Cowpens National Battlefield
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, secured a patriot victory.
About 1.5 hours from Charlotte by car.
Alerts
- CautionHazardous Conditions on Trails
Visitors should exercise caution when hiking areas of the park that have opened since Hurricane Helene. Hazards on trails and in forested areas such as hanging tree limbs, debris on the ground, and washed-out sections of trails and bridges are possible.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Fee free park.
Hours
| Grounds | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Trails and Trailhead Parking | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
| Restrooms, Picnic Area, and Auto Loop Road | Daily · 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
Restrooms, Picnic Area, and Auto Loop Road: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
| Jan 18, 2027Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Closed |
| Feb 15, 2027Washington's Birthday | Closed |
| Sep 6, 2027Labor Day | Closed |
| Oct 12, 2027Columbus Day | Closed |
When to go
April draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Cowpens National BattlefieldPassport stamp
Museum contains a reproduction 3-pounder cannon, other weapons and artifacts of the Revolutionary War period, and exhibits. "Cowpens: A Battle Remembered" is an 18-minute video shown hourly in the museum.
Explore
Things to do
- Become a Southern Campaign of the American Revolution Junior Ranger1-5 Days
The Southern Campaign of the American Revolution Junior Ranger Program features five units of the National Park Service! Complete the activities and earn a Junior Ranger badge!
Opens on the Park Service site - OVVI Junior Ranger
Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Junior Ranger booklet and directions.
Opens on the Park Service site - Green River Road on the OVNHT45-60 Minutes
Exploring the Green River Road (Hiking, Equestrian)
Opens on the Park Service site - Cowpens Bicycling
Cowpens Bicycling Information
Opens on the Park Service site - Cowpens Junior Ranger Program45-120 Minutes
Cowpens Junior Ranger program.
Opens on the Park Service site - Horseback Riding at Cowpens National Battlefield
Horse Riding Regulations at Cowpens
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 7Hide
- Cowpens Nature Trail25-90 Minutes
Cowpens Nature Trail
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- 246th Anniversary Commemoration of the Battle of Cowpens01/1610:00 AM · free
- 246th Anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens01/1709:00 AM · free
- Library Day03/2010:00 AM · free
- Junior Ranger Day04/1709:00 AM · free
- Legacy of Cowpens06/1910:00 AM · free
- Celebration of Freedom07/0310:00 AM · free
Show all 7Hide
- National Park Service Birthday08/2110:00 AM · free
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Zeno Hicks HouseHistoric district · Chesnee · 3 mi
- Cowpens DepotBuilding · Cowpens · 8 mi
- Jefferies HouseBuilding · Gaffney · 9.8 mi
- Henrietta–Caroleen High SchoolBuilding · Mooresboro · 9.9 mi
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthRed Junglefowl 2×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 99 birds, 22 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Barred Owl · Black Vulture · Broad-winged Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Great Horned Owl · Northern Harrier · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersCanada Goose · Great Blue Heron · Wood Duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Woodcock · Killdeer
Gamebirds & dovesMourning Dove · Northern Bobwhite · Rock Pigeon · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian Flycatcher · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Robin · Baltimore Oriole · Barn Swallow · Black-and-white Warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-headed Vireo · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Brown-headed Nuthatch · Carolina Chickadee · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Chuck-will's-widow · Common Grackle · Common Yellowthroat · Dark-eyed Junco · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Towhee · Eastern Wood-Pewee · European Starling · Field Sparrow · Fish Crow · Fox Sparrow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Gray Catbird · Gray-cheeked Thrush · Great Crested Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Loggerhead Shrike · Magnolia Warbler · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Ovenbird · Ovenbird · Pine Warbler · Prairie Warbler · Purple Finch · Purple Martin · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Scarlet Tanager · Song Sparrow · Summer Tanager · Swamp Sparrow · Tufted Titmouse · Whip-poor-will · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-rumped Warbler · Yellow-throated Warbler
Small mammalseastern chipmunk · eastern cottontail · eastern gray squirrel · eastern mole · hispid cotton rat · house mouse · white-footed mouse
Predatorsblack bear · coyote · gray fox · raccoon · striped skunk
Hoofed mammalswhite-tailed deer
BatsSeminole bat · big brown bat · eastern red bat · evening bat · hoary bat · northern bat · silver-haired bat · tri-colored bat
Also on the checklistVirginia opossum
Activities
Weather & climate
Temperatures for the area range from very hot and humid in the summer to cool and moderate in the winter. http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=35.1346&lon=-81.7036#.VhkrZ-xVhBc
Questions people ask
Does Cowpens charge an entrance fee?
No. Cowpens is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Cowpens?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM, every day.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Cowpens right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Hazardous Conditions on Trails.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Cowpens?
175,020 recreation visits in 2025, number 181 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Cowpens?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 4G LTE. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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