EXPLORE YORKTOWN BATTLEFIELD

There are two self-guided auto tours that will allow you to enjoy and learn the history of the Siege of Yorktown at your own pace. A 7-mile Battlefield Tour Road, which takes about one hour, will give you a first-hand look at where the events of the siege took place. See both original and reconstructed earthworks and siege lines built and used by troops of both sides. Stand on the very site where the allied troops took British Redoubts 9 and 10 during a surprise night attack on October 14th, a decisive event which helped turn the tide toward an Allied victory. Overlook Surrender Field, where the British troops laid down their arms, surrendering 8,300 troops and effectively ending the American Revolution. A second, 9-mile Encampment Tour Road, which takes about one-half hour, reveals the locations of the allied encampments during the siege, including Washington's Headquarters. A trail connects to the Newport News park trail system for additional biking, hiking, and jogging.

While touring the battlefield, you can also include stops at the British Royal Welch Fusilier's Redoubt; the French Memorial; Yorktown National Cemetery (Civil War era); the Yorktown Victory Monument, erected in 1881 in honor of the 1781 French and American victory; and Historic Yorktown, which was fortified and defended by the British during the siege.

A brochure with additional information, maps, and directions for the auto tour roads is provided at the Yorktown Visitor Center with payment of the entrance fee.