News Release

April 2022 Calendar

Visitors gather for the program near the entrance to Camp Nelson National Monument's Visitor Center

NPS

News Release Date: March 28, 2022

Contact: Camp Nelson National Monument Staff, [phone]

The National Park Service (NPS) will host a series of programs at Camp Nelson National Monument during select Saturdays in April 2022. The events are free and open to the public.

On Saturday, April 9th, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, Camp Nelson National Monument is hosting Park Day, the annual national volunteer event sponsored by the American Battlefield Trust (ABT). We are planning to relocate and rebuild the split-rail fence that runs through the park, just behind the visitor center. This project will involve lifting heavy materials and carrying split rails a few hundred feet across uneven ground. Participants should wear work clothes, sturdy shoes, and bring a pair of work gloves. All other tools will be provided, and all volunteers will receive a free water bottle from the ABT.

On Saturday, April 16th, from 11:00 am to 12:15 pm, the park is hosting the final Winter Lecture Series presentation of 2021. Dr. Patrick Lewis, Director of Collections and Research at the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, will deliver a program entitled, “Kentucky’s Road to Loyalty: Secession, Neutrality, and War in 1861.”

On Saturday, April 30th, from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm, the park is leading a History Hike to commemorate the establishment of Camp Nelson by the US Army on April 29, 1863. Park Ranger Steve T. Phan and Archeologist Dr. W. Stephen McBride will guide visitors on an exploration of the park’s grounds. The moderate hike will be conducted over unpaved trails and includes inclines and steeper sections. Participants should wear hiking boots and bring water.

The park is located six miles south of Nicholasville along Highway 27 and directly north of the Camp Nelson National Cemetery. The US Army established Camp Nelson as a supply depot in 1863 during the Civil War. The base later became one of the country’s largest recruiting and training centers for African American men, who served in the United States Colored Troops (USCT), and also a large refugee center for enslaved people seeking emancipation.

For more information on Camp Nelson National Monument, visit the park’s website at https://www.nps.gov/cane or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/campnelsonnpswww.nps.gov

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for over 400 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.