THING TO DO

Walk the Battlefield

Step back to 1781 on the battlefield to explore the terrain, forest, and hills that played into Maj 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 (336) 288-1776 or Guilford County Animal Control at (336) 641-5990.

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.

If you are looking for historical interpretation of the battle, you can follow the historic tracks of the cannons down Historic New Garden Road with a Cell Phone Audio Tour hosted by NPS Tours by OnCell. If you do not have a smartphone or do not wish to download the app, come to the Visitors Center for a map that will guide you to the stops and provide the phone number to begin the tour. The phone numbers are also on the cell phone signs. There are 7 stops with approximately 2.5 to 3 minutes of audio at each stop. 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.

As you walk around the battlefield you will see 29 monuments, including the Maj. 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.

Details
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 3 hours. 
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. 
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.’ As cute as canines can be, they 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.”[1] 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!
Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.
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. 
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.

Last updated: January 6, 2018