Cowpens National Battlefield | PARK AT A GLANCE

Cowpens Battlefield Trail at Cowpens National Battlefield

Cowpens Battlefield Trail at Cowpens National Battlefield

PARK OVERVIEW

Located near Gaffney, South Carolina, Cowpens National Battlefield preserves the location of a January 17, 1781, American Revolution battle that is considered one of the turning points in the war. American forces led by General Daniel Morgan defeated the hated Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton and his British Legion. The battlefield is only thirty miles west of another important Revolution battle site, Kings Mountain National Military Park.

Make your first stop at the park the Visitor Center. Here you will find an information desk staffed by park Rangers and a small museum that also doubles as the park theater. A 20-minute film about the battle is shown every hour. There is also a light-animated map that explains the battle strategies.

The only way to see the battlefield is on foot along a 1.25 mile trail. Information panels line the trail and explain the events that took place. The trail is flat and easy and has a surface that is partially paved and partially gravel. A person in a wheelchair can make it around the trail with a little help. A 2-mile loop nature trail is also in the park.

Those with horses are welcome to ride on the park road, the nature trail, and the Green River Road, a gravel path that runs down the center of the battlefield.

The park also has a picnic area with a pavilion that can be reserved for large groups.


OPERATING HOURS

Cowpens National Battlefield Visitor Center is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 9 AM to 5 PM, except when closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

The park loop road is open to vehicles from 9 AM to 4:30 PM (closed on the aforementioned holidays). However, pedestrians and bikers can access it any day from dawn to dusk by parking at the Trailhead parking lot on the eastern side of the park near the intersection of Hwy 11 and Hayes Road.

Times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to get the latest schedule on Cowpens National Battlefield’s Operating Hours and Seasons web page.


FEES

There is no charge to enter Cowpens National Battlefield. Donation are always welcome.


SCHEDULING YOUR VISIT

Visitor Center
allow 1 hour

Battlefield Tour
allow 1 hour

Hiking Trail
allow 1 hour


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Last updated on November 2, 2022
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