Moores Creek National Battlefield - North Carolina

Moores Creek National Battlefield in Southeastern North Carolina offers touring of an American Revolutionary War battlefield.

Moores Creek National Battlefield

At the time of the American Revolution, the residents of North Carolina were divided by their loyalties.

British commanders relied on residents who were loyal to the crown to help fight the patriot rebellion.

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About Moores Creek National Battlefield

On February 27, 1776, a force of Loyalists forces tried to cross a bridge at "Widow Moore's Creek" on their way to meet with British troops.

A patriot force was waiting for them and had dismantled the bridge planks and greased the support girders.

When the Loyalists first arrived armed with broadswords and tried to cross the bridge they were met with musket and artillery fire.

The Loyalists quickly retreated. Patriots were able to capture Loyalist troops, weapons, and money.

This win ended the British hopes of a quick victory in the south.

This Battle of Moores Creek marked the last broadsword charge by Scottish Highlanders and the first significant victory for the Patriots in the American Revolution.

Is Moores Creek National Battlefield worth visiting?

Yes, Especially if you are nearby. The park offers beautiful walking trails and shares information on Revolutionary War history.

History of Moores Creek National Battlefield

The Moores Creek National Battlefield preserves the site where, in 1776, the Patriots and Loyalists fought each other during the American Revolutionary War.

The Battle of Moores Creek Bridge on February 27th, 1776, was an American victory that would lead the first colony to vote to break away from the British Crown.

The Battle of Moores Creek Bridge began when the British Loyalists of North Carolina tried to cross the bridge over Moores Creek.

The Loyalists were on their way to the North Carolina coast to meet up with forces from Boston and Britain to invade the Southern colonies.

Both sides were aware of the position and movements of the other around Moores Creek bridge.

However, the Loyalists believed a much smaller militia would be waiting for them. The Loyalist General MacDonald took a miscalculated risk that resulted in their defeat.

North Carolina

North Carolina was a deeply divided colony. The western region supported the Patriot's cause, while the settlers in the east, remained loyal to the British Crown.

In 1775, the British Crown believed North Carolina was the perfect colony from which to launch a British invasion.

The British governor of North Carolina, Josiah Martin, wanted to regain control of the colony.

Forced to flee the colony after attacks by the Patriot militia, Josiah Martin organized the Loyalist call to arms from exile off the coast of North Carolina.

General Donald MacDonald responded to the governors request and amassed a force of 1,600 Loyalists from the area.

In August of 1775, the Patriots became aware that the Loyalists were gathering forces. In return Colonel James Moore, the head of the Colonial Militia did the same.

Before The Battle

Moore instructed Colonel Richard Caswell to gather men to intercept the Loyalists before they could meet up with the British forces arriving at the coast.

Moore set up a blockade in Wilmington while Caswell and his 1,000 strong militia marched from New Bern to position themselves along the Black River, hoping to block MacDonald's advance.

MacDonald and his force, made up of Scottish Highlanders, marched from their camp at Cross Creek (modern-day Fayetteville) towards Wilmington on February 10th, 1776.

Aware of the Patriot Col. Moore's forces blocking their path through Wilmington, MacDonald went east to avoid Moore's blockade.

MacDonald was aware that Caswell was attempting to block his crossing of the Black River.

MacDonald believed that he and his 1,600-strong force could cross at Moores Creek Bridge.

Caswell had moved his men into a defensive position on the other side of the bridge.

Here he had constructed earthworks on the east side of the river bank and hidden the canons in the woods.

Battle of Moores Creek Bridge

MacDonald was aware that Caswell’s force was across the bridge and had even sent a courier to advise the Patriots to lay down their weapons.

The Patriots refused to surrender. The courier returned to MacDonald, where he reported on the size of the Patriot forces and their position.

The courier had not seen all of the Patriot forces, making MacDonald's decision to cross Moore Creek Bridge a fatal mistake.

On February 27th, after receiving false information the previous day, MacDonald made his attempt to cross Moores Creek Bridge.

Just after midnight, MacDonald and his men marched towards Moores Creek bridge.

Meanwhile, the Patriots had moved into their strong defensive position on the river's east bank.

Upon arriving at the bridge, the Loyalists believed the Patriots had left their camp on the western bank. The Loyalists then attempted to cross the bridge.

A British Retreat

As the Loyalists crossed the Moore Creek bridge, a Loyalist commander famously charged upon the Patriot position to the yell of “King George and broadswords!”.

The concealed Patriots opened fire on the Loyalists as they charged onto Moores Creek bridge.

The Loyalists were no match for the Patriot's cannon and musket fire, so the Loyalists had no choice but to abandon their advance and retreat.

The Battle of Moores Creek Bridge was brief but fierce, with an estimated 50 Loyalists being killed or wounded.

The Patriots did not let their momentum fizzle. Instead, they pursued the retreating Loyalists to make sure they could not regroup to mount another attack.

