South Carolina - Kings Mountain

Before we tell you about Kings Mountain National Military Park, we should tell you what brought us here. Ever since we got in early-retirement mode, we've been thinking about National Park volunteering. In the meantime our friends, Tom and Karen, have volunteered at a number of National Parks. (You can read about our recent visit with them here.) They had a great experience volunteering at Kings Mountain last Fall and recommended it. So we contacted the volunteer coordinator and made arrangements to visit.

We must admit that South Carolina is not the first place we Bostonians think of when it comes to important Revolutionary War battles. But in 1780, the British had established a foothold in the South and planned to sweep north. The Kings Mountain battle was a decisive Patriot victory, eliminating a third of the British southern forces, and came to be viewed as the turning point for the Patriots. Later battles like Cowpens (see our next blog) also contributed to the British defeat in the South.

Kings Mountain National Military Park explains the battle and its pivotal role in the Revolutionary War. The video gave an informative overview. We took the 1.5-mile self-guided Battlefield Trail. We appreciated the feel of this trail made of recycled rubber. Signs line the trail explaining the battle and some monuments line the path as well. Like Gettysburg, seeing the battlefield and terrain helped us understand the battle. Unlike Gettysburg, we were able to read every monument. 

We couldn't have picked a better day to come to Kings Mountain with perfect weather and many spring blooms - like lots of Dogwood.

We also toured their museum with interactive displays. They have one of the few remaining Ferguson breech-loading rifles - a rifle designed by the major who led the British troops at Kings Mountain.

As our friends promised, the staff really make the park special. They were knowledgeable, friendly, and willing to fit our strengths with their tasks.

Caleb explained his job to kids for Junior Ranger Day

It looks like a great place for our first time volunteering in the National Parks, so we agreed to volunteer there from mid-August to mid-November. Now we have some homework. They lent us some books on the Kings Mountain battle, so it's time to brush up on Revolutionary War history.

We saw this sign as we left.

Yes. We plan on it.

Camped at: Walmart, York SC. (The Kings Mountain State Park campground was closed for renovations.)
Distance from Congaree National Park to Kings Mountain 115mi 2h1m (via Walmart York SC 116mi 2h7m)