fort donelson national battlefield

We were at Fort Donelson with an organized tour. The museum was interesting and grounds well kept. At the observation point the scenery was magnificent, however, the guide that accompanied us kept talking and repeating himself and we couldn't help but notice that people kept looking at their watches. A shame!

What a beautiful area and soooo quiet! Loved learning the history of this very large battle and trying to envision how things were for the troops who fought. Be sure to stop and get a map prior to driving as it has great explanations of what you will be viewing. The battery guns down by the river show the shear power that those boats saw as they rounded the bend - loved it! A worthwhile place to visit!

When visiting Fort Donelson start your visit at the museum / gift shop and short movie about the river battle. It will enhance the experience on what you are going to see. And for a best experience plan your visit in May for Eagle Fest. The baby Bald Eagles try to leave the nest around this time. It's all good and it's all free.

My husband and I stopped here on our way to Memphis. He was here previously and took many beautiful photographs. There are rolling hills, monuments, picnic tables and a wonderful self-guided trail. There is something for everybody. We did not stop by the visitor's center or gift shop as we were in a hurry to get back on the road. We will be back. There was lots of artillery, cabins, very scenic and peaceful. However, there were many individuals taking the tour and were just finishing up. The roads are winding and make for beautiful photographs, as was the river and trees. The trees were mostly past color but nevertheless still beautiful. This is a wonderful attraction to visit. Go there and take your camera.

Enjoyed the visit here. The visitor center is set up well in a small area, the drive is nice, staff helpful, view lovely and history rich!

I didn't get to see everything as I was here on business and just killing time but take a drive through and get out and view the river overlook and take in some of the areas history. Im sure you will be glad you did.

After going to Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro, my sons (8 and 10) decided they wanted to complete the Civil War Trail and get the related badge. In order to do that, you have to go to 3 National Battlefields or other National Parks and do the Junior Ranger Program in each. We first went to Stones River and got the bug. We pulled out a map of parks and I decided to go to Fort Donelson near Dover, TN. I had never been there and thought it would be something new for all of us.The drive from Murfreesboro was quite a haul, but I was glad we made the trip. The visitor's center was smaller than some, but still very nice. They have a film, several exhibits, and a gift shop. We watched the film and got our Junior Ranger books and went out into the park. We followed the book and went to several stops on the way. It was cool to see how U.S. Grant used these warships to attack. When you got along the Cumberland River, they had several canons sitting where you could see how they perhaps were aligned to fire back at the ships. We also drove off the main site to the National Cemetery and looked at many of the markers. Almost all buried here were Union Soldiers (as was the case at Stones River as well). Therewas also a house on the property that housed those that oversaw the cemetery at one time.At the end of the day, we completed our Junior Ranger Badge and learned much more about the Civil War from the aspect of the rivers vs. what we learned about the control of the railroad lines at Stones River. Going to Fort Donelson was worth the drive!

Children loved seeing real war things. It was great to learn about a battle so long ago so close to home.

The area is very nice and we had great weather, but the park is rather small and overgrown with trees so it is very hard to see the fort. No overview place or tower, either.There are better place to visit and I wish they would try to restore the fort to the period time (like Vicksburg, MS is trying to), that would make it really nice. Now I would say this is great place for picnic or walk, but not much more.

This is where the Civil War bug bit me for the first time. In the early 1950s, we were en route to Florida for a family vacation and my father, a World War II veteran, decided to stop at Fort Donelson near Dover, Tennessee. I was so inspired by the battlefield that I couldn't wait to get home to read as much as I could about it--and other Civil War battlefields--in the World Book encyclopedia. I learned how U.S. Grant and his Union troops surrounded a Confederate garrison that was using the fortress to control the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers and thwart the Union's attempts to drive into the South's heartland. Fort Donelson isn't as celebrated as Gettysburg or Vicksburg or Shiloh or Antietam or Manassas or Chancellorsville but it propelled U.S. Grant to becoming the general that President Abraham Lincoln was desperately looking for to combat Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. Grant's demand for "unconditional surrender" of Fort Donelson brought him national acclaim. The museum is a good place to start. You can't ask for better pictures than from the Confederate works and cannons that overlook the Cumberland River and were the target of Andrew Foote's Union gunboats. Interestingly, this also is the battle that brought instant notoriety to Confederate cavalry leader Nathan Bedford Forrest, who refused to surrender and led his horsemen through the snow and to safety. Like other Civil War battlefields, the park has produced a wonderful auto tour. Don't forget to stop in nearby Dover, where the Confederates surrendered to Grant at the local hotel. From Fort Donelson, Grant went on to defeat the Rebels at Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain, then was summoned East by Lincoln. Fort Donelson is a good place to start learning about the Civil War and U.S. Grant.

My young family enjoyed this scenic Battlefield.The movie is proper for young kids (not too much violence) though the footage / filming might need updating eventually. The staff were SOOO helpful. The museum was interesting with some unique artifacts.We truly enjoyed the Junior Ranger activity booklet. The questions weren't too hard nor the book too time consuming. Who woulda' known how KEY this battle was to the Union army and the eventual demise of the Confederacy?We especially enjoyed the battlements overlooking the Cumberland River and the scenic picnic area nearby.

Fort Donelson was a key location which controlled the Tennessee and the Cumberland Rivers which were vital for the movement of men, equipment and supplies to the Army that held them. General U S Grant led the force that captured the strong-point from the Confederate Forces and so became known to President Lincoln who was looking for a General who could 'win'. The Mississippi was about as far West as most of the Civil War was fought and Grant went South from Donelson to ensure the Southern forces were denied use the great river.Well laid out, wonderfully explained and easy to follow. If you're lucky you'll see Bald Eagles.Well worth a visit.

We had stopped at Ft Donelson on our way home from the land between the lakes. I highly recommend the stop the the fort. They have developed a wonderful auto tour. It leads one around the entire battle field and with some imagination one could almost see all of the soldiers and camps in place. In addition one may get to see one of the bald eagles living here.

This was our third (or was it fourth?) visit to Fort Donelson, and each visit has been better than the last. The views of the river are spectacular, and if you're lucky, you just might see a bald eagle! My GGG grandfather fought here, and during this visit I consulted a map and went to the exact spot where his unit fought. That was something special. Regards to the park rangers and staff at Fort Donelson, especially Brian. They have always been kind and informative when we've visited, and they are a great asset to this site.

All this family history! This was a genealogy trip for me;found area where ancestors had lived. Susan in the visitors center went out of her way to help me find locations for family sites.Views of the river were fantastic