The Peace and Quiet of a Battlefield? You Bet!

It’s Memorial Day weekend; the end of school and the official start of the summer vacation season. It’s also the first “long weekend” of those “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” about which Nat King Cole use to sing.  So, be prepared for crowded venues wherever you go this weekend – because it will seem as if everyone is where you’d like to be.

With that in mind, a day in the park might be just what you need – say, like the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

The great thing about this day trip is the space – and the peace and quiet.  

The Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park covers nearly 3,000 acres - stretching from Kolb’s Farm on Powder Springs Road north to the visitor center located off of Old Highway 41 near Barrett Parkway.  So, despite the fact that more than one million visitors come to the park each year, you aren’t going to feel crowded - or frustrated by waiting in long lines.

Of course, it’s educational – there’s even a short film at the visitor center that gives you a quick refresher course regarding the events leading up to the momentous Civil War battle that was fought there.  You can also access an audio tour free through your mobile phone.

But there is so much more to the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

There are places to picnic and trails to hike.  You can bring the dog along for a hike, as long as your pooch is on a 6-foot or shorter leash.  There's even a trailer lot where you can bring your horse trailer, saddle up your trusty steed and ride through the more than 16 miles of battleground trails on horseback, inspecting the earthen ramparts and Civil War artillery.  From those crudely constructed fortifications, brutal cannonade from both sides relentlessly pounded the soldiers of the blue and the grey without mercy during those oppressively hot days of June and July 1864, leaving more than 5,000 soldiers dead and signaling the start of the horrendous Atlanta Campaign that ultimately saw the city reduced to ashes. 

Still, the awe-inspiring sights of the sweeping vistas are so tranquil that it’s hard to envision the indescribable horrors of war that caused so much American bloodshed in one place.

A visit to the park is a very good bargain.  Adults get in for $2, children for a dollar and kids under six are free.  But remember, as with so many outside summer adventures in Georgia, if you’re hiking, bring bug spray, water and, perhaps, a small, easy-to-carry first aid kit – just to be prepared.  And keep in mind that the kids - especially the younger ones - will get tired sooner.

If you decide to stay over, there are nice family hotels nearby – even a number of cozy bed and breakfast inns - and an abundance of restaurants near the park.

To get to the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park from Johns Creek, just go over to I-75 and exit at Barrett Parkway (Exit #269), then head west on Barrett Parkway for about 3 miles.  Turn left at the light at Old Highway 41 and make a right turn at the next light, which is Stilesboro Road.  The visitor center will be immediately on the left.