The patriot victory at the site preserved at the Moores Creek National battlefield was important to the Patriots'

cause. The Loyalists' defeat here meant they lost any hope of controlling North Carolina again.

And in fact, just two months later, North Carolina became the first colony to vote in favor of independence from British rule.

Things to know before your visit to Moores Creek National Battlefield

Entrance fee 

$0.00 - There is no entrance fee to visit the park.

Planning a National Park vacation? America the Beautiful/National Park Pass covers entrance fees for an entire year to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites.

The park pass covers everyone in the car for per vehicle sites and for up to 4 adults for per-person sites.

Buy on REI.com and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.

Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.

Free Entrance Days  -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually. 

Time Zone 

Eastern Time Zone

Pets 

Pets must be kept on a leash at all times

Cell Service

Cell service is limited in the park. 

Park Hours

Open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Visitor Center is closed on Sunday and Monday

Wi-Fi

There is no WiFi available in the park.

Insect Repellent

Insect repellent is always a great idea when outdoors, especially if you are around any body of water. 

We use Permethrin Spray on our clothes before our park trips. 

Water Bottle 

Make sure to bring your own water bottle and plenty of water with you. Plastic water bottles are not sold in the park.

Parking

There is a nice size parking lot in front of the visitor center.

Food/Restaurants

There is no place to get snacks or food in the park. There is a picnic area available.

Gas

There are no gas stations within the park.

Drones

Drones are not permitted within National Park Sites.

National Park Passport Stamps

National Park Passport stamps can be found in the visitor center.

Make sure to bring your National Park Passport Book with you or we like to pack these circle stickers so we don't have to bring our entire book with us. 

Moores Creek NB is part of the 2001 Passport Stamp Set.

Electric Vehicle Charging

The closest EV Charging Stations are in Wilmington.

Details about Moores Creek National Battlefield

Size - 44.3 acres

Check out how the park compares to other  National Parks by Size. 

Date Established 

June 2, 1926 - Established as a National Military Park

September 8, 1980 - Redesignated as a National Battlefield.

Visitation 

In 2021, Moores Creek NB had 60,727 park visitors. 

In 2020,  Moores Creek NB had 58,786 park visitors. 

In 2019,  Moores Creek NB had 77,006 park visitors. 

Learn more about the most visited and least visited National Parks in the US

National Park Address

40 Patriots Hall Dr., Currie, NC 28435, United States

National Park Map

Where is Moores Creek National Battlefield?

Moores Creek National Battlefield is located 20 miles NW of Wilmington, North Carolina. 

Estimated distance from major cities nearby

Wilmington, NC - 20 miles

Raleigh, NC - 107 miles

Durham, NC - 132 miles

Greensboro, NC - 183 miles

Charlotte, NC - 193 miles

Chesapeake, VA - 222 miles

Norfolk, VA - 223 miles

Virginia Beach, VA - 240 miles

Washington DC - 349 miles

Estimated Distance from nearby National Park

Congaree National Park - 213 miles

New River Gorge National Park - 396 miles

Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 349 miles

Hot Springs National Park - 985 miles

Shenandoah National Park - 340 miles

Gateway Arch National Park - 929 miles

Cuyahoga Valley National Park - 653 miles

Where is the National Park Visitor Center?

 The visitor center is located at the entrance to the park and trails. 

Getting to Moores Creek National Battlefield

Closest Airports 

Wilmington International Airport (ILM)

Regional Airports

Albert J Ellis Airport (OAJ)

Driving Directions

From Highway 17, follow US 421 to NC 210, then West on NC 210

From Interstate 40, take exit 408 (NC 210) West at Rocky Point. 

From Interstate 95 North, take exit 13-A for NC 74 East towards Wilmington. 

From Interstate 95 South: take exit 81-B for I-40 East towards Wilmington. ·

From Fayetteville, North Carolina, take Interstate 95 South to Exit 13-A  

Best time to visit Moores Creek National Battlefield

The best time to visit the park is spring and fall when the temperatures are comfortable.

That being said you can easily visit year round and enjoy this great park.

Weather and Seasons

During the spring and summer months, temperatures can sore into the 90’s with high humidity.

During the fall and winter, the climate is temperate with temps anywhere from the ’30s to the low 80’s.

Best Things to do in Moores Creek National Battlefield

We suggest planning at least a few hours to visit the park especially if you want to walk around the trails and see the monuments. 

Visitor Center

The visitor center offers interpretive exhibits including a 10-minute film, "In the Most Furious Manner", a battlefield map, period weapons, and a park store.

Junior Ranger Program 

You can pick up a Junior Ranger Program at the visitor center.

The majority of the junior ranger program is based inside the visitor center.

It is filled with great information and provides the opportunity to dive deeper into the park.

Women's Monument

On August 15, 1907, the Moores Creek Monumental Association unveiled the Women's Monument. Also known as the Slocumb Monument.