Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail

The Appalachia Region of the United States is steeped in history, namely in the form of Civil War-era historic sites that dot the region. It was a much earlier battle, however, that truly cemented the region’s place in the history books. In 1780, a 272-mile route stretching from Virginia to South Carolina was traversed by a rag-tag group of settlers in the Patriot militia who were on a mission to face down a larger contingent of British-led loyalists during the American Revolutionary War. The Patriots notched a decisive victory in the battle fought near Kings Mountain State Park in South Carolina and contributed to changing the course of American history. A century after this battle was waged, the U.S. Congress designated the route marched by the Patriot militia as the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVNHT)—the first trail with a National Trail designation. However, the majority of the 330-miles that delineate the historic route remains undeveloped today.

The planning & trail consultants at Destination by Design have completed master plans for 7 of the 10 OVT planning sections, including Sections 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 10.

The OVNHT or OVT is a multi-use National Historic Trail from the Abington, VA to the Kings Mountain State Park in South Carolina, created through a multi-jurisdictional master planning process. Destination by Design (DbD) collaborated with multiple government partners and private landowners to establish a plan for the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail that honors the past and respects the vision for the future.  

In order to determine the trail alignment of the OVNHT both the natural and built environment in each study area must be analyzed using a combination of GIS records, local expertise, and site visits. This process identifies opportunities for existing park connectivity, determines likely sites for new trail head development, and attempts to determine the trail alignments that are most feasible yet will not detract from the beauty and history of the trail experience. The analysis also identifies key constraints that may prohibit or hinder the development of the trail in certain areas. These constraints can include steep topography, busy highway crossings, and opposition from local landowners.

A large portion of the analysis completed for each section of the OVNHT involved reaching out to landowners along the path of the proposed trail to brief them on the trail’s approximate route, and to gather notes on which privately held parcels the trail may need to avoided based on the interest or opposition of each landowner. Landowners were engaged through the creation and dissemination of custom-produced videos, informational letters, and public meetings.

The combination of analysis, recommendations, and guidelines for implementation are organized into a master planning document for each OVNHT section. These plans can be viewed by clicking the button below.

This segment of the OVNHT begins at its northern-most terminus in Abingdon, VA and ends at the future site of the Gap Creek Park in Elizabethton, TN. The 93-mile stretch of trail will connect multiple jurisdictions from Virginia to Tennessee, offering a rare level of cross-state trail connectivity. The long stretch of trail will offer ancillary development opportunities in many of the communities that it touches. For example, the Sullivan County Schools (TN) system and Planning Department plan to pursue the development of a trail head and 15-acre public park adjacent to the County’s new middle school. This planned development will offer a unique learning environment for local students and other area residents who will gain a greater appreciation for the historic role their small town played in the American Revolutionary War. The trail’s planned connection to Sullivan County’s Observation Knob Park on the shores of beautiful South Holston Lake is another example of how this stretch of the OVNHT can complement existing assets and take a community’s tourism portfolio to the next level. 

This planned section of the OVNHT covers approximately 43 miles in two corridors. This section of the trail is unique in that it represents where the Overmountain Men split their forces to take two different routes down to where Lake James is today. Routes have been planned for both corridors, and will take users through some of the steepest mountain terrain of the entire trail. Along the way users will cross the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Mountains to Sea Trail, and will skirt the edge of the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area before arriving at Lake James where the Fonta Flora State Trail System is being developed.

The Lake James to Morganton section of the OVNHT is notable in the seamless connectivity it provides to a region ideally suited for increased trail connectivity. Both Burke County and the City of Morganton are blessed with an array of public parks, greenways, and river access points that would benefit from the increased connectivity that the OVNHT would bring to the area. The 20-mile section of trail will bring improved access to Lake James, Freedom Park, Catawba Meadows Park, and the historically significant McDowell House. The McDowell House played a pivotal role in the attack on the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain, serving as a site of significant strategic planning by the Overmountain Men before they attacked British loyalists. The house is used as a staging ground to this day by OVNHT re-enactors who commemorate the role the property played in ensuring victory for the Overmountain Men.

Elkin offers an almost unmatched level of convenience for the modern-day outdoor enthusiast. The town is just 15 minutes from Stone Mountain State Park and about 20 minutes from the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The town is also populated with several trail systems, including the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, Yadkin River Blueway, and an array of local trails. The planned 28-mile stretch of the OVNHT from Elkin to W. Kerr Scott Reservoir will add another layer of trail connectivity to the Elkin area. The trail will connect downtown Elkin to the W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, a popular outdoor destination in the Wilkesboro area. Serving as both a historical asset and outdoor recreational asset, the OVNHT stretch from Elkin to W. Kerr Scott Reservoir will be a perfect complement to the area’s existing trail networks.

This planned section of the OVNHT traverses 20 miles, connecting two major population centers in the area. The trail will link regional points of interest like Fort Crider, the Lenoir Greenway, Unity Park, and Johns River Game Lands. The planned trail will also complement existing community plans and put wind in the sails of ongoing community revitalization efforts, especially in and around downtown Lenoir, NC.

This planned section of the OVNHT will cover approximately 29 miles, and begins at the Thermal Belt Rail Trail north of Rutherfordton, NC and ends at Cada Park in downtown Chesnee, SC. The OVNHT in this section will traverse the rolling foothills of North Carolina and South Carolina, and will cross both the Broad and Green Rivers. Along its path, users can find the Bradley Nature Preserve and the Tryon Equestrian Center.

This 74-mile planned stretch of the OVNHT will help draw history buffs to the Kings Mountain National Military Park, the site of the famed battle between the Patriot militiamen and British-led forces. The trail will benefit from its planned connections to the downtowns of the City of Chesnee, City of Gaffney, and Town of Blacksburg. Each community’s downtown core provide a solid foundation of built environment assets that can anchor the OVNHT and help to spur additional public and private investments along the trail corridor.