mile loop to the top of the mountain and back down.

Date of experience: May 2018
1  Thank Graendahl
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed May 25, 2018

We spent 4 days here. Three days just for hiking. The park has some history that few people know about. Make sure you pick up an official brochure while at the Visitor's Center.

Date of experience: May 2018
Thank Bob19512014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed May 23, 2018

After over a week of rains and rains throughout the remainder of the week. My dog and I were getting cabin fever and decided to head out to Kings Mountain for some hiking. Keep in mind there are basically 2 parks here..Kings Mountain State Park and then Kings Mountain National military Park.

The park covers 3,945 acres and is devoted to telling the history of the Battle of Kings Mountain fought on October 7 1780. The battle was pivotal a significant victory by the American Patriots over the American Loyalists during the Revolutionary War. The park was entered into the National Park Service on March 3, 1931. And was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1996. The park honors fallen soldiers with several monuments though out the park including the US Monument. The park is also significant because on October 12, 1930 more than 70,000 packed into a small area to hear then President Herbert Hoover deliver his speech to honor the 150th anniversary of the battle. The event received national attention and the speech was broadcast all over the country and even Britain (apparently they got over than battle much better than we here in the south got over the nasty civil war). And it is important to know this park is under the National Park Service while Kings Mountain State Park is under the SC Park service. This is the one you go to if you want a history lesson..then other is more for recreation.

So we pull up and park near the visitors center. There are several trails in the park. But the 1.5 mile battlefield loop starts right behind the visitors center. And that is where we headed. The trail is well marked and paved. This time of year it is shady and full of green as life has once again returned to the forest after the winter. There is a little steam that runs through allot of it. Plenty of plaques that provide information not only on the battle but what these men (and I am guessing some women) endured for this battle. When you get to the area where Hoover gave his speech, you are wondering how the heck they would get 700 people in there let alone 70,000. The hike is considered a moderate hike. But I guess that depends on your fitness level (yep..I am out of shape) and time of year. This time of year with the heat, the trees, and my Flonase feeling like it wasn't working, I was huffing and puffing. But good news is they have benches every few feet. So get winded..just go sit for a few minutes. But it is a nice hike and lots of beautiful things to enjoy. The monument is just stunning. And they are currently working on what I guess will be an even bigger monument. I am not sure if it is a new monument or repair work. On this day I noticed something a bit odd. The parking lot was packed and yet we only encountered 2 other people on the trail. And I didn't see to many people inside. I have no idea where all those people were.

One thing I noticed about this park is how clean it was. I didn't see trash all over the place. It was so nice to hike and not see junk all over the place. There are also trash cans provided ever 20 feet or so, so please use them.

There are 2 other trails..one to a mountain and one to a lake. But with my dog protesting his tiredness by flopping on the ground..we just stuck to this one. The park is very well paved so it would be great for wheelchairs. But there are some steep hills with a very steep drop near the monument. So you will need to be in great shape or have someone who is who can push you. The do have a visitors center with bathrooms. They have plenty of souvenirs and have a film about the battle. But since I had my dog in the car with the AC running..I made mad dash to the bathrooms, got my passport book stamped, and grabbed a scrapbooking package. They do have plenty of free parking. It is dog friendly and they do have poop bags at the beginning of the trail. This one is free but you can make a donation inside (and I encourage everyone to do so).

I only have one complaint and it is small. So I get this park is more about history and less about recreation. I thought they might have a picnic table somewhere. Nope..they don't. You will find them in the other park. Since the other park charges a fee..we just left. But the NC welcome center is a half mile down the highway and they have plenty. So that is where we headed. They also have events though out the year. Just check the web site for more information.

It should be noted there are two more parks close by if you want more hiking. Headed on to NC, you will find Crowders Mountain State Park in Gastonia. And headed to SC just pass Gaffney there is the Cowpens National Battleground (I have a review on that).

So when things heat up..just head out for the shades of Kings Mountain Military Park where you can catch up on your history and where you have shade to beat the heat!

Date of experience: May 2018
2  Thank Sburris65
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed May 22, 2018 via mobile

Number 1. The park rangers are wonderful. Hands on and very informative. Helpful with any questions and give great directions, too.

The museum is spectacular. Lots and lots of relevant info. The massive tree trunks is a great addition.

The trails are nice and we'll kept. Unfortunately the monument was having a makeover when we visited.

Great park so don't miss it when on I85.

Date of experience: May 2018
Thank trivial_matter
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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