pickett's mill battlefield

This is a Georgia state park and open Thursday through Saturday. My brother and I and two of his Air Force buddies are Civil War buffs and we make a trip south very fall to follow a certain campaign. This year, we did the Atlanta Campaign. We visited almost everything from Ringgold to the Cyclorama. I like this place the best. Upon arrival, the friendly ranger answered all of our questions and asked us if we wanted to see a short film about the battle. It was very good and gave you a good working knowledge of the battle. We toured the small museum in the building. It's outstanding. In addition to the usual battlefield relics, it had very good displays about Civil War tactics and strategy, camp life, and the Atlanta Campaign. There are several trails to walk and are well maintained thanks to the staff and a local Eagle Scout project. When touring the battlefield, you can take a map of whichever trail you choose. The maps are encased in plastic, so there is no folding to do. There are signposts along the trails and the map describes what occurred at that point. You really get a sense of what it was like for the troops - rough terrain, low visibility, etc. The battlefield is little changed from 150 years ago. Although surrounded by housing development, the battlefield is complete. Union trenches and gun pits are well preserved. The whole site is clean, quiet, and enjoyable. It's one of my favorites.

This battlefield gives one a taste of what it must have been like to be a soldier in the field. After visiting the small, but well displayed museum and watching an interesting film, we set-out on the Red Loop trail. The area is filled with ravines as well as lots of trenches that were dug. The paths are filled with tree roots and pebbles and you really have to be careful where you are walking. The woods are beautiful and we enjoyed the hike, but at one point the trail wasn't clearly marked as where to go and we ended up walking another mile and a half to get back to the welcome center.I cannot imagine carrying heavy packs and equipment around this area! Make sure you re wearing good walking shoes and take water and you will have a pleasant work-out at Pickett's Mill.

Pickett's Mill Battlefield offers the opportunity to walk the grounds of a well preserved US civil war battlefield. This site was part of the Federal campaign against Atlanta, GA. Although a small engagement in comparison to other battles, the Confederate victory did succeed in delaying the Federal advance against Atlanta. There is a small museum with a good background of the battle and the overall campaign. I would recommend watching the video and walking through the museum prior to hiking the trails. It does cost $5.50 for adults, with discounts for senior citizens and children. The park also participates in the Blue Ribbon Program which allowed active duty military free access through Labor Day which I was able to take advantage of.Once finished inside the museum you have the option to hike several different trails. The most recommended trail for your first visit is the Red Loop which is about 2 miles long. The trail is the most comprehensive history route in the park taking you along trenches used by both sides. A guide map available at the visitor's center offers details of the battle's events at various spots along the route. Most of the sites have numbered posts, however there are others without numbers you will have to judge based on the map and where you are on the trail itself. What makes hiking the trails important is you get a personal experience on the terrain both sides fought on. It is one thing to read about a battle, being able to walk the ground is another experience altogether. Seeing the ground gave me a much better appreciation for what they went through having to assault up steep hills through woods and creeks. The fact they did this in the summer heat and humidity in wool uniforms adds even more admiration of their trials. Fighting in that terrain today would still be difficult.If you are interested in the civil war and American history I would highly recommend visiting the Pickett's Mill Battlefield. It is a Georgia State Park and is only open Thursdays to Saturdays from 0900 to 1700, so make sure to plan accordingly.

It was a little hard to find , but so worth the effort. There was a diorama and a wonderful video. The walking tour was beautiful, but make sure you wear walking shoes.

If you are a civil war buff this is a great place. Some of the best preserved battlefield and trenches in the country. There is a small but nice museum.One thing lacking is a nice picnic area. The other thing that is different is that instead of charging a 5.00 parking fee like other state parks, they charge by the person just to walk the trails. Needless to say we don't go very much even though it is only 15 minutes away.

If you are interested in the paranormal in any way, this would be a great place to visit. The main office has a photo of something very paranormal and I won't give it away in this review!! Historical places are all throughout Georgia and it's a great educational place to take your kids if you home school them. My son really enjoyed it.

Quiet walk in the woods with grandchildren. There was not much historical importance information gained by the children but we did enjoy walking the paths. Ranger was helpful and provided interesting information on the history. My great great uncle served with the Federals from Maryland/West Virginia area. It was interesting to talk to the Ranger about shared history. I would not return but good for 60 minute trip.

Not much to see, manly a walk in the woods as it was during the Civil War. Small visitor center. Worth about 15/30 minutes

If you are looking for a nice walk in the woods, go to Kennestone and enjoy the hikes for free.If you go here, it is priced a bit more then it is worth for hikers. Perhaps the battlefield visitors can appreciate and pay for this adventure, but we found it to be overpriced for what you get.Why are you charged in the first place to visit a historic site?

Its only open Thur, Fri, Sat & Sun. The professional staff is just Ranger Jim & he can tell you anything about the Civil War in Ga. & beyond. His Great Grandfather (50 GA) fought against 2 of mine 51st NY & 9th NY @ Burnside Bridge. Jim knew the history without even thinking about it.This park is just like it was back in the 1860's, so wear good walking shoes.

It seems to be a secret, can't get in the place all the time. Seven visits and I finally found the gates open. Understood once i got in, there was very few people and seemed very dull.

If you love history, or just want to learn more about local history, this is a Great place to start! Very nice, peaceful place to visit and walk, lots of information posted about batles here!

Visited this park in the Fall. Simply beautiful. There is an outstanding film and small museum as well. The trails are marked and easy to follow. The guide map available is helpful with narration while walking the paths. Worth your visit.

Decent sized state Civil War battle park. Visitor center is ok... the film is adequate and exhibits are informative. Some are pretty general. Park itself has several well-marked trails through the woods to locations where fighting happened. I took the Red Loop and it gave me a good look at both the Union and Confederate positions. Be advised- when they say trails can be strenuous and difficult, they mean it. The ground is uneven and hard to navigate at points. This does give a visitor a better appreciation for how hard it would have been to fight a battle in these surroundings. Lots of trench lines can easily be observed. Biggest complaint was signage. It would have been more informative to install signs at key stops in the trail loop rather than give visitors a booklet they have to read at each stop. Overall, worth a stop for anyone with an interest in the Civil War.

The grounds are beautiful but to understand what happened, you have to carry a trail guide. I would prefer to see monument type plaques in place instead of having to keep up with paper. I guess they do not want to disturb the land witg monuments, though.Didn't see the film. Would haver liked to but there was no sign saying when out would start. Ranger really did not offer much info. when he took our money. If I lived close, would may come more often to hike. Don't really see a reason to teturn though.