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Planning your Visit
 
About Your Visit:
Established by Congress in 1928, Fort Donelson National Battlefield commemorates the 1862 Battle of Fort Donelson where the Union army gained its first major victory of the Civil War and opened a path to the heart of the Confederacy. The park is located in northwest middle Tennessee in the town of Dover on the west bank of the Cumberland River.  Approximately 20% of the core battlefield is contained within the park's 558 acres.  Protected within the acreage are an earthen Confederate fort, river batteries, outer rifle pits, and the Surrender House (Dover Hotel) used during the battle. 

The battle and surrender took place February 12-16, 1862.  It was here that Ulysses S. Grant gained national prominence and was nicknamed by his troops "Unconditional Surrender" Grant. With the capture of Fort Donelson, the Union secured control of the strategic Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. During the battle, General Grant imprisoned 13,000 Confederate soldiers, the largest number of prisoners captured in a Civil War battle up to that date.

 
Visitation:
Visitation is highest from June to August and lowest in December and January.
 
Address:
Fort Donelson National Battlefield
P.O. Box 434
Dover, Tennessee  37058-0434
 
Telephone:
(931) 232-5348 - Administration
(931) 232-5706 - Interpretive Services
 
Operating Hours:
Visitor Center:  8:00 a.m. to4:30p.m. daily; closed December 25.
Dover Hotel (Surrender House): Memorial Weekend - Labor Day weekend (Saturday & Sunday),  12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
 
Location:
Fort Donelson National Battlefield is off U.S. Highway 79 in rural Dover, Tennessee.  The park is approximately ninety miles west of Nashville and thirty miles west of Clarksville, Tennessee.
 

Directions:

Plane
The area is served by airports in Nashville and Jackson, TN or Paducah, KY. Car rental services are available.

Car
The park is located in Dover, Tennessee, northwest of Nashville. From Nashville, take I-24W to Clarksville(Exit 4). Take a left on Wilma Rudolph Blvd. Stay on this highway until you reach 101st Airborne Division Pkwy. Take a right at this intersection. This highway will change into Hwy. 374. From Hwy 374, turn right on Hwy. 79 South. Follow signs to Dover (approximately 30 miles). The visitor center is one mile west of the town.

From Land Between the Lakes NRA: Take either I-24E or Hwy. 68/80 to the Trace Road. Once you reach Dover, take a left on Hwy. 79 and follow signs to the park.

From Murray or Paducah, KY: Take 641S to Hwy 121. Once you reach Hwy 79 at Paris Landing, take a left. Follow signs to the park (approximately 13 miles).