Incident management team crews remove a tree blocking a road at Cowpens National Battlefield/NPS

Hurricane Helene slammed the western Carolinas with high winds and torrential rains. As a result, many national park properties in the area are still trying to assess the damage and have slowly begun to excavate and reopen parts of the parks. Cowpens National Battlefield, Kings Mountain National Military Park, Ninety-Six National Historic Sites And Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail all caused significant damage to natural and cultural resources.

The visitor center and trails have reopened at Kings Mountain. Roads remain closed as park staff continues to work to mitigate hazards posed by Hurricane Helene. The visitor center is open Wednesday-Sunday 09:00-17:00. The park is closed from Monday to Tuesday.

In Cowpens, the visitor center, the Loop Road and part of the Battlefield Trail, and the picnic area have reopened. A portion of Battlefield Road and the entire Nature Trail will remain closed indefinitely. Although conditions at some of the picnic areas are still unsafe, the majority are open. The visitor center is open Wednesday – Sunday 09:00 – 17:00. The park is closed Monday – Tuesday.

The visitor center and part of the Battlefield Trail have opened at Ninety Six. The rest of the roads are closed until further notice. Utility crews are working to repair downed internet and phone lines. The visitor center is open Wednesday-Sunday 09.00-16.30. The park is closed from Monday to Tuesday.

More than three miles of trails in Cowpens have been cleared of trees, and a 16-person team of arborists and sawyers is working to clear downed trees, brush and debris and safely trim overhanging branches and leaning trees on Kings Mountain.

For safety reasons, the parks ask the public to be patient and respect the closures as crews work to open areas safely. Many areas are unsafe due to hidden dangers such as obstacles and overhanging branches. Unauthorized use also hinders work crews’ rescue operations. Each site will update its website and social media as assessments are completed and the cleanup process progresses.