News Release

National Parks in the western Carolinas remain closed in the wake of Hurricane Helene

Date: October 6, 2024

Gaffney, S.C. – The National Park Service’s Southern Campaign Parks Group in the western Carolinas remains closed, pending cleanup from Hurricane Helene. Encompassing Cowpens National Battlefield, Kings Mountain National Military Park, Ninety Six National Historic Site, and Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, the group of national parks all experienced both heavy rainfall and high winds resulting in significant damage to the parks’ infrastructure and natural and cultural resources. The closures apply to all facilities – parking lots, visitor centers, paved and backcountry trails – and to all vehicles and all uses, including motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

National Park Service teams are assessing damage which in many cases is significant. They will utilize the date from their inspections to determine the full extent of the damage, including the timeline and cost estimates for repairs.

After a week of hard work by all park staff, many areas remain dangerous and inaccessible. Hundreds of trees went down damaging structures and blocking trails completely. Many bridges were destroyed. Ensuring that trails are safe for hikers will likely be long-term. At present, all areas within the boundaries of the affected parks are closed. Local park employees are now being supplemented with additional staff from national parks across the country to assist with the cleanup.

For safety reasons, the parks ask that the general public please be patient and respect the closures until further notice. Many areas remain unsafe due to hidden hazards, such as snags and hanging branches. Unauthorized use also hinders recovery operations of work crews. The National Park Service is working diligently, and the sites will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so. Each of the sites will update their website and social media as assessments are completed and cleanup progress is made. NPS