Start of the Cherokee Path Trail at the intersection with the Historical Trail, Ninety Six National Historic Site

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See the Hiking Trails web page for a trail map.

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The Cherokee Path Trail is currently closed a quarter mile from the trailhead at the intersection with the Historical Trail. It is closed due to damage from Hurricane Helene in September 2024. This message was written in September 2026, so obviously the National Park Service is in no hurry to fix it. Unless the entire trail is open, there is no reason to start hiking it from the trailhead. However, it is possible to hike part of it to the Star Fort Pond. To do so, hike the Gouedy Trail to its intersection with the Cherokee Path Trail, then turn left on the Cherokee Path. Note that this web page is not frequently updated, so the trail may be open by the time you visit. The following review is of the trail when open.

Length: 3.5 miles round trip from the Visitor Center (trail itself is 3 miles, round trip)
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

The Cherokee Path Trail runs 1.5-miles (one way) from its intersection with the Historical Trail to the Star Fort Pond (aka Ninety Six Lake). If you want to hike the Cherokee Path Trail by itself and not as part of a loop with the other park trails, the quickest way to get to it from the Visitor Center is to head counterclockwise on the Historical Trail. If facing the Visitor Center, go to your right and head towards Logan Log Cabin, then continue over a footbridge towards the Stockade Fort. It is a quarter mile to the trailhead, which adds a half mile (round trip) to the overall hike.

The Historical Trail leads from the Ninety Six National Historic Site Visitor Center to Stockade Fort

The wide, road-like sections of the Cherokee Path Trail are the remnants of the original road used by early settlers to get from Ninety Six to the Cherokee village of Keowee. In fact, the story goes that the town of Ninety Six got its name because it was 96 miles to the village. Keowee was of great importance to the white traders, at least in the days before the two groups started fighting each other. Robert Gouedy set up a trading post in the early 1750s, and he did a lot of trading with the Cherokee. He got skins from them—mainly deer—and they got guns and other supplies.

The trail is quite hilly for the first .3 miles until it intersects with the Gouedy Trail. After that it continues on a very mild descent all the way to the pond—so mild that it might as well be flat. Being a former well-traveled dirt path, the surface is relatively free of rocks and roots that can trip you up. There are no historical sites along the way, so it is mainly a nature trail with the pond being the main attraction.

Typical terrain on the Cherokee Path Trail at Ninety Six National Historic Site

The Cherokee Path Trail is marked with blue blazes, which are paint splotches on trees that you follow like Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs. If you get confused, just look for the blue blazes. Overall, the trail is easy to follow, so you shouldn’t have any problems finding your way to the Star Fort Pond.

The Cherokee Path Trail at Ninety Six National Historic Site is marked with blue blazes

In addition to intersecting with the Gouedy Trail, the Cherokee Path Trail also crosses a few of the horse trails at Ninety Six National Historic Site. If you get confused as to which way to go, always follow the trail marked with a NO HORSES sign, or look for the blue blazes. Horse trails are marked with orange blazes.

No horses are allowed on the Cherokee Path Trail at Ninety Six National Historic Site

Intersection of the Cherokee Path Trail and one of the Horse trails at Ninety Six National Historic Site

Swimming is not allowed in the Star Fort Pond, but you can do some fishing on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from April 1^st to November 1^st. You can also access the pond by car from Highway 246, which makes more sense if you plan to fish.

Star Fort Pond as seen from the trailhead for the Cherokee Path Trail at Ninety Six National Historic Site

Southern end of the Star Fort Pond at Ninety Six National Historic Site

There is a trail that goes around the pond, the Fisherman’s Trail, that is approximately 1.7 miles in length. When you first come to the pond, you will see a dirt road that continues a little ways to the left and all the way to the fishing dock and parking lot if you turn right. However, the road does not circle the entire pond, so while you hike part of the way on the road, the rest of the Fisherman’s Trail is a traditional earthen hiking trail. If you want to walk over to the dock, it is a quarter mile, one way.

Dirt road section of the Fisherman’s Trail around the Star Fort Pond, Ninety Six National Historic Site

There are some benches along the shore of the Star Fort Pond and a covered pavilion with one picnic table (no grill) near the trailhead for the Cherokee Path Trail.

Picnic table at the Star Fort Pond near the trailhead for the Cherokee Path Trail, Ninety Six National Historic Site

When I visited the park in late September, I overheard two people talking about how they had hiked the Cherokee Path Trail to the pond earlier in the summer and never wanted to do that again because of the mosquitoes. I had no problems with mosquitoes during a late September and an early October visit, but apparently they are a problem in the dead of summer.

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