This park is big! You will never run out of things to do while camping at Kings Mountain State Park! The park has two fishing lakes, an 1800s Living Historic Farm, 115 RV, and tent sites, several primitive tent sites, equestrian campsites, and miles of equestrian trails and hiking trails.
Kings Mountain State Park is Two Parks in One
As a bonus, the Kings Mountain National Military Park is located adjacent to this state park. Although The Kings Mountain Military Park is a completely separate park, you get to it by driving inside Kings Mountain State Park.
So basically this area holds two completely parks in one. We actually found the military park first and missed our turn a couple of times when we were trying to find the visitors center and main areas of Kings Mountain State Park.
Camping at Kings Mountain State Park
Because there is so much to do, this is an ideal place to camp. Kings Mountain State Park holds 115 standard campsites for RVs and tents. You can make reservations to go camping at Kings Mountain State Park by calling 1-866-345-PARK or visiting this link. These sites include water and electricity. Ten tent-only sites are also available. These ten sites have no water or electricity. You must book for a minimum of 2 days and a maximum of 14 days. Trust me, you are going to want to stay at least 2 nights because there is so much to do. Let’s look at all the fun things to do below!
Paddleboarding/Kayaking/Canoeing
This state park has TWO lakes, Lake Crawford and Lake York. Not many parks can say that! Lake York is bigger than Lake Crawford, but Lake Crawford has several unique features.
Lake York
I love the paddle access location on Lake York. You can put your kayaks and paddleboards in a small beach area. Then, you paddle through a small body of water; then you turn the corner and you are suddenly in an open Lake. Lake York is pretty large at 65 acres, while Lake Crawford is only 13 acres.
Lake Crawford
This lake has a beautiful man-made water feature. We liked walking across the rocks at the bottom of the water feature.
We also hung our hammock on the “island” that was surrounded by the creek just below the man-made “waterfall.” The pictures below may explain the area better.
I guess it goes without saying (but I am still going to say it) that you don’t want to paddle near the waterfall water feature. You definitely don’t want to fall over it.
Bench swings and picnic tables are located along the picturesque shore of Lake Crawford. It was such a peaceful place to spend time with my family.
You do need to pay a small fee to launch your personal paddleboard or kayak. They also have canoes and kayaks available to rent.
When we visited the park, they had just announced that they will be renovating the bathhouse that is sitting in front of Lake Crawford. The project renderings look beautiful!
Exploring the Living Historic Farm while Camping at Kings Mountain State Park
The site is a replica of a mid 19th century South Carolina yeoman farm.
You can find a farmhouse, blacksmith shop, cotton gin, and garden spread throughout the farm. You can even find live animals on the farm! The farm was green and beautiful.
We loved walking around the peaceful farm, snapping pictures, and taking in the sights.
The Ultimate Outsiders Box was located at the building closest to the parking lot.
They probably had them at the main Trading Post building as well, but we never made it over there. If you are wondering what I am talking about, let me explain. South Carolina State Parks have a challenge called “The Ultimate Outsiders Challenge. If you visit all the South Carolina Parks, you get an Ultimate Outsiders T-shirt. To participate in the challenge, you simply go to any state park office and ask for the stamp book.
Then every time you visit a park you put a stamp in the allotted spot in the book. We have had a blast adding stamps to our book. Each stamp is unique to the park.
Fishing while Camping at Kings Mountain State Park
Don’t forget to bring your fishing pole when you go camping at Kings Mountain State Park. You can fish at either of the lakes as long as you have a fishing license. We saw several people fishing along the banks of the water on our last visit. You may also fish from small Jon boats. Jon boats are available to rent as well. You will find bass, bream, crappie, and catfish in the lakes at Kings Mountain State Park.
Visiting the Military National Park
We accidentally found this neat park first. After we entered Kings Mountain State Park, we missed the turn to get to the main areas of Kings Mountain State Park. Instead, we kept going straight and found the Military National Park. The museum was interesting and the gift shop had several unique items for sale.
On the day that we visited, a school group was there as well. We were able to see a Revolutionary War demonstration along with the school group.
The Revolutionary “characters” were friendly and informative. They enthusiatctly invited us to join the demonstration even though we weren’t part of the school group.
An actual Revolutionary Battlefield is located at this park. They have a trail leading through the battlefield. The demonstration took place along this trail.
Horseback Riding or Just Watching
Okay, so we kept missing our turn at this BIG park. At one point, we ended us at the Equestrian Campground. I had never seen anything like it. I felt like I had stepped back in time. Horses and people meandered around campers at this unique Equestrian Campground. It really was a beautiful site to see.
Of course, an equestrian campsite wouldn’t be complete without Equestrian trails. Kings Mountain State Park has over 30 miles of equestrian trails. These trails also connect to the national park’s equestrian trails.
Playing on the Playground, Volleyball Court, Basketball Court, or Ping Pong Tables
Kids can find plenty to do here. This park and campground have a nice playground as well as volleyball courts, basketball courts, and pin pong tables. On the day that we visited, we had a picnic on a picnic table near the playground, then we played on the playground before we headed down to the lake.
Picnicking
Kings Mountain State Park has plenty of picnic shelters as well as picnic tables scattered throughout the park. You can find nice shaded tables or if you are cold-natured, you can choose a picnic table that is basking in the sun. We were a little cold so we found a table in the sun just beside the playground.
Hiking the Trails
The Kings Mountain Hiking Trail is 16 miles long. It is a long one, but you can do as little or as much of the trail as you want. The Farm Trail is shorter at only 1.5 miles long. The ridgeline Trail is similar in length to the Farm trail at 1.8 miles long; however, the Ridgeline Trail connects to two other parks: The Kings Mountain National Military Park and the Crowder’s Mountain State Park in North Caroline. You can take this trail and visit three separate parks! We took it easy and meandered down portions of some of the trails but we didn’t complete any trails on our last visit.
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