Ninety Six National Historic Site
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.
Alerts
- CautionPark Wide Caution
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.
- InformationTrail update 7/25/26
Most trails are open and ready for the public. Those that remain closed are the Charleston Road/ Goudey Trail past the Cherokee Path and the portion of Cherokee Path between the stockade fort and the Charleston Road.
- InformationPhone Lines Down
Our phone lines are being upgraded and are currently down. If you need to contact us please email: [email protected] Or you may call Cowpens National Battlefield at: 864 461-2828
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Park Grounds | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
| Star Fort Pond | Varies by day ▾
|
Star Fort Pond: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow |
|
| Nov 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027Seasonal Closure | Closed |
When to go
April draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Ninety Six National Historic SitePassport stamp
Open Wednesday-Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday. Museum contains a reproduction 3-pounder cannon, artifacts found on the battlefield, and other exhibits. "Ninety Six: Crossroads" is a 22-minute video shown on request.
Explore
Things to do
- Watch Crossroads of a Revolution22 Minutes
This 22-minute orientation film tells the story of Ninety Six during the 1700s.
Opens on the Park Service site - Museum5-30 Minutes
View artifacts and interpretive displays about the park.
Opens on the Park Service site - Become a Ninety Six National Historic Site BARK Ranger
Help your pet become a BARK Ranger by practicing the BARK Ranger rules and learning about the park.
Opens on the Park Service site - 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 - Birding at Ninety Six0-12 Hours
Home to around 150 species of birds Ninety Six provides birders with year round access to many bird habitats, including the Star Fort Pond.
Opens on the Park Service site - NISI Junior Ranger Program30-120 Minutes
You can earn a Junior Ranger badge at the park and from home.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 8Hide
- Fishing at Star Fort Pond0-12 Hours
Fishing at Ninety Six can be both relaxing and rewarding. Learn were to park and the rules and regulations before casting your line.
Opens on the Park Service site - Battlefield Self Guided Tour30-90 Minutes
A one-mile paved trail will take you through the area of the 1781 siege, by the original Star Fort, through the location of the colonial town, and to the Stockade Fort, the location of the 1775 battle.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Tuesday Bird Walk10/2008:00 AM · runs through Dec 29 · freeStar Fort Pond is Located on the backside of the park off Highway 246 on Kinard Road.
- 08:00 AM · runs through Dec 5 · free
- Starry, Starry Sky11/1306:00 PM · freeWe will meet outside of the visitor center and walk to the viewing site together.
News
- Ninety Six National Historic Site Announces Installation of New Interpretive Wayside in Partnership with Friends Group ↗2026-07-31
Ninety Six National Historic Site installed a new interpretive wayside exhibit for visitors to experience the Star Fort as it may have appeared during the siege of 1781.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
.jpg/960px-Stark_House%2C_Abbeville_(Abbeville_County%2C_South_Carolina).jpg)
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
Full checklist: 150 birds, 25 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsBarred Owl · Black Vulture · Broad-winged Hawk · Eastern Screech-Owl · Great Horned Owl · Northern Harrier · Osprey · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Coot · Black-crowned Night-Heron · Blue-winged Teal · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Double-crested Cormorant · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Greater Scaup · Green Heron · Green-winged Teal · Hooded Merganser · Lesser Scaup · Little Blue Heron · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck · Snow Goose · White Ibis · Wood Duck · Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Woodcock · Common Snipe · Killdeer · Lesser Yellowlegs · Spotted Sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesMourning Dove · Northern Bobwhite · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker · Red-headed Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian Flycatcher · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Redstart · American Robin · Baltimore Oriole · Barn Swallow · Bay-breasted Warbler · Belted Kingfisher · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Black-throated Green Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-headed Vireo · Bobolink · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Brown-headed Nuthatch · Canvasback · Carolina Chickadee · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Chipping Sparrow · Chuck-will's-widow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Yellowthroat · Dark-eyed Junco · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Towhee · Eastern Wood-Pewee · European Starling · Field Sparrow · Fish Crow · Fox Sparrow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Great Crested Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · Hooded Warbler · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Kentucky Warbler · Least Flycatcher · Louisiana Waterthrush · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Orchard Oriole · Ovenbird · Palm Warbler · Pine Warbler · Prairie Warbler · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Finch · Purple Martin · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Redhead · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Rusty Blackbird · Savannah Sparrow · Scarlet Tanager · Song Sparrow · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Swainson's Warbler · Swamp Sparrow · Tennessee Warbler · Tufted Titmouse · Veery · Vesper Sparrow · Whip-poor-will · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Worm-eating Warbler · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-rumped Warbler · Yellow-throated Vireo · Yellow-throated Warbler
Small mammalsAmerican beaver · cotton mouse · eastern cottontail · eastern gray squirrel · golden mouse · hispid cotton rat · marsh rice rat · southeastern shrew · southern flying squirrel · southern short-tailed shrew · white-footed mouse · woodland vole
Predatorsbobcat · gray fox · raccoon
Hoofed mammalswhite-tailed deer
BatsBrazilian free-tailed bat · Seminole bat · big brown bat · eastern red bat · evening bat · hoary bat · silver-haired bat · tri-colored bat
Also on the checklistVirginia opossum
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
Temperatures for the area range from very hot and humid in the summer to cool and moderate in the winter.
Questions people ask
Does Ninety Six charge an entrance fee?
No. Ninety Six is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Ninety Six?
Standard hours are Sunrise to Sunset, every day.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Ninety Six right now?
3 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Trail update 7/25/26; Park Wide Caution; and more.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Ninety Six?
122,732 recreation visits in 2025, number 202 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Ninety Six?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 4G LTE. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Ninety Six established?
1976.
Source: Wikipedia
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.
More in South Carolina
