The Kings Mountain State Park shares a common boundary with the Kings Mountain National Military Park. The state park offers picnicking and camping year-round. Hiking and bridle trails connect to the national park. Seasonal activities include swimming and carpet golf. The state park also offers programs at a reconstructed 19th-century farmstead.

The Kings Mountain National Military Park is the end of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail and the site of the Revolutionary War battle of Kings Mountain. No recreational facilities are provided. Historic programs, living history, and special interpretive programs are provided at selected times.

The site of the Revolutionary War battle of Cowpens, the park is also an important stop on the OVNHT, since the Patriot passed through there the evening before the battle at Kings Mountain.

Crowders Mountain State Park in North Carolina is on the northeast end of the Kings Mountain range and offers hiking, rock climbing, camping, boating, horseback riding,and fishing. Efforts are underway to establish a trail linking Crowders Mountain with the two Kings Mountain parks.