Alt Text Map of Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, which begins in Virginia and travels through Tennessee and North Carolina before ending in South Carolina. Two routes across the states are represented in pale or dark brown. Parks are shaded green, and other terrain is beige. Extended Description Light, golden brown lines represent Routes of the Patriot Militia, and dark brown lines represent the Commemorative Motor Route. The lines mostly overlap in a loose Y shape that spans the height of the map. One northern terminus begins in the town of Abingdon, Virginia, which is near the state’s border with Tennessee. The other northern terminus is to the east, in Elkin, North Carolina. The paths ripple south and toward each other until they meet near Morganton, North Carolina. From there they continue south to end in Kings Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina. This description will begin with the northwest branch to trace its progress from Abingdon to Morganton before repeating the process for the northeast branch between Elkin and Morganton. Then the final leg will be described as the path zigzags in broad strokes to the south to end in Kings Mountain National Military Park. Then surrounding areas will be described before a full transcription of the legend. Northwest Leg: Abingdon to Morganton A site in Abingdon is labeled with a golden-brown callout box, Virginia Patriot Militia Depart, September 24, 1780. Muster Grounds here has information, restrooms, a picnic area, and trailhead, and Colonial Road is labeled at the terminus. Short legs of the historic Patriot Militia route leading south are labeled Town of Abington Trail and Wolf Creek Trail. The historic and motor routes travel roughly together southwest across the state line to Sycamore Shoals in Elizabethton. Between Abingdon and Elizabethton, the Patriot Militia route passes sites labeled Encampment, September 24, 1870, Fort Womack, and Choates Ford Trail, which has a picnic area and self-guiding trail. The Commemorative Motor Route travels along State Route 75 in Virginia, which is paralleled by an oversized golden-brown arrow along the terrain, and then past Pemberton Oak on State Route 44, through Bristol as US Routes 421, and combined 11E and 19, south as 19E, and as State Route 67 in Elizabethton. Rocky Mount State Historic Site and Piney Flats lie just northwest of Elizabethton. Rocky Mount State Historic Site has information, restrooms, and a picnic area. Sycamore Shoals Encampment is dated September 25, 1780. Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area River Trail has a trailhead, information, restrooms, picnic area, and self-guiding trail. Carter Mansion and the Fort Watauga Monument are also in Elizabethton. The trails travel southeast near each other from here, passing Gap Creek Monument shortly after entering Cherokee National Forest. The motor route is labeled State Routes 362 and 361 before splitting near Roan Mountain Community Park Trail. The Patriot Militia Route continues south to Shelving Rock Encampment, dated September 26, 1780, This is just north of Roan Mountain State Park, which has information, restrooms, a picnic area, campground, and self-guiding trail. The historic route continues past Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area and into North Carolina through Yellow Mountain Gap. Just inside North Carolina and now in Pisgah National Forest, Roaring Creek Encampment is dated September 27, 1870, and Bright’s Trace is labeled before the motor route, this leg of which is US Route 19E, rejoins the historic route. In a gap between two sections of Pisgah National Forest, the routes pass Spruce Pine, Cathay’s Plantation at Grassy Creek Encampment, dated September 28, 1780, and the Museum of North Carolina Minerals National Park Service Center Orchard Trail, which has information and a trailhead. The routes diverge the most dramatically in the following section, which leads to Morganton to the east. The Patriot Militia route branches east of Cathey’s Plantation at Grassy Creek Encampment to create two legs. The western leg travels by the museum and Turkey Cove Encampment, dated September 29, 1780. The eastern leg travels by North Cove Encampment, September 29, 1780, before they meet again just past Lake James. As State Route 226/US Route 221, the motor route veers south to Joseph McDowell House (summer only), which has information, restrooms, and a self-guiding trail; through Marion and by the McDowell County Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center; east as US Route 70 past Lake James State Park, which has information, restrooms, a picnic area, campground, and self-guiding trail; and northeast as State Route 126. The routes pass through or near Quaker Meadows McDowell House Encampment, dated September 30, 1780, which has information and restrooms in Morganton. Northeast Leg: Elkin to Morganton A golden-brown callout box in Elkin reads Surry County Patriot Militia Depart September 27, 1780. The historic and motor routes travel west and slightly south to North Wilkesboro and Wilkesboro, the latter of which has the Wilkes Heritage Museum, information, a self-guiding trail, and trailhead. Tory Oak Encampment dated September 27, 1780, and Yadkin River Greenway are also in Wilkesboro. The routes continue west past W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir, which has a trailhead, information, restrooms, picnic area, campground, and self-guiding trail; an Encampment dated September 28, 1780; Fort Defiance, which has information, restrooms, and a picnic area; and Fort Crider Encampment, September 29, 1780, in Lenoir. The motor route is labeled State Route 268 for most of this leg and it becomes US Route 321 in Lenoir and then combined State Route 18 and US Route 64 as it continues to Morganton. Southern Leg: Morganton to King Mountain National Military Park The routes travel mostly together south and slightly west from Morganton, passing by or near these sites before they reach the North and South Carolina border: Bedford’s Hill Encampment on October 1 and 2, 1780; a starburst symbol representing Battle of Cane Creek (Cowan’s Ford) on September 12, 1780; Marlin’s Knob Encampment on October 3, 1780, Biggersataff’s Old Friends (Red Chimneys) on October 14, 1780; Gilbert Town Encampment on October 4, 1780; the town of Rutherfordton; and Alexander’s Ford Encampment on October 5, 1780. Most of the motor route in this section is labeled US Route 64, and it becomes State Routes 108, 9, 1343, and 1102 near the state line. Once in South Carolina, the routes turn east to pass The Cowpens Encampment, dated October 6, 1780, and Cowpens National Battlefield, which has information, restrooms, a picnic area, self-guiding trail, and trailhead; Colonel Williams grave in the town of Gaffney; and Lake Whelchel and Lake Whelchel Trail, which has a trailhead and information. The routes end together at a location marked with a golden-brown callout box labeled Battle of Kings Mountain, October 7, 1780, in Kings Mountain National Military Park, which has the Battlefield Trail, information, restrooms, a self-guiding trail, and trailhead. Kings Mountain State Park hugs the military park to the southeast, and has restrooms, a picnic area, campground, and self-guiding trail. The motor route changes numbering thirteen times in this final leg in South Carolina to include State Routes 58, 73, 101, 146, 144, 11, 18, 329, US Route 29, State Routes 207, 30, 66, and 216. Surrounding Areas Moving north to south, Jefferson National Forest, Little Dry Run Wilderness, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, Lewis Fork Wilderness, and Little Wilson Creek Wilderness lie east of Abingdon. The national forest becomes Cherokee National Forest south of the Virginia-Tennessee line. The Appalachian Scenic Trail travels through the national forests and crosses the historic and motor routes at Yellow Mountain Gap, where it then winds along the Tennessee-North Carolina border. The town of Hickory lies east of Morganton. Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is near the left edge of the map just north of the shared Carolina border. Shelby, Kings Mountain, Gastonia, and Charlotte are to the east. Just south of Kings Mountain, Crowders Mountain State Park has information, restrooms, a picnic area, campground, and self-guiding trail. Legend A scale in the lower left corner of the map measures distances of 5 and 10 kilometers and 5 and 10 miles. The legend reads as follows: Golden brown line for Routes of the Patriot Militia, Dark brown for Commemorative Motor Route, and Black dashed line for Existing segments of Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. Two columns of symbols represent Information, Picnic area, Restrooms, Campground, Trailhead, and Self-guiding trail.