horseshoe bend national military park

I love to go to parks to ride a mountain bike, kayak, or go for an overnight stay at cabins (if available). Distance usually does not stand in the way. That said, Horseshoe Bend doesn't fit my needs, but I wouldn't discourage anyone looking for a beautiful place to learn about historical events or to enjoy the day. Fishing might be good too. I originally thought I could yak around the Horseshoe Bend, but it would be impossible to find a good place to take it out on the other side of the bend. The banks are just too high and no parking nearby. I do understand a trip down the Tallapoosa from further away is excellent. I'll have to try that! And I bet the reenactments are fantastic. If you live within 50 miles, GO! You will love it.

The movie was excellent. The Junior Ranger Program helped our children learn more about Horseshoe Bend. I was disappointed that the museum that had a miniature reenactment of the battle was not only closed but was not included at the park. (NPS should have purchased it & added it to their visitor center!) The dugout canoes that were there 40 years ago were no longer there. Much needs to be added to the park to make it worthwhile to visit.

The Horseshoe Bend museum exceeded my expectations. There is a hiking trail you can walk along that will literally take you through the battle with markers, detailed stories and paintings that make you feel like you have traveled through time. The landscape is in pristine beautiful natural condition and travels along the Tallapoosa River. However, if like most people you are either lazy or out of shape you can drive and stop at certain landmarks but that would completely diminish the experience. Also, before leaving be sure to stop at the visitor center to look at the museum and library. The park ranger told me that typically there are up to 50 visitors a day. I was lucky that I went on Thanksgiving weekend and on Game Day because I had the whole place to myself.I can't wait to go back. Only a 3 hour drive for me and I am already familiar with the area since I lived in Alex City briefly back in 2000.

I really enjoyed being at the military park - as my 4 greats grandfather was a Cherokee who fought under Jackson at the battle. The drive around the battleground was very interesting. The film in the visitor center was good and explained what was going on very well. When I talked to the ranger on duty at the visitor center and purchased a couple of things, she wasn't interested in hearing anything about my personal connection to the battle - and all I got out of her was a slight "thank you" after my purchase and a "hmmm" after I started telling my story. But, other than that I enjoyed this park very much.

I am a travel writer who covers National Parks (npplan.com) and I visited Horseshoe Bend National Military Park in August 2014. The park preserves an 1814 Creek Indian War battlefield on which American forces under the command of General Andrew Jackson met in battle with 1000 Red Stick Creek Indians. The Red Stick Creeks were a faction of Creeks who opposed peace with the Americans, as opposed to the Lower Creek Indians who wanted peaceful relations. During the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, the Lower Creeks, along with the Cherokee, fought with the American army. Numbering 2000 strong, the Americans and their Indian allies easily overwhelmed the Red Sticks, killing nearly 800 and taking the rest prisoners. This victory effectively ended the Creek Indian War. Ironically, it was this battle and the defeat of the Creeks that helped Andrew Jackson to become President of the United States in 1829. It was Jackson who was behind the legislation to remove all Indians, including former allies, from the southeastern United States.The Horseshoe Bend National Military Park features a Visitor Center with a small museum that focuses on the Creek Indians and the battle that ended the Creek Indian War, an automobile tour of the battlefield that stops at five key positions, and a 2.7 mile Nature Trail. Two picnic areas and a boat ramp for launching canoes or kayaks are also within the park. Shore fishing is allowed from the boat ramp.For complete info on the park and plenty of quality photos, please visit National Park Planner.

Excellent preservation of a historic area. This place is definitely for the history lover, not for entertainment. A somber battlefield; Not the best place for kids who expect to be entertained. The informational charts along the drive through route are a must read. I learned a lot during our auto tour. Debating for a return trip soon to hike the trails on the property.

Horseshoe Bend was a very interesting place. You should definitely do the museum first. Yes, it's small, but it makes the battlefield easier to understand. If you're expecting to see, buildings and artillery all over the place then you will be disappointed. You really have to use your imagination and think about what it was when the battle happened.

Horseshoe Bend was the most pivotal battle of the Creek War and set the stage for Andrew Jackson's presidency. The military park located in Davidston on the banks of the Talapoosa River is a beautiful property that is filled with history. There is a small museum which is free but accepts donations and there is a driving tour which you can do in your car and stop at prominent spots of the battlefield. The scenery is spectacular and the historical aspects are moving. I hiked the ecological three mile trail years ago so did not do that this time but I would like to again. At the stops are plaques and historical commentary. This is a must visit for anyone who is interested in Native American or pioneer history.

This is a very informational place! It's free of charge and the people there are very friendly! It feels like you back in the war!

This park interprets the pivotal Battle of Horseshoe Bend, which can be said to have changed the course of U.S. history. It is in a beautiful location, to boot, enabling the visitor to better imagine the events being interpreted. Even if you are that big of a history buff, you'll enjoy the well-maintained and scenic park grounds and the magnificent Tallapoosa River.

This is a wonderfully rustic location where one of the great Indian wars was fought and General Andrew Jackson was brought to prominence. The Park is located in a large bend of the lovely Tallapoosa River not far from Alexander City and Dadeville, Alabama. There is a visitors center that is a must to get a feel for what happened here. But the wide open countryside presents an opportunity for everyone to walk where a bloody battle was fought and to feel the majesty of rural Alabama. My grandsons loved watching a ranger fire a musket. Then, the boys literally ran and rolled down some of the hills that mark the monument. Some locals do not like to visit the Park, advising they are descendants of the Creek Indians who died here. But, there are no ghosts today, only wide-open spaces in the great fields at the center of the river's bend, and the opportunity for quiet reflection along the edge of the Tallapoosa.

The park is about 12 miles off of hwy 280, which isn't too far out of the way. And it is definitely worth a visit. There is a visitor's center as you first enter the park. There is no fee for admittance, and they have a small museum, gift area, and show a 20 minute film on the history of the battle of horseshoe bend. The ranger will provide you with a driving map to see the 5 or 6 stops. There isnt much to see on the battlefield. There is only one monument, a gravesite of one of the American officers, and a cannon. But you are truly on a historically important site. Definitely catch the movie at the visitor's center. I spent about an hour and a half here.

Rustic, semi-remote; brings history to life. Requires a walk over unfinished paths, but worth the hike.

This is a beautiful area, great for being outdoors. My husband is very interested in military history and was very happy to explore what the park has to offer.

I studied this place for a week before visiting, and it was a great place to see in person. I am NOT a history buff, but there were so many big names in this battle that weren't big names yet when this battle happened. It was an awesome study in second, third, and fourth order effects of this little unheard of battle. You need to visit, and understand all that was happening in the world to see why this battle was so important. Also, when you get here; ask who Americus Hammock? This visit made history come alive for me. I wish it wasn't so far out in the middle of no-where!