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Published on August 1, 2024. Last Updated on March 14, 2026.
When it comes to historical sites in the United States, Chickamauga Battlefield holds a special significance. Located in Georgia, this Civil War battlefield is rich in history and offers visitors a chance to step back in time and learn about an important chapter in American history. In this blog post, we will share 5 simple tips for visiting Chickamauga Battlefield.
We visited Chickamauga Battlefield on a Wednesday afternoon in early June. During our mother and son road trip across Tennessee, we decided to take a quick detour into Georgia to visit the Chickamauga Battlefield.
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The details: Chickamauga Battlefield
Chickamauga Battlefield is part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park located in both Tennessee and Georgia. The park preserves two significant Civil War battlefields, Chickamauga Battlefield and battlefields for Chattanooga.
The park, which covers over 10,000 acres, has two Visitor Centers: Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center in Tennessee at 110 Point Park Road Lookout Mountain, TN 37350 and Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center in Georgia at 3370 LaFayette Road Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742. The two parks are located about 13 miles or a 30 minute drive from one another, depending on which route you take.
Both sites offer a variety of ways to explore and learn about events important to U.S. history. And both locations are free to visit but there is a $10 entrance fee to visit Point Park on Lookout Mountain in Tennessee. For the most up-to-date information on both parks, visit the website.
Our visit to Chickamauga Battlefield
Buddy and I visited the Chickamauga Battlefield on an early Wednesday afternoon in mid-June. After a quick breakfast at our campsite near the Smoky Mountains National Park, we packed up and drove the three hours through Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Knoxville, and Chattanooga to Georgia to visit the park.
We arrived at the Chickamauga Battlefield around 1:30pm on a Wednesday. After learning as much as we could about the history of the site, we set out on a self guided driving tour throughout the Battlefield. We stopped at each site to get out of the car and explore. And we climbed Wilder Tower to get a birds eye view of Tennessee and Georgia (lots of tree tops).
We finished our driving tour around 3:00. All in all, we spent an hour and a half exploring Chickamauga Battlefield and one hour of that was spent on the driving tour. The only thing about visiting in the afternoon was that it was a bit hot.
Why only visit Chickamauga Battlefield?
Unfortunately, we had very limited time to visit Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park as I had about 4.5 hours of driving to do that day. Which all in all is not that bad, but it did not leave us with enough time to see both sites. When planning the trip, Buddy and I went back and forth on which battlefield to visit. Buddy, having never been to Georgia before, thought it would be fun to visit another state, so we opted for the Chickamauga Battlefield.
Pro Tip: Parents of teens, involving the teenagers in the trip planning process is a great way to get the kids excited for and interested in family travel adventures!
If we would have had more time, we would have done both park locations. Hopefully, we have a chance to return to Tennessee to see the other half of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.
3 Tips for Visiting Chickamauga Battlefield
1. First, stop by the Visitor Center
If you are not from the region (like us) and need a bit more context about the significance of Chickamauga Battlefield or the Civil War in general, make the Visitor Center the first stop of your trip. The Visitor Center has many exhibits and informational placards that talk about the details of the sites and its historical importance.
There is a short movie every half hour that provides an overview of the battle that took place on the grounds. And there is also the famous Fuller Gun Collection on display at the visitor center. Plus, the rangers are very friendly and will help you with any questions you may have. But perhaps most importantly, the rangers have all the information about self guided driving tours and car caravans.
When Buddy and I visited Chickamauga Battlefield, we initially wanted to do the driving tour first on our own then stop at the Visitor Center. After getting lost, and driving through a nearby neighborhood, we changed our plans and headed towards the Visitor Center. This should have been our plan all along. The Visitor Center helped ground us in the history of the site and provided resources like a map and directions for the driving tour plus a number for the audio guide. We would have been lost without it!
All in all, we spent about 30 minutes at the Visitor Center watching the film, taking in some of the exhibits, including the famous Fuller Gun Collection, getting passport stamps, and buying souvenirs.
Unfortunately, we did not find any snacks at the Visitor Center. We were famished, and out of snacks, but dove into our site-seeing nonetheless.
2. Do a driving tour
One of the best ways to see all that Chickamauga Battlefield has to offer is by taking the driving tour. There are ranger-led car caravans available or you can opt for a self-led tour with call in audio guide and informative markers along the way. Either way, a driving tour is the best way to see the Battlefield.
When we visited, I originally hoped to do a ranger led car caravan. And we were in luck! The next ranger led car caravan driving tour was leaving in about 5 minutes after I asked a ranger about the tour. But, we did not do the ranger led tour.
