Event
164th Battle Anniversary Hikes
Fee:
Free. Always Free!Dates & Times
Date:
Time:
Duration:
Type of Event
Description
Monday, April 6, 2026
Fraley Field: The Bloody Battle Begins
5:15 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.
Parking: Meet at the Visitor Center at 5:00 am
Distance: Southern Hike - 1 mile roundtrip, Union Hike - 2 miles roundtrip Terrain: Moderate
Join Park Rangers Chris Mekow and Timothy Arnold, on a two-hour battlefield hike which will introduce visitors to the events surrounding the opening shots of the battle. These hikes will travel the approach routes of the Union and Confederate soldiers toward Fraley Field, whose landscape witnessed the first exchange of hostilities and the beginning of the epic Battle of Shiloh. These individual tours will both arrive in Fraley Field at sunrise. Visitors will decide which hike they will follow upon arriving at the Visitor Center. The choices are to follow the Union reconnoitering party ordered out by Colonel Everett Peabody, while the Confederates will approach Fraley Field through the position of the 3rd Mississippi Infantry Battalion.
Green Division Faces Attack: The Failure of Prentiss
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Meet at Tour Stop #9
Parking: Park on Side of Peabody Road just before Tour Stop #9
Distance: 2 Miles
Terrain: Moderately Difficult
The newest division in the Army of the Tennessee was commanded by Brigadier General Benjamin Prentiss. Prentiss was surprised by the attack and held Col. Everett Peabody responsible for bringing on the action. The morning attack on April 6th found the division unprepared to fight a major battle. Some units had just arrived, but some put up stubborn resistance that stunned Confederate forces. This program will end at the camp of the 18th Wisconsin Infantry, where Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston made several fateful decisions. Join Charles Spearman, follow the defensive stand of this division and discover their fate.
Car Caravan Tour
10:00 a.m. – 12:00p.m.
Parking: Meet at the Visitor Center Distance: Entire Battlefield (Driving)
Park Ranger Laura Lee McKellips will lead a two-hour car caravan tour of the battlefield. This tour will allow visitors the opportunity to follow the battle in chronological order as it developed. The tour will take visitors to the high points on the battlefield in order to interpret the story of the bloody Battle of Shiloh. While visiting historic sites such as Fraley Field, the Hornets’ Nest, and the Peach Orchard, participants will be afforded the opportunity to ask questions to achieve a better understanding of the epic battle.
Alone on the Left: Stuart’s Brigade at Shiloh
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Parking: Tent Hospital Site (Tour Stop #16) Distance: 1 ½ miles
Terrain: Moderate
Follow Park Ranger Chris Mekow and trace the actions of Colonel David Stuart’s Brigade as they attempted to protect the entire Union army’s left flank against General James Chalmers’ overwhelming infantry and artillery for several hours. Learn about their struggle, weapons, and adapted tactics as you walk the terrain where this action occurred. Also, learn about the “hard luck” 71st Ohio Infantry Regiment and the controversy surrounding their actions at Shiloh.
Johnston’s Last Day
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Parking: Meet at Tour Stop #7 (Fraley Field)
Distance: 2.5 Miles Driving ½ Mile Walking
Terrain: Easy to Moderate
Join Ranger Anthony Killion to retrace Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston’s journey across Shiloh’s battlefield from where the first shots were fired to the place where Johnston took his final breaths. Explore how the battle unfolded from Johnston’s point of view and the critical command decisions he made. Ask yourself if his presence on the frontlines was a necessary risk, and if the battle’s outcome would have changed had he not been mortally wounded. This program is combination of driving and hiking.
Car Caravan Tour
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Parking: Meet at the Visitor Center Distance: Entire Battlefield (Driving)
Park Ranger Laura Lee McKellips will lead a two-hour car caravan tour of the battlefield. This tour will allow visitors the opportunity to follow the battle in the chronological order as it developed. The tour will take visitors to the high points on the battlefield in order to interpret the story of the bloody Battle of Shiloh. While visiting historic sites such as Fraley Field, the Hornets’ Nest, and the Peach Orchard, participants will be afforded the opportunity to ask questions to achieve a better understanding of the epic battle.
Fighting for the Left: The Confederate Drive toward Pittsburg Landing
1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Parking: Park across from Peach Orchard, Meet at Tour Stop #18 Distance: Approximately 2 Miles
Terrain: Moderate, except for crossing two ravines
The Confederate objective in the Battle of Shiloh was to turn the Union left flank and cut General Grant’s army off from Pittsburg Landing. By the afternoon of April 6th, General Stephen Hurlbut’s Division and parts of General John McArthur’s Brigade stood in the way of this objective. The Union defense led Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston to lead Confederate forces into battle. The struggle to turn the Union left continued through the afternoon until 4:00 p.m. Join Charles Spearman on this tour and explore the severe struggle which occurred on this part of the battlefield.
The Union Center and the Hornets’ Nest
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Parking: Meet at Tour Stop #10 (Hornets’ Nest)
Distance: 2 Miles
Terrain: Moderate, passing through thick woods and crossing small streams
Join Park Ranger Timothy Arnold to learn about the severe fighting in the famed “Hornets’ Nest” of Shiloh. This hike will discuss the establishment of the area as a Union defensive position, units involved, small arms weapons and artillery used, as well as the truth versus the myth of the life and death struggle in this area. Learn about the Confederate attacks led by Colonel Randall Gibson’s Brigade, the leadership of Generals W.H.L. Wallace and Benjamin Prentiss, and the fate of each officer.
Grant’s Last Line: Stemming the Tide
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Parking: Visitor Center Parking Lot, Meet in the grassy area in front of the Visitor Center Distance: Approximately 2 miles
Terrain: Easy to Moderate (Paved roads and wooded trails)
As the Army of the Tennessee gradually fell back during the fighting on April 6, Major General Ulysses S. Grant ordered Colonel Joseph D. Webster to establish a defensive position that would halt the Confederate advance and leave vital routes open for Union reinforcements to arrive. Join Park Ranger Anthony Killion for an approximately two-mile-long hike of this formidable "last line" and get a closer look at the terrain Union soldiers defended and Confederate soldiers assaulted as daylight faded on April 6, 1862. Was this where the outcome of the Battle of Shiloh was decided? Join the hike to learn more.
*Sunscreen, water, and insect repellent are recommended. Severe weather will cancel programs.
*Space is limited to 45 participants per hike.
Reservation or Registration: Yes
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