Ninety Six National Historic Site | CHEROKEE PATH TRAIL

Start of the Cherokee Path Trail

Start of the Cherokee Path Trail


See the Hiking Trails web page for a trail map.


Length: 3.4 miles round trip from the Visitor Center (trail itself is 3 miles, round trip)
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: There are two moderate hills at the start, then it is flat and easy

The Cherokee Path Trail runs 1.5-miles (one way) from near the historic Ninety Six town site on 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 towards Logan Log Cabin and the Stockade Fort. It is .2-mile to the trailhead, which adds .4 mile round trip to the overall hike. It shouldn’t take you more than 2 hours, which allows ample time to take a rest at the pond.

The wide, road-like sections of 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 mile until it intersects with the Gouedy Trail, but 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

Typical terrain on the Cherokee Path Trail

When standing at the trailhead, you might be miffed as to exactly where the trail is, for you will be staring at a fairly open field. Well, that’s the start of the trail. If you look closely, you will see a brown trail sign farther down the field. The trail continues into the forest at the far end of the field.

Cherokee Path trailhead

Cherokee Path trailhead

Cherokee Path Trail as it enters the forest

Cherokee Path Trail as it enters the forest

Just a few minutes later, the wooded trail spills out onto another open field. To continue, walk across the field with the treeline on your left. After a hundred yards, the trail reenters the forest (this is where it gets hilly). The Cherokee Path Trail is marked by blue blazes (blue paint splotches on the trees), so just follow the blue markers if you get lost.

Blue blazes on trees mark the Cherokee Path Trail

Blue blazes on trees mark the Cherokee Path Trail

In addition to intersecting with the Gouedy Trail, the Cherokee Path Trail also crosses a few of the horse trails in 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). Overall, the trail is easy to follow, and you shouldn’t have any problems finding your way to the Star Fort Pond.

Cherokee Path Trail sign with No Horses posted on it

Cherokee Path Trail sign with No Horses posted on it

Swimming is not allowed in the Star Fort Pond, but you can do some fishing on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from April 1st to November 1st. 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 when you emerge from the wooded Cherokee Path Trail

Star Fort Pond as seen when you emerge from the wooded Cherokee Path Trail

View of the Star Fort Pond from the southern end

View of the Star Fort Pond from the southern end

There is a trail that goes around the pond, the Fisherman’s Trail, but I did not hike it because I was not aware of it when I visited Ninety Six National Historic Site. It is approximately 1.25 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 if you turn right. However, the road does not circle the 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 on the south end of the Star Fort Pond

Dirt road on the south end of the Star Fort Pond

There are some benches along the shore and a covered pavilion with one picnic table (no grill).

Picnic table at the Star Fort Pond

Picnic table at the Star Fort Pond

When I visited the park in late September, I overheard two other visitors 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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Last updated on October 15, 2019
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