This is the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail near Lake James in Nebo, North Carolina.

It takes its name from the militia that marched through the wilderness to confront more than 1,000 Loyalists at the Battle of Kings Mountain.

But before that battle, something remarkable happened just a few miles from here.

In the fall of 1780, militia from Virginia, North Carolina, and what is now Tennessee, marched for two weeks to converge on a single meadow under a tree that came to be known as the Council Oak.

But the men who gathered here would go on to do more than win one of the most consequential battles of the American Revolution.

Two would become founding governors of brand new states, Tennessee and Kentucky.

At least two would serve in the United States Congress, and some would help ratify the Constitution of the United States.

A week later, they won one of the most decisive Patriot victories of the war at Kings Mountain.

Today, the Overmountain Victory Trail offers visitors two ways to experience the route.

By car along public highways, or on foot along sections of the original path.

- So the Overmountain Victory is one of only 21 National Historic Trails in the United States.

What that means is that the story of what happened on this journey was deemed to be a history-shaping event.

Primarily, we are a motor route, a 330-mile driving journey where you can drive the entire route or just a piece of it at a time.

We have a Western Trailhead in Abingdon, Virginia, an Eastern Trailhead in Elkin, North Carolina, these two branches meeting in Morganton, North Carolina.

Currently, we have about 60 miles of hiking trail spread across the four states that we travel through.

- At Lake James State Park, interpretive signs along the route mark key moments from the march in 1780, and sections are accessible to hikers of all levels, year-round.

- Of course, we have all these amazing small towns that we pass through with great shops, restaurants, great ways to not only experience the history of the trail, but the culture of the Appalachians.

- And just down the road, Fonta Flora Brewery in Nebo offers a place to rest and unwind after a hike.

- Our mission is to brew beer with a sense of place and agricultural purpose.

It was always my dream to have a brewery on a farm.

Falling in love with agriculture, falling in love with beer, really just wanting to marry the two together.

When you come here, our guests can have a beer that you can't really find anywhere else.

- It just has huge land, beautiful old buildings, it has history here.

It's just lovely, and it's quiet, and beer is amazing.

It's got a nice vibe, it's very family-friendly, and there's lots of room to mess around and play frisbee and soccer, and lots of fun things.

- The atmosphere is really extraordinary, and it's kind of the perfect place to just be like, unplug, chill out, grab a beer.

From one corner of our property, you can access the Overmountain Victory Trail.

- This is a piece of history that people can find in their backyards.

These men were building a new nation.

So as you're traveling along this route, it's this great reminder that wherever you see our logo, the brown and white triangle of the Overmountain Victory Trail, you are on a piece of this story.

- Some roads lead to history.

This one is history.

[music] - The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail is part of the U.S.

National Trail System and North Carolina State Trail System.

Learn more about the trails at trails.nc.gov.

Fonta Flora Brewery has several locations, but the one nearest the trail is Whippoorwill Farm in Nebo.

For more information about their brews and events, go to fontaflora.com.