Walk the Battlefield

Touring Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

Step back to 1781 on the battlefield to explore the terrain, forest, and hills that played into Major General Greene’s defense in depth strategy against the British forces. Visitors can tour the battlefield by foot, car, or bicycle. Please read the following options and follow the rules for touring the battlefield to protect this resource and yourself. You will want to pick up a map of the park from the Visitors Center before starting your tour. 

Visitors can explore the park by foot on the footpaths, Historic New Garden Road, or the Tour Road, with plenty of historic learning opportunities! Pick up a map at the Visitors Center first. Remember, you are in a National Park and may encounter wildlife on your journey. Never feed or approach any of the wildlife and report any unusual animal behavior to park staff [phone] or Guilford County Animal Control at [phone].

Footpaths and Historic New Garden Road

The footpaths are marked on the park map by dots, and run adjacent to the tour road. Historic New Garden Road is marked by the white path with black dots. No bikes or vehicles are permitted on these paths, so expect to enjoy quiet solitude along the battlefield. The paths may be uneven in certain locations, and you can expect to walk up and down small, medium, and large hills. There are 29 monuments in the park. 

Self-Guided Tours

If you are looking for a historical interpretation of the battle, check out our Self-Guided Cell Phone Walking Tour through the NPS Mobile App. Your walking tour starts at the Hoskins Farm, provides 38 minutes of audio for a 1.75 mile walk. You will spend about 1.5 hours at the most on this self guided cell phone tour. 

Tour Road

The Tour Road is a paved road that loops the battlefield and is 2.25 miles long. Pedestrians walk on the left side of the road, cars and bicycles drive on the right in a one way motion. The Tour Road has 8 stops with one or more interpretive exhibit panels at each stop, as well as monuments to help you learn about the battle. You can venture off the Tour Road onto the footpaths to explore the interior of the battlefield. You must stay on the trails, do not cross through the woods. 

Hours of Operation

The Park Gates close at 5:00PM which includes the Visitor Center Parking Lot, Tour Road, and Hoskins Farm. Cars left in the parking lots and spaces on the Tour Road after 5:00PM will be subject to a fine. Parking after hours is available in the lot at the intersection of New Garden and Old Battleground.

Details

Duration

30-180 Minutes

Walkers can choose how long they want to walk around the battlefield, a fast walker can loop the battlefield between 30-45 minutes depending on the weather and physical fitness. Visitors who wish to take a leisurely stroll and explore each part of the battlefield's monuments and exhibit panels could spend 1.5 to 3 hours. 

Activity

Self-Guided Tours - Walking

Visitors can explore the park by foot on the footpaths, Historic New Garden Road, or the Tour Road, with plenty of historic learning opportunities! Pick up a map at the Visitors Center first. Remember, you are in a National Park and may encounter wildlife on your journey. Never feed or approach any of the wildlife and report any unusual animal behavior to park staff [phone] or Guilford County Animal Control at [phone].

Footpaths and Historic New Garden Road

The footpaths are marked on the park map by dots, and run adjacent to the tour road. Historic New Garden Road is marked by the white path with black dots. No bikes or vehicles are permitted on these paths, so expect to enjoy quiet solitude along the battlefield. The paths may be uneven in certain locations, and you can expect to walk up and down small, medium, and large hills.

Self-Guided Tours

If you are looking for a historical interpretation of the battle, check out our Self-Guided Cell Phone Walking Tour through the NPS Mobile App. Your walking tour starts at the Hoskins Farm, provides 38 minutes of audio for a 1.75 mile walk. You will spend about 1.5 hours at the most on this self guided cell phone tour. 

As you walk around the battlefield you will see 29 monuments, including the Major General Nathanael Greene monument at Stop 8. Several monuments are marked on the park map, and you can pick up a Monuments and Memorials brochure at the Visitors Center too.

Tour Road

The Tour Road is a paved road that loops the battlefield and is 2.25 miles long. Pedestrians walk on the left side of the road, cars and bicycles drive on the right in a one way motion. The Tour Road has 8 stops with one or more interpretive exhibit panels at each stop, as well as monuments to help you learn about the battle. You can venture off the Tour Road onto the footpaths to explore the interior of the battlefield. 

Age(s)

5-99

All ages are welcome to the park! Minors younger than 16 should be accompanied with an adult or guardian. Please be aware that some trails are uneven and could cause problems for children or seniors with mobility and balance issues. There are only a few benches to take breaks, and visitors should wear good walking shoes with tread to explore the battlefield. 

Pets Allowed

Yes

Dogs are allowed in the park, but MUST be leashed on a lead no longer than 6 feet. Failure to leash your dog may result in a fine above $75.00. Servie dogs are allowed. 

Pick up the poop!

Protect the ecosystem by picking up after your dog. Dog feces is not a ‘natural fertilizer.’ Dogs are not native to our forest environments, so nature lacks a seamless way of managing dog waste, especially when it’s deposited onto a trail in high quantities. Parvovirus, giardia and roundworms are just a few of the organisms you, your family and your pets probably don’t want to encounter on a hike, yet dog feces can carry such parasites and pathogens. The park has waterways that are integral to Greensboro, which means these diseases are in the urban water supply.

Owners of pets are responsible for waste cleanup and any damage their pets cause. Please clean up after your pet! Leaving bagged poop on the trails is NOT an option. The bags will degrade or rip, and the waste will infect the environment. 
Protect the people, nature, and fellow pooches in the park! 

The Park has 7 waste disposal locations, equipped with bags. You can find these at the Forbis Monument, Stop 2, Stop 4, Stop 6, Stop 7, and Stop 8 next to the parking lot. Grab a bag and go!

Activity Fee

No

Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.

Location

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park Tour Road, Footpaths, and Historic New Garden Road

The Battlefield Visitor Center parking lot is located at 2332 New Garden Road, Greensboro, NC 27410. Often your GPS / Google Maps / Apple Maps will not guide you directly into the visitor center. When you drive east on New Garden Road you will see a giant "Guilford Courthouse National Military Park" Sign which indicates the entrance to the parking lot. 

Enter the parking lot on the left side. 

Reservations

No

Season

Year Round

The Tour Road is open to cars year round except on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. Other road closures may occur due to winter weather when ice and slush may cause accidents. Any road closures related to weather will be posted in the alerts section of the park website. 

Time of Day

Day, Dawn, Dusk

Visitors may walk the park beginning at dawn and must leave by dusk. The Visitors Center and Stop 6 comfort station are only open from 8:30AM - 5:00 PM. 

Accessibility Information

The Tour Road is a paved road that can accommodate manual and motorized wheel chairs. Cars and bikes also use this road which could be dangerous to visitors who are visually impaired. 

Historic New Garden Road is a gravel path that is not easily accessible by manual or motorized wheel chairs. This road has a steep graded hill with granite steps that would make climbing the hill difficult to impossible. 

The footpaths that run adjacent to the Tour Road and through the park are paved, some sections are smooth and some are concrete mixed with pebbles. There are uneven sections of the pavement, and the visitors will cross bridges when they venture into the park. The park has many hills that are small, medium, and large grade. 

Hearing-impaired visitors who would like to expereince the OnCell tour can ask for a written copy at the front desk in the Visitor Center.