ninety six national historic site

This gem of a national historic site reveals part of Revolutionary War history of which few are aware. Paved pathways make it easy access for all. A great day trip for anyone close by! Don't miss it!

first land battle in the south. Walking tour of American history ! The grounds were beautiful & well maintained by a park ranger whistle ing as he was working . The trails are well marked with information & pictures to help y ou understand ! This is a piece of American revolutionary war history you must see when anywhere near this place! The surrounding countyside is worth the trip alone ! Learn about America & go to Ninety six ! Dont miss the two forts there ! GO! Never heard about it in american history class !

We arrived at the visitor's center just before they closed at 4:00 p.m. We had time to briefly view the museum but not enough time to see the film. We did walk the main trail (paved) and read the signs placed along it. That, along with the brochure from the visitor's center, gave us a pretty good idea of what went on here 230+ years ago. It was interesting to learn the history and learn that the people who held the fort were not British regulars, but were mostly loyalists. There are restrooms, picnic areas and some reproduction buildings etc. to see. A very peaceful place.

My husband and I took the dogs for some hiking and trail walking. The museum is small but the staff was friendly and helped us find a good hike for us and our 2 dogs. The hike is realitively easy, and there are lots of stops along the way. The fort was very cool to see. I have never seen anything quite like it. Overall we had a very nice visit!

I grew up in 96 and alwats enjoy goin just outside of town to visit the fort but the older I get the more I enjoy just going out there to walk around when I can. I have moved from 96 now but still love to go out and visit the fort and the people that work there.

I live within 15 miles of Ninety Six National Historic Site or what the locals call "Star Fort," so I have had many opportunities to explore beyond the star-shaped earthworks that are the main attraction of the site. There's also an extensive trail system that has been carved through the hundreds of acres of land that make up the site. Anytime I want to "get away from it all" I find myself heading to Star Fort, nine times out of ten I'm the only person around for miles. If it's your first time exploring, I recommend picking up a trail map at the visitor center before you set out on any walk as the trails can be confusing. However most are well marked and fairly wide. I do suggest you stay on the marked paths in the site as most of the area was once used as a trash dump before it became federal property. Americorps volunteers made a good effort to clean up the site several years ago but there's still plenty of broken bottles and jagged metal off the beaten path.Be sure to visit Star Fort pond, where you're likely to see migrating waterfowl slowly skimming over the silent pond in search of a meal. White tail dear are everywhere at Star Fort and can be seen if your quiet and patient. At dusk the dear come out of their hiding places into the fields near the pond to feed on hay, persimmons and pears.Ninety Six National Historic Site offers not only a first rate Revolutionary War experience but also a first rate natural experience as well.

I am a travel writer who covers National Parks (npplan.com) and I visited Ninety Six National Historic Site in September of 2013. The park gets its name from a town that no longer exists, having been burned down during the American Revolution. However, the town’s history goes back long before the war. It began in the mid-1700s as a major Indian trading post, played a part in the Indian Wars of 1760-1762, and saw two Revolutionary War battles, including the first land battle in the southern colonies.Today, the main attractions at Ninety-Six are the American Revolution battlefield, the Star Fort and the Stockade Fort (reconstructed), hiking trails on remnants of the original roads that lead to Charleston and to the Cherokee Indian Village of Keowee, the historic site of the town, which was burned after the second battle, and fishing at the Star Fort Pond on select days.A 1-mile, paved walking trail takes visitors to all the points of interest on the battlefield. There are plenty of information panels along the trail, complete with diagrams of how the battle played out, so it is easy for the visitor to picture how the battle took place.I do not recommend visiting the park unless the Visitor Center is open, as this is the place to learn something about the town and the battle before venturing out to see the historic areas. Without this knowledge, you have no idea as to what you are looking at or why it is important. If, on the other hand, you are just coming out to hike the trails and get some exercise, come at any time.For plenty of quality photos and complete information about the park, please visit National Park Planner.

Being curious as to how the town of "Ninety Six" got its name, we decided to take a drive to see. This is a smaller fort & remains of the original settlement of Ninety Six. Watching the movie in the great visitor center helps to explain what battles took place here. There is a great one mile paved trail that loops around the remains of the earthen walls of Star Fort, as well as the settlement. Also there is a replica of a stockade fort. Nice area for picnicking as well.

I checked our the visitor's center first. I watched the 20-minute video about the site and the battle. There's a bookstore and a small museum that I browsed through. Then I hit the trail. It's paved and about a mile long, an easy walk, though there are some rises. The earthen star fort is the original structure, built back in 1781. There's also a reproduction stockade fort. Though of modern construction, it's on the same location as the original fort. There's also an observation tower. Some 300 interpretive signs are along the route.The Loyalists controlled the forts and the village here when General Nathanael Greene, of the Continental army, led a thousand troops here to take the fort and thus the village. Despite facing a force of only about half his number, General Greene couldn't capture the fort. Not that he didn't give it a good try. He imposed a siege on the earthen fort that lasted 28 days, the longest siege of the war.

Good location to learn history that is sometimes not listed go in history books. Camping area is set aside for scout groups. Easy hike on trail. Geo caching is placed in a few places in battlefield area. Visitor center an book store. Film on the siege. Historical trail hike award for scouting can be earned hiking. Living history on certain dates. Star Fort is a earthen emplacement. At present they are surveying the tunnel built for siege that has lasted this two hundred plus years. Wooden stockade fort near end of hike. Observation tower to view battlefield.

When I lived in Greenwood, I often enjoying trail run there. Around 10 miles good for me. Love the woods, ponds, birds, and wild animals. Back to the nature!

This is a little out of the way place, in a quaint South Carolina small town. Well kept, friendly staff and a great movie. My grandson went to school down the road, and every time I would pick him up, he would want to go by the site. It was a fantastic way for him (and myself) to learn more about the history of the area. If you are in the area, make sure to allow several hours to tour the entire site. Lots of walking if you are so inclined.

We decided to stop by the 96 Historic Site on a whim during a road trip and I'm glad we did! We stopped by the visitors center first and the staff took their time talking to us and explaining all that the park had to offer. We had a great time walking around the main trail and reading about the history of the battle field along the way. Our dog had a great time too! I would love to go back when we have more time to explore the other trails.

I was a bit concerned by another review that said "I'm glad that I took a few minutes to stop here" I thought this would be a very small and short visit. I went with my grandchildren (5 and 6 years old) short attention spans, but we spent almost 3 hours here. There is a 20 minute film which is quite interesting, a small museum which they went through in about 15 minutes, but the park itself includes a nice walking tour of the battlefield, the star fort, and the stockade fort with plaques to guide you. The reason I only rated it very good was that there is not much in the way of recreation of the original structure, the "star fort" is only a mound of dirt now covered with grass, the village is 4 posts marking the original corners.

This National Park is well-maintained and provides an opportunity to walk in the paths of history. We missed the movie in the visitor's center, but enjoyed the visit with a park ranger in the cabin.The restrooms were blissfully cool on the hot day that we visited!