Things To Do

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park offers a wide range of activities. Explore the information below to learn more about what you can experience when you visit.

Calendar of Events

Check the Calendar page to find out about ranger-led programs, hikes, and other events. You can also pick up a copy of the schedule at the visitor center. The calendar is updated as information becomes available.

Visitor Center Resources

• Park Movie: View our 35-minute movie on the Atlanta Campaign and Battle of Kennesaw, titled "Kennesaw: One Last Mountain." The film plays at 15 minutes after the hour every hour.

• Bookstore: Visit and browse in the park's bookstore, managed by America's National Parks. The park store has a wide range of books, posters, replica civil war items, and other items available for retail sale. Can't get to the Visitor Center? Browse through the online store.
• Museum: Renovated in November, 2002, the museum is more than twice the size of the previous one and includes many artifacts which have never been on display. The exhibits not only tell the military story, but also the civilian, medical, and communication aspects of the Atlanta Campaign.
• Ranger Presentations: Here on a weekend? Ranger presentations and/or living history demonstrations typically start at 11:00 am. They are between 20 to 30 minutes and cover a wide range of topics. Check out the calendar for more information.
• Junior Ranger Books: Pick up your free Pee-Wee Ranger book, Junior Ranger book, or Spanish Junior Ranger book from the visitor center (or download before coming to the park). Once the book is completed, kids earn a special Kennesaw Mountain Junior Ranger Badge!

• Park Brochure & Site Bulletins: Get your information here! Go to the visitor center to get your own copy of the free Kennesaw Mountain NBP brochure. You can also get several free site bulletins that explore different aspects of the park's interpretive themes in more detail.

 

Outdoor Activities

• Take a Hike: Kennesaw Mountain NBP has over 22 miles of maintained interpretive trails for hiking and learning. Make it leisurely by bringing your dog on leash with you. Or make it hard core by walking fast with the calorie counter and learn while you burn!

• Follow a Ranger-Led Hike: Want more information than our wayside signs provide? Check out the calendar for times when the rangers explore the events that occurred during the Battle at Kennesaw Mountain.

• Participate in Living History: Whether it's artillery fire, infantry volleys, field medicine tents, or cooking demonstrations, join our rangers and volunteers as they relive history for the enjoyment of the visitors. (And, yes, they love it too!) Check out the calendar for the next living history event.

• Go Horseback Riding: Some areas in the park are available for horses. Contact the visitor center for specific locations between Kolb Farm and Kennesaw Avenue. Please note: There are no horses available in the park to ride. You must bring your own. Horse trailers can park at the dirt lot on Cheatham Hill and Powder Springs Rd. John Ward Creek Crossing is closed to horses at this time due to an unstable streambed.

• Enjoy a Picnic: Several picnic benches surrounded by grass are located in your national park. This is a great way to eat your lunch and enjoy the sunshine. Don't forget your sunscreen! Go to Activity Areas #1, #2, or #3 to fly your kite or play ball. (In the link, type the area in the map's search box to get a detailed view of each activity area.) Want to bring your bike? Enjoy a bike ride only on paved surfaces, not on the trails. Make sure to check the Superintendent's Compendium for all activity restrictions.

• Go Birding: Grab your binoculars, get a checklist of common birds from the visitor center, and look up! As a prime natural migration habitat that is critical for neotropical bird migrants (ie: vireos, warblers), your national park was designated a globally Important Bird Area in 2000! It's the first designation in Georgia! So, let's go birding!

• Explore by Vehicle: Prefer to drive the park? We got you covered! On weekdays, drive to the top of Kennesaw Mountain. On weekends, leave your car behind and take the park shuttle to the top. Be sure to drive to the main battlefield at Cheatham Hill, then to an old homestead turned into a battle site at Kolb Farm. Find out where to park at each stop. Park shuttle is not operating at this time.