New Trail at Musgrove Mill State Historic Site
Early on the morning of Aug. 19, 1780, a small detachment of Patriot militia arrived just north of Enoree River in modern-day Spartanburg and Union counties. They had departed from their camp on the Broad River the previous evening and had ridden nearly 40 miles in the course of that night and the early morning before arriving at their present destination just as the sun was beginning to rise.
The purpose of their journey was both daring and deadly -- to attack a detachment of some 200 Loyalist militia that were camped around the home and mill of Edward Musgrove, whose property was on the south side of the Enoree River in what is now Laurens County.
A series of events soon followed that led to the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill and an important Patriot victory in the summer of 1780.
Musgrove Mill State Historic Site, one of the newest parks in the South Carolina State Park Service, opened to the public in May 2003. The site protects, preserves and interprets the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill and contains a portion of the battlefield, as well as, the Colonial 
home and mill sites of Edward Musgrove, whose property was briefly occupied by the British in August of 1780.
Up until recently, however, the visiting public did not have access to the site of the battle. That changed earlier this year when the site opened a 1.2-mile interpretive trail through that portion of the battlefield the site protects.
New 1.2 Mile Interpretive Trail
In 2006 Musgrove Mill State Historic Site was awarded a $125,000 Recreation Trails Program grant to design and construct a trail through the battlefield.
The resulting product is a 1.2-mile loop trail that provides access for visitors to the battlefield. The trail includes
• 14 interpretive exhibits that tell the story of the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill
• Handicapped access
• An overlook to scenic Horseshoe Falls at the start of the trail.
The new trail not only offers access and interpretation to the battle site, but also provides a beautiful walk through a diverse natural environment that includes upland hardwood and
bottomland forests.
Additionally, the area through which the trail traverses is part of an ongoing cultural landscape restoration effort to restore the area to its 1780 look.
Future Plans for the Trail
Though the trail is now open, there is still much work yet to be done. Future plans include construction of a parking area at the trail access point and construction of a pedestrian bridge across the Enoree River to offer access to the battlefield trail from the park’s Interpretive Center, which is located on the opposite side of the river from the battlefield.
Musgrove Mill State Historic Site is located on SC Hwy 56 between Clinton and Cross Anchor. The park is open daily from 9 am – 6 pm. For more information, contact the park at (864) 938-0100.