South Carolina National Parks

NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE 

Charles Pinckney Mt. Pleasant, SC 

Charles Pinckney was a principal author and signer of the United States Constitution. This remnant of his coastal plantation is preserved to tell the story of a “founding father,” his life of public service, the lives of enslaved African Americans on South Carolina Low country plantations and their influences on Charles Pinckney. 

NATIONAL PARK 

Congaree Hopkins, SC 

Astonishing biodiversity exists in Congaree National Park, the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Waters from the Congaree and Wateree Rivers sweep through the floodplain, carrying nutrients and sediments that nourish and rejuvenate this ecosystem and support the growth of national and state champion trees. 

NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD 

Cowpens Chesnee, SC 

“…our success was complete…” — Daniel Morgan to Nathanael Greene, January 19, 1781 A pasturing area at the time of the battle, this Revolutionary War site commemorates the place where Daniel Morgan and his army turned the flanks of Banastre Tarleton’s British army. This classic military tactic, known as a double envelopment, was one of only a few in history. 

NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK 

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie Charleston Harbor, SC 

Charleston, victorious over the Royal Navy in 1776 and scene of the largest patriot defeat in 1780, played a key role in the American Revolution. Charleston’s appetite for revolution continued in the 1800s as the city blazed a path to secession to safeguard slavery. The Confederacy fired on the US garrison of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, opening the Civil War, which redefined American freedom.

CULTURAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR 

Gullah/Geechee FL, GA, NC, SC 

Designated by Congress in 2006, the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor extends from Wilmington, North Carolina in the north to Jacksonville, Florida in the south. It is home to one of America’s most unique cultures, a tradition first shaped by captive Africans brought to the southern United States from West Africa and continued in later generations by their descendents. 

NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 

Kings Mountain Blacksburg, SC 

Thomas Jefferson called it “The turn of the tide of success.” The battle of Kings Mountain, fought October 7th, 1780, was an important American victory during the Revolutionary War. The battle was the first major patriot victory to occur after the British invasion of Charleston, SC in May 1780. The park preserves the site of this important battle.

NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE 

Ninety Six Ninety Six, SC 

Settlers struggled against the harsh backcountry to survive. Cherokee Indians hunted and fought to keep their land. Two towns and a trading post were formed then abandoned to the elements. And two Revolutionary War battles claimed over 100 lives. Come discover the 18th century history of South Carolina. 

NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL 

Overmountain Victory NC, SC, TN, VA 

Stretching 330 miles through four states (Virginia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina) the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail traces the route used by patriot militia during the pivotal Kings Mountain campaign of 1780. Follow the campaign by utilizing a Commemorative Motor Route which uses existing state highways marked with the distinctive trail logo, or 87 miles of walkable pathways.

NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK 

Reconstruction Era SC 

The Reconstruction era,1861-1900 the historic period in which the United States grappled with the question of how to integrate millions of newly freed African Americans into social, political,economic, and labor systems, was a time of significant transformation. The people, places, and events in Beaufort County, South Carolina, reflect on the most important issues of this tumultuous time period.

NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR 

South Carolina Edgefield, SC 

Designated in 1996, the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor is committed to promoting and preserving the cultural, natural and historic resources of the state. The corridor stretches across 17 counties from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean.