Respect the Past.
Invest in the Present.
Preserve for the Future.
One park. Six locations steeped in history.
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Chickamauga Battlefield
The Battle of Chickamauga took place over three days in September of 1863, marking the start of the Civil War Campaign for Chattanooga.
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Lookout Mountain Battlefield
On November 24, 1863, Union troops under the command of General Joseph Hooker swept the northern slopes of Lookout Mountain in what became known as the "Battle Above the Clouds."
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Moccasin Bend
Moccasin Bend is one of the most unique units found in the entire National Park Service system, spanning 12,000 years of continuous human habitation.
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Orchard Knob
Orchard Knob Reservation was preserved for its historic significance as the forward observation post for General Ulysses S. Grant as he watched the US Army assault on Missionary Ridge.
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Signal Point
Union soldiers used Signal Point to communicate with the outside world by creating a complex signaling system on portions of high ground along the Tennessee River.
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Missionary Ridge
Union soldiers stormed the Confederate defenses along Missionary Ridge . . . By the end of the day, Chattanooga was firmly in Union hands. It was, as one Confederate officer later described it, "The death knell of the Confederacy."
Growing Chattanooga's national park legacy
We grow Chattanooga's national park legacy through preservation, recreation, and education programs.
Just like the landscape of these parks, history is made up of peaks and valleys. Our nation's timeline is not a straight line; there have been many twists and turns over the years. When you walk the same lands as Indigenous peoples, farmers, soldiers, and enslaved peoples have, you uncover new facts and formulate new ideas about America's past, present, and future - all while enjoying beautiful scenery and native wildlife. Whether you're a history buff, an outdoor enthusiast, a student, a teacher, or all of the above, you'll enjoy these unique places that continue to shape the story of our city, our region, and our nation.
Help write YOUR chapter of Chattanooga's national park story! If you value preserving, promoting, and enhancing these historical sites, please consider a donation to support our work!
The beginning of our conservation efforts.
In September of 1889, ten thousand Union and Confederate veterans descended on Chickamauga Battlefield. This time, they came not as enemies, but as reunited countrymen. This Blue and Gray BBQ, as it was called, sparked the idea to create a national park.
In 1890, the battlefields of Chickamauga and Chattanooga became the nation’s first official military park. President Bejnamin Harrison signed the designation into law on August 19 – five years before a similar status was conferred on Gettysburg and 26 years before the establishment of the National Park Service.
Preserve for the Future
National park partners champions the conservation of the natural, historic, and cultural resources of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, including Moccasin Bend National Archeological District.
We engage current and future generations in preserving and promoting the stories of these national treasures.
YOUR Park by the numbers
9k+ acres and 80+ trail miles
currently under National Park Service management, which makes us the largest national military park in the country.
1,500+ commemorative features
1m+ annual park visitors
brought more than $81m dollars of economic impact to our community in 2022.
Travel through history and retrace the steps of your ancestors by visiting one of our six National Park units.
12,000 years
of continuous human habitation in evidence on Moccasin Bend.
