Ninety Six National Historic Site

Western Regional Director: Lee Morris

For the June trip, we will be visiting Ninety Six National Historic Site in Greenwood County. The history of the site reaches back decades before the Revolutionary War and is the site of the first Southern land battle in that war in 1775 (the locals were Loyalists). The site is renowned for the remains of a small, star-shaped fort. This site is located two miles south of SC 34 in the town of Ninety Six. There is a Visitor’s Center that is currently not open due to COVID-19 restrictions, although there will likely be some rangers on site. The restrooms opposite of the Visitor’s Center are open; see COVID-19 restrictions below.

The site encompasses 1022 acres of continuous property and has a number of diverse habitats, including bottomland hardwood forest, mesic-mixed hardwood forest, mowed and un-mowed fields, creeks, and a small lake with an associated wetland. These habitats are well mixed, providing a number of edge communities to thrive. The site is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna (see below). Binoculars are encouraged as there are open fields where birds can be spotted at a distance.

Trails:
Interpretive signs, which mainly cover the site’s history, dot the site on the Historical/Walking Tour Trail, which is paved (1 mile). This trail also has occasional benches. It wanders behind the visitor’s center and eventually into the battlefield to Star Fort, through the historic Town of Ninety Six Site, to the Stockade Fort, and ends up at the parking lot after passing the Logan Log House. This is a loop trail.

The Cherokee Path Trail (blue blazes, 1.5 miles) starts off the Historical Trail as a partially mowed path across a field and then wanders into the forest as a typical hiking trail (not paved). It leads to Star Fort Pond on the eastern part of the site. This is NOT a loop trail. This trail is purportedly in the area of the historical Old Cherokee Path which ran from the coast to the Cherokee town of Keowee (near Clemson).

The Gouedy Trail (1.5 miles) is not paved, but is also used as an access road. It branches off of the Historical Trail and will loop around. This trail has historical significance and wanders through a number of habitats. The Gouedy Trail crosses the Cherokee Path trail; combinations of the Historical, Cherokee Path, and Gouedy trails can provide a good survey of the site and alternate paths for different SCAN groups.

The Fisherman’s Trail (yellow blazes) rings around Star Fort Pond on the eastern part of the property. It can be accessed by the Cherokee Path Trail from the Visitor’s Center (which is on the western side), but can also be accessed by a separate parking lot from the eastern side on Kinard Road. It is not paved and wanders through both grassy areas and forest. The southern part of the pond often has people fishing from the banks. The forested area is in the northern part of the pond area; wading birds and other waterfowl are often found here. Currently there are a number of barn swallows buzzing the pond; there is at least one barn swallow nest under the floating dock. Fishing is allowed at Star Fort Pond provided the fisherperson has a valid fishing license.

There are equestrian trails on the property; I do not know the current condition of these trails. National Park brochures of the site can be found at a kiosk in the area of the Visitor’s Center. These have small trail maps and descriptions of some of the history of the site.

There picnic tables on the Historical Trail between the Logan Log House and the Stockade Fort. We do NOT have a reservation for these so we will not be meeting for lunch as a large group; they are first-come, first serve, so our small groups shouldn’t be a problem using them. There is a shelter on the western side of Star Fort Pond (opposite the Pond parking lot) and there are various benches throughout some trails.

A few biodiversity studies have been completed in the park, generally about 15 years ago. Some numbers: 366 species of plants, 22 species of fish (3 species of concern), 31 species of herpetofauna, 137 species of birds (31 are species of concern), 18 species of mammals. Special survey in 2007 studying bats; four species of bats have been found, also some evidence for two other species found. Invertebrate surveys are not published on the website, so I do not know if any have been completed. SCAN members are encouraged to post their observations on iNaturalist or other citizen science websites, but a copy of your species list should also be emailed to Tom Jones.

The Ninety Six National Historical Site’s official website is full of information of both the historical and natural history of the site. I strongly urge you to surf the site, especially if you are interested in the historical aspects of the site. https://www.nps.gov/nisi/index.htm

We will be parking in the main parking lot near the Visitor’s Center at the main entrance of the park on Hwy 248 (S. Cambridge St). There are 28 spaces, both inside and outside the gate. The gate is closed at 4:30pm, but if you are parked inside, it will automatically open. Since this park will also be open to the public, non-SCAN people will be parking as well; if we have large numbers, some of us may be asked to park in the bus parking lot (immediately next to the public parking lot). We will meet in the parking lot; there are a number of large spaces where we will have our intros.

The Superintendent of the Part asks that we follow the CDC guidelines in terms of COVID-19 safety. This really affects only unvaccinated individuals, who are asked to observe social distancing in general and to wear masks inside buildings (in this case, the bathrooms).

It might be useful to bring bug spray; I have heard rumors of a tick-heavy summer.

There is no organized dinner for this trip, but there are a number of restaurants and pubs in the nearby city of Greenwood if anyone wants to stop for dinner.

Ninety Six National Historic Site
1103 Hwy 248
Ninety Six, SC 29666

Directions: As this is a National Park Site, there are a number of signs that can direct you from I-26.

From Charleston area: Take I-26 west to exit 74 (the second Newberry exit), SC 34. Turn left at the light onto SC 34 south. About two miles will bring you to a major crossroad, route 76/SC 34. Turn left and proceed about 1 mile. Turn right (SC 34 turns) and follow SC 34 signs. SC 34 continues about 2.8 miles, then turns right. SC 34 continues for 21 miles into the town of Ninety Six. Turn left on Hwy 248. The Park is 2 miles (south) on the left.

From the Greenville/Spartanburg area: Take I-26 east to exit 74 (the second Newberry exit), SC 34. Turn right at the light onto SC 34 south. About two miles will bring you to a major crossroad, route 76/SC 34. Turn left and proceed about 1 mile. Turn right (SC 34 turns) and follow SC 34 signs. SC 34 continues about 2.8 miles, then turns right. SC 34 continues for 21 miles into the town of Ninety Six. Turn left on Hwy 248. The Park is 2 miles (south) on the left.