This is because the car caravan takes 90 minutes. Hungry and wanting to arrive at our hotel in Alabama with time to do laundry that night (yes, we do laundry on the road because we travel carry-on only), we opted to do our own self guided driving tour.
The rangers provided us with directions, a map and phone number to call in for the self-guided audio tour. And we were off!
Pro Tip: If you are short on time, begin playing the audio guide as you drive to the next stop rather than waiting until you arrive to begin the audio guide.
The tour map with all the stops including the audio guide can be found here.
The self-guided audio tour was very simple and easy to do. We learned a lot and appreciated that we could go at our own pace taking time at the sites most interesting to us. However, if we would have had more time, I would have loved to do the ranger-led car caravan as I am sure we would have learned a lot more information!
Drive Safe
Check your surroundings and drive safely! Some of the roads in the park are very narrow and lots of them are one way roads. So drive with caution!
We had a close call as our rental car almost got hit by a fellow visitor at one of the stops on the audio tour. Make sure to drive safe, be mindful of pedestrians and other cars as you move in and out of the driving tour stops.
3. What to bring
When visiting Chickamauga Battlefield, be prepared with essentials. Below are things we brought (and forgot!) that we found helpful. Feel free to add to this list as you see fit
- Bug spray – a fellow visitor from a location that does not have ticks asked the rangers if there were ticks on the hikes, and the response was that there were millions of them. Come prepared with bug spray! And take other precautions for ticks
- Water bottle and water. Its always a great idea to have extra water in your car.
- A car
- A phone and a charger cable or portable charger because navigating the driving tour and playing the audio does drain the battery
- Sunscreen including airplane friendly sunscreen for your carry-on and some tinted sunscreen to wear under makeup
- A light jacket with UPF to protect from the sun
- A hat for sun protection
- Sunglasses
- Hiking backpack. Buddy is wearing ours in the photo on Wilder Tower.
- And a cross body bag that can fit an umbrella, bug spray, and a water bottle!
- A Passport to Your National Parks book so you can get your stamp!
- Snacks!! This is the one thing we did not have and we couldn’t find any at the visitor center. We were hangry by the end of our visit!
Pro Tip: Fill up your tank before heading out on the driving tour.
Bonus Tip: Take a hike!
For those looking for a more active way to explore, Chickamauga Battlefield has over 50 miles of hiking trails; there are several hiking trails ranging from easy walks to more challenging treks. There are even some trails for cycling and horseback riding. Lace up your hiking boots and immerse yourself in nature while learning about this historic site.
We love hiking. And we were bummed that we did not have enough time to do one of the many hikes in this historical park. Maybe next time!
A Teenager’s Perspective
I think that the Chickamauga Battlefield is a must see for people from the U.S. It is important to see the history and learn the history of the Civil War. In the Southwest, we had a completely different history and there weren’t may Civil War battles or battlefields. And I do recommend going up the Wilder Tower for so awesome views!
I don’t think many other teenagers would like this unless they like the Civil War or history buffs.
Chickamauga Battlefield Fast FAQs
1. How long does it take to go through Chickamauga Battlefield?
This is a difficult question to answer because it depends on what you want to do or see. If you want to take in everything, plan for at least half a day to fully explore all that this site has to offer. If you want to do multiple hikes, plan on staying longer.
For the driving tours, the National Park Service website says that car caravans take two hours but in person they said it is 90 minutes. To make sure you have enough time, I would say plan on two hours for a driving tour alone.
If you opt for the self-guided driving tour, we did it in 1 hour. But we could have stayed and explored longer.
So all in all, this really depends on what you want to do and see.
2. Is the Chickamauga Battlefield worth visiting?
In our opinion yes. It is important to learn about the Civil War and how it shaped the nation today.
3. When was the Chickamauga Battle?
September 19-20, 1863.
4. How many people died at Chickamauga Battlefield?
32,624 total. 16,170 Union and 18,454 Confederate.
Final Thoughts
Visiting historic sites like Chickamauga Battlefield allows us to connect with the nation’s past and gain a deeper understanding of events that shaped our country’s history. Plan your visit today and embark on an educational adventure unlike any other!
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Are you planning a trip to Chickamauga Battlefield? Have you visited Lookout Mountain? Let us know in the comments below!
Do you have questions about family travel or traveling with teens? Feel free to reach out! We are happy to chat and share our experiences and look forward to connecting with you.
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