Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
In 1780, a group of Patriot militiamen headed south from Virginia, intending to stop British Loyalists from taking Charleston, South Carolina.
Their journey took them through Tennessee and North Carolina, across the Watagua and Doe Rivers, and over the Great Smoky Mountains. Along the way, many sympathizers joined their ranks. By the time they reached Kings Mountain, they numbered more than 2,000.
Overmountain Victory National Historic Trial traces the 330-mile path forged by these heroes of the Revolutionary War. The trail begins in Abingdon, Virginia, and ends at Kings Mountain, South Carolina, where the Patriots vanquished the British on October 7, 1780, turning the tide of the war.
Today, you can follow the trail on foot, as living historians do each year to commemorate the 1780 event. A Commemorative Motor Route follows roughly parallel highways and roads, with some sections overlapping the original 1780 route.
Stops along the trail provide opportunities to study various aspects of the Revolutionary War, as well as other moments in American history. The trail also crosses state and national parks and forests, a reservoir, and other highlights of four Southern states.
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