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National Battlefield

Fort Donelson National Battlefield

  • South

Plan a Fort Donelson trip

About Fort Donelson

Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant was becoming quite famous as he wrote these words following the surrender of Confederate Fort Donelson on Sunday, February 16, 1862. The Union victory at Fort Donelson elated the North, and stunned the South. Within days of the surrender, Clarksville and Nashville would fall into Union hands. Grant and his troops had created a pathway to victory for the Union.

From the National Park Service.

Region
South
States
Kentucky and Tennessee
Designation
National Battlefield
Entrance fee
None listed
  • Trail data for this park is still being added.
  • Places for this park are still being added.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, weather and getting to Fort Donelson.

Entrance fees

The National Park Service lists no entrance fee for this park.

Hours

Mon
8:00AM - 4:30PM
Tue
8:00AM - 4:30PM
Wed
8:00AM - 4:30PM
Thu
8:00AM - 4:30PM
Fri
8:00AM - 4:30PM
Sat
8:00AM - 4:30PM
Sun
8:00AM - 4:30PM

Fort Donelson NB Visitor Center is open daily 8:30 am - 4:00 pm CST. Dover Hotel hours are 8:30 am - 4:00 pm CST daily. The park is closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. Hours change seasonally. The park tour route is open: Spring time change to Memorial Day: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm CDT Memorial Day to Labor Day: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm CDT Labor Day to fall time change: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm CST Fall time change to spring time change: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm CST

Weather and when to go

Fort Donelson National Battlefield traditionally experiences mild to moderate winters and hot summers with an average high of 90 degrees in the summer and 40 in winter; average lows in the winter are 30 degrees but single digits are not unusual. Rainfall in the area averages 53 inches a year with an additional 6 inches of ice/snow. Violent thunderstorms and severe weather can take place at any time of year but are most common in December and spring time.

Getting there

The main entrance is at 120 Fort Donelson Park Road, in Dover Tennessee. It is advised to start a visitor experience here. Brochures and information are available at this location. Physical address for the park's Fort Heiman unit, in Calloway County, Kentucky: 654 Fort Heiman Road, New Concord, Kentucky. This site is not staffed daily, but exhibits and information are available for visitors.

Directions from the National Park Service

Contact the park

Address
120 Fort Donelson Park Road, Dover, TN 37058
Official site
nps.gov/fodo

From the National Park Service, checked weekly. Fees, hours and road conditions change: confirm with the park before you go.

Trip planner

A day-by-day plan for Fort Donelson

Tell us your dates and what you are into. We group the stops by where they are, so each day is one part of the park, not a zigzag.

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Things to do in Fort Donelson

The park service's own list, with how long each takes.

What to pack for Fort Donelson

Gear & Essentials

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The basics

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For this trip

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