Located west of Atlanta, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park preserves the U.S. Civil War battlefield that was part of the Atlanta Campaign. While there, you can hike or drive up Big Kennesaw, the park’s highpoint. The park offers a museum and living history programming. Here are the best things to do at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Georgia.
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park At a Glance
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Year Established: 1917 |
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Located: Northwest of Atlanta |
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Size: over 2,900 acres |
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Top Features: Kennesaw Mountain and the Civil War Battlefield |
Why Visit a Military Park
The field at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield looks like the perfect place for fun—until you are reminded of what happened there and the need to respect and preserve history. This is why it’s important to visit Military Parks.
Georgia offers several protected sites, including Andersonville National Historic Site, Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park and sites like Fort Pulaski National Monument. Just remember to respect the park’s rules and help the staff there preserve history.
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9 Best Things to Do at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield
Stop by the Visitor Center
Watch the Film
Learn about the Civil War
Take a Scenic Drive
Take a Hike
Ride a Bike
Attend a Ranger Program
Earn a Junior Ranger Badge
Picnic in the Park
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Stop by the Visitor Center
I recommed stopping at the visitor center first. It is the place to grab maps, junior ranger booklets and information about seasonal park ranger programming. Park rangers can also answer questions you might have.
Pop into the museum located off the gift shop. In addition to interpretive information, the museum displays items found on the battlefield or the mountain, as well as authentic soldier’s uniforms and battle flags. This is one of the best things to do at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.
In addition to military artifacts, visitors will learn about civilian, medical, and communication items from the Atlanta Campaign. If you visit during the week, a Park Ranger offers a tour on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 2:00 p.m.
The Visitor Center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This is the only location of restrooms at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield.
Watch the Film
Reading history is fun; however, watching it unfold on a screen paints it more vividly. The visitors center offers a 35-minute interpretive film at the visitor center.
Kennesaw: One Last Mountain is narrated by Emmy Award-winning Peter Coyote. It uses footage from war reenactments to retell the story of the battle.
Learn the History of Kennesaw Mountain
On June 27, 1864, General Sherman proceeded with a frontal assault on Confederate forces at Kennesaw Mountain. From June 19, 1864, until July 2, 1864, the battle was waged.
According to the National Park Service, Kennesaw Mountain was the ‘one last mountain’ standing between Atlanta and William Sherman. Strategically, this area was important, and the stakes are incredibly high.
When all was said and done, the Union suffered 3,000 losses while the Confederates lost just a third. Considered a tactical win for the Confederates, it failed strategically.
The goal was to stop Sherman’s advance on Atlanta. Less than three months and heavy casualties later, Sherman entered Atlanta. And, thanks to Gone With the Wind, we all know he burned it to the ground on November 15, 1864.
Take a Scenic Drive at Kennesaw Mountain
The Big Kennesaw is not part of another mountain chain. The hike up is about a mile and hikers are rewarded with views to the north and south. This is one of the best things to do at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.
If you’re exploring Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park during the week, you can drive to the top of Big Kennesaw Mountain. The Kennesaw Mountain Drive heads up to the summit. During the weekend, there is a shuttle bus that can take you to the top of the Big Kennesaw Mountain for a small fee.
Other popular driving routes include the main battlefield at Cheatham Hill via Cheatham Hill Road. Then you can tour the old homestead turned into a battle site at Kolb Farm off Powder Springs Rd.
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Take a Hike at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
Together, the park’s trails add up to 22 miles. This is one of the best things to do at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.
The most frequently trodden trail is the roughly one-mile trail from the visitor’s center to the lookout area at the top of Big Kennesaw Mountain, 1,808 feet above sea level.
It’s “only” a mile, but parts can be steep. However, I’ve seen many young children conquer this hike if they take their time. Just make sure everyone has plenty of water.
We chose to walk the road back down to the visitor’s center for a different view. This route has more gradual hills but is about a quarter mile longer than the hiking trail.
You can extend your mileage by taking many of the hikes that spring off of the main trail. Although the trails are fairly well-marked, trail maps are available at the visitor center.
I love that there are still trails and areas of Kennesaw Mountain that we have yet to explore, ensuring that each trip there is never the same experience.
Loop Hiking Trails in Kennesaw Mountains
Visitor Center to Mountaintop using East and West Trails-A 2.0-mile moderate loop trail
Pigeon Hill and Visitor Center–A 5.4-mile loop trail
Visitor Center to Cheatham Hill—A 10.2-mile loop trail
Visitor Center to Kolb Farm—A 16.2-mile loop trail
Ride a Bike or Horse at Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park
You can explore the park by bike if you BYO Bike. Cycling is open to paved roads only in the park.
Horse owners can ride at Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park. Near Kolb Farm, there is an area for horse trailer parking.
Attend a Park Ranger Program or Living History
Park Ranger presentations or living history demonstrations typically start at 11:00 a.m. They last between 20 to 30 minutes and cover various topics. This is one of the best things to do at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.
Each is free to attend and open to families. Check in at the visitor center for the day’s offerings.
Volunteers at the park and park rangers offer living history demonstrations, usually on weekends. During your visit, you would see artillery fire and infantry volleys. You could also explore field medicine tents or see a cooking demonstration.
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Earn a Junior Ranger Badge
My son’s first stop at any National Park is the visitors center so he can pick up a Junior Ranger book! The Junior Ranger program is free of charge at most National Park sites and gets kids excited about exploring. The program is geared toward ages 7-12, but anyone can receive a Junior Ranger book.
Work the booklet’s activities, then get sworn in and receive your new Junior Ranger badge. Your kids can enjoy and engage with their surroundings and then receive a free souvenir.
We’ll add the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park badge to the ones we got from Andersonville National Historic Site and Chickamauga National Military Park! (We’re pretty deep in Civil War sites around here, as you might guess.)
BARK program
Some National Park Service sites welcome pets as long as they practice the principles of the BARK program. For more information, visit the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park page for visiting with pets.
B–Bag waste and dispose of it in the trash
A–Always leash your dog for their safety and others
R–Respect wildlife
K–Know where you can go
Picnicking in Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield
Make a day of your visit to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield by packing a picnic. Visitors will find picnic tables near the visitor center at Activity Areas 1 and 2. There is an additional picnic area near the plague for Thomas’ Headquarters.
There are many signs around the battlefield asking visitors not to use it for recreational purposes, including picnicking on the grass. Every time I visit, I see people spreading out blankets, playing ball and having lunch. It’s super tempting, I know. However, historically significant spaces deserve respect.
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How to Get to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield
It is located at 900 Kennesaw Mountain Dr., Kennesaw, Georgia.
The grounds are open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from mid-November to mid-March. For the rest of the year, it is open from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Use an America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) or purchase a 1-day pass for $5 per vehicle. This NPS site is cashless.
