Thing to Do

Hike the Battlefields

Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park

Four adults walking along a dirt path in the middle of a field.
A trail in Spotsylvania Court House Battlefield follows the events of May 8, 1864.

Hike through history by exploring the park's trails. Each battlefield contains a selection of trails, from short paths to longer multi-mile routes. Below is a summary of trails in the park. For more information and to download trail maps visit the Trails & Brochures page on the park website. 
Details
Duration
1-8 Hours
Activity
Hiking
Dogs are allowed on most park trails, so long as they are on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Dogs are not allowed in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. Service animals are permitted in all areas of the park.

Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park is a fee-free park.

Reservations
No
Season
Year Round

Park grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Accessibility Information

The following park trails are composed of a rubber mulch on flat terrain. This surface is mostly even and slightly springy:

  • Jackson Wounding Loop Trail (0.1 mile, located at the Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center)
  • Vermont Monument Trail (0.5 mile, located at Wilderness Battlefield Tour Stop #8, next to the Brock Road-Orange Plank Road intersections)

  • Bloody Angle Trail (0.5 mile portion of the trail leading from the parking area to the fork in the trail)

In addition to these trails, the Sunken Road Walking Trail along the stone wall is gravel, mostly flat, with a few uneven sections. 

The majority of park trails are flat, dirt or gravel trails, and can get muddyand slippery in rain. The hill up to Marye's Heights and the Fredericksburg Natinoal Cemetery on the Sunken Road Walking Trail, and the trail up to Lee's Hill are the most significant hills in the park.  

Many people walk and bike along park roads, which provide a flat, paved surface, the most popular roads for hiking are the southern section of Lee Drive at Fredericksburg Battlefield and the park roads at Spotsylvania Court House Battlefield. If you chose to walk along the park roads, make sure to stay safe and watch out for vehicles.

Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park

Tags

Civil War Battlefields

Tags

Last updated: November 4, 2021