Kings Mountain State Park - Kings Mountain Trail

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Length:	16 Miles
Difficulty:	Easy
Rating (1-10):	4
More Information	http://www.sctrails.net/Trails/ALLTRAILS/NRT/Kings Mt hiking.html

After hiking this trail, we decided that it will be a long time until we return. We were very disappointed with this hike, partially because we had high hopes after reading some info we found before the hike. One of the major problems that we had was the very poor condition of the trail in the State Park. We hiked this trail clockwise, so for the majority of the 1st day of hiking (about 9 miles) we spent hiking in the State Park. For most of this 9 miles there were fallen trees across the trail that we had to walk around, and brush grown up covering the trail that constantly brushed our legs. As a result of the brush, we were constantly walking face-first into spider webs AND picking ticks off of our legs and socks. We counted a total of 20 ticks on us within the 1st day.
	Another big problem we had with the trail in the State Park was that horses have been ridden on the trail even though it is plainly marked as off limits to horses. We think that there are more horses on the trail than foot traffic. One would think a sign reading "Foot Traffic Only" and a large picture of a horse with a red slash would be enough to let the riders know not to take the hiking trail. The shredded dirt, and huge piles of manure weren't the only results of the horse traffic; we were bitten multiple times by large horse flies that in fact DO draw blood.
Because of the terrible trail condition in the State Park, it took us 7 hours to hike the 1st 9 miles. We had to constantly stop and swipe spider webs as well as have a scheduled "tick check" every 15 minutes. Thank God that neither one of us ended up with a tick bite. The campsite, which for some reason is the only camp site on the trail away from the parks, was a little less than desirable. It is not the worst site we have ever camped at, but it was not the best spot that we saw. Not more than a 1/4 mile down the trail was a beautiful spot beside a very nice stream, with a "No Camping" sign staked in the ground... obviously we weren't the only people who thought it was a better site.
	Once inside the National Park, the trail condition improved dramatically. We aren't sure if that is a result of heavier foot traffic, but day 2 of our hike was much better. We didn't see a single tick on day 2, probably because we weren't walking through waist high brush or walking around fallen trees every 1/4 mile. Maybe we are spoiled from being fortunate enough to visit the foothills every weekend, but we couldn't find any reason to hike this trail. Usually, we like to hike a trail that has some attraction, be it a waterfall or nice views, but this trail was simply a walk in the woods. So, if you are looking to learn more about the history of the area, you should spend some time at the National Park and visit the battlefield, but we do not recommend hiking the trail. If you do feel the need to hike here, we would recommend staying in the National Park and making this an "out and back" hike to the Garner Creek campsite.
This area of the Carolinas is filled with Revolutionary War history, and the Kings Mountain area in particular is famous for the battle that was fought here. In 1780, at Kings Mountain, a small group of backwoods Patriot Militia defeated a well trained group of British Loyalists and forced the southern British army back toward the coast. There is a National Park that encompasses the actual battlefield at King's Mountain and a nice State Park where the hiking trail begins. Both of these parks are worth visiting if you are looking for a family outing or to learn more about the Revolutionary War.
	These two parks are adjacent to each other, and the 16 mile Kings Mountain trail loops between the parks, beginning and ending at Crawford Lake in the State Park. This trail can be hiked in either direction, but there is only a single designated camping location on the entire loop, and it will be at mile 9 if you hike clockwise or mile 7 if you hike counter-clockwise. Overall, the trail is rather flat with very little elevation change. There are a few hills, but they are short and don't take long to summit. Click Here to see our pictures!