Ninety Six National Historic Site | PARK TRAILS LOOP

Ninety Six National Historic Site Loop Hike Map

Ninety Six National Historic Site Loop Hike Map

Length: 3.8 miles
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Mainly flat and easy with a couple moderate hills

The three main trails at Ninety Six National Historic Site (Historical, Gouedy, and Cherokee Path) can be hiked as one, big loop. This cuts about half an hour from the total time if you were to hike all three separately, and you still see roughly 98 percent of all three trails. The only section skipped is a .1 mile stretch along the Historical Trail that runs from the Ninety-Six town site (where the Gouedy Trail starts) to the Cherokee Path trailhead. The only thing you miss is the Old Jail site, and since no jail remains, it is just a field with a marker stating that the old jail once stood here. If you hate out-and-back trails as much as I do—don’t want to see the same thing twice—and don’t mind a longer hike, this is the best way to see the entire park.

There is also a trail around the Star Fort Pond (aka Ninety Six Lake), the Fisherman’s Trail, that adds 1.25 miles to the hike if you are up for it. I was not aware of this trail when I visited, otherwise I would have done it.

The total distance of the hike is 3.8 miles. The trip takes about 3 hours, which allows you time to see all the sites the park has to offer and take a short break or two during the hike. The trails are all relatively flat and easy, though there is a moderate hill at the start and end of the hike. I did the hike on a beautiful day in late September and didn’t even break a sweet. I only drank a small bottle of water, but if you are doing this hike on a hot summer day, I suggest carrying a half gallon.

Start out on the Historical Trail, hiking in the clockwise direction from the Visitor Center. When you get to the Ninety Six town site, take the Gouedy Trail (.8 mile from the start). Though described in the park literature as a “loop” trail, it is actually what I call a “lollipop” trail. You start off on the “stick” and in a short distance you come to the loop portion of the trail. The Gouedy Trail crosses the Cherokee Path Trail about a quarter mile down. Keep straight on the Gouedy Trail, but on the way back take a right on the Cherokee Path Trail to hike to the Star Fort Pond. Once you have visited the pond, turn around and return on the Cherokee Path Trail, hiking it in its entirety all the way back to the Historical Trail. Once at the Historical Trail, go left to return to the Visitor Center.

For details and plenty of photos of each trail, please read their individual trail pages.

Historical Trail
Gouedy Trail
Cherokee Path Trail


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Last updated on October 15, 2019
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