wilderness national military park

We took the driving tour of the Battlefield. We started at the shelter where we were able to read about the battle before driving and looking. There is much to read about this battle, so don't rush through any of it. Ellwood Manor is part of this driving tour, make sure to stop there if you are visiting the area.

The Wilderness Battlefield is located in Orange County, Virginia along Virginia route's 20 and 3. There is an unstaffed shelter on Route 20. There are a number of walking trails and roads that can be driven. There are several large open fields surrounding the shelter. What is interesting, a couple of years ago, it was determined that a house was sitting on park property and it was removed overnight. However, the doghouse remained for a couple of months.

To honestly get the most out of this place you really should stop by the Chancellorsville battlefield visitor center. There you can buy an auto tour on cd. This will guide you and tell you stories of how this battle was one of the worse because of the fires. You should also stop by the Ellwood home. Even if the gate is closed you can park by the gate and walk back to the house. This is where Stonewall Jackson was first buried, or at least his arm!. There are plenty of stops and a nice place to picnic. I recommend you stop at the the corner of Rt 3 and Rt 20 (the beginning of the tour starts not far from there). There is a subway, Mcdonalds or sheetz. Grab a meal and drink and take it with you. Stop at the picnic area for lunch. It's very shaded. There are several places to hike. Some are short others are long. For a nice and easy walk with lots of information, Stop at the site that is on the corner of 621 and Brock rd. The walk is fairly short, flat and you could probably push a wheelchair or stroller fairly easy. It has several monuments and information plaques.

I visited the Wilderness National Military Park with thee sole purpose to gain an understanding of the Battle of the Wilderness which you hear about in history lessons. The park is part of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefield but can be visited independently. However there is no Visitor's Center at the Wilderness. The Chancellorsville Visitor's Center down the road has a nice exhibit on the Wilderness, with half of the museum dedicated to the battle. The National Park Service recently renovated the museum, so if you had been there before you will still get something out of it. There is an exhibit shelter located at stop #2 of the driving tour.The exhibit shelter has informative boards discussing the battle and General Grant's Overland Campaign. There is a Park Ranger at the shelter on the weekends who can answer any of your questions. You can also pick up brochures and info on the hiking trails available. There is also a bathroom located at the foot of the trail by the shelter, so if you have to go this is your chance. There are only a few parking spaces which could be an issue on busy days.The trail at stop #2 is the Gordon Flank Attack Trail. It starts by the shelter and is approximately a total of 2 miles long. The trail is not that difficult with most if it on hard ground. You will pass several trenches and informative signs along the way. You get an idea of what it was like to fight in the woods and the suffering that the wounded soldiers would have had to go through, although the woods today are not as dense. I would recommend taking your time and to put yourself "back in time."Between stops # 3 and #4 is a picnic area. There is also a trail that if you would walk the entire length would take you back to the field across from the exhibit center. It is a long trail so you would need to dedicate a lot of time for it. At most of the other stops there are short trails to the actual position, so this portion of your tour would go as quickly as you wanted to rive to each location. The Park Service brochure provides a brief explanation of each stop. While there might not be as much to see here than at other battlefields, I would highly recommend stopping at the Wilderness National Military Park when in the Fredericksburg area. You will always get a better appreciation by walking the hallowed ground than you would get by just reading a book.