Gateway to the South: A Field Trip on the Geography of Chattanooga and the Southeastern United States

A group of young people sit on a sidewalk overlooking a city
Students on a field trip to Point Park work on drawing maps of the Tennessee Valley around Chattanooga.

NPS/C. Barr

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park preserves the landscapes in around Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Union and Confederate Armies clashed during the summer and fall of 1863 during the American Civil War. The vast majority of students who visit Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park do so in support of their curriculum related to the Civil War and Reconstruction. However, the reason armies fought here during the Civil War was due in large part to the geography of the region. The confluence of the Tennessee River, the Cumberland Plateau, Lookout Mountain, and the greater Appalachian chain made Chattanooga the gateway to the Deep South. By visiting Point Park, students can see first hand how geography can shape human activity.

Curriculum Standards
A Geography focused field trip to Point Park on Lookout Mountain will reinforce the following topics with your students:

- Recognizing basic map symbols and cardinal directions
- Locating topographical features on the earth's surface
- Analyze how location and geography can affect people's lives
- Describe how physical geography has affected the history of the United States, including American Indian groups in the region, and the later development of roads, rail, and the Civil War era.
- Describe how the geography of the eastern United States both hindered and benefited territorial expansion from 1801-1861.

Rangers will tailor the specific topics covered based on the grade level and state standards for your individual class.

Field Trip Locations

This geography-focused field trip is primarily geared towards Point Park on Lookout Mountain. From this vantage point more than 1,500 above the city of Chattanooga, students can see numerous geographic features, including a river, creeks, mountains, plateaus, a peninsula, and ridges.

If you are unable to schedule a physical field trip to the park, check out some of our educational videos on Early American Indians, Indian Removal and the Trail of Tears, Causes of the Civil War, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Geography.

Things to Do During Your Field Trip

In addition to your ranger-guided program on geography, there are other things to do as well.

There is a small picnic area located just outside the gates of Point Park. Many classes chose to spend time walking through Point Park and enjoying the view from the park's various overlooks. The park operates a small museum exhibit inside the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center, which is located across the street from Point Park, although there is no park film.

Please note that if you are planning on utilizing the Incline Railroad or visiting the "Battles for Chattanooga," that these are privately run businesses who are not connected to the park. You will need to visit their websites to coordinate any visitrs with them independently.

 

Geography Education Program Request Form

If you are interested in bringing your students to participate in a ranger-led program at Lookout Mountain Battlefield - Point Park (110 Point Park Road, Lookout Mountain, TN 37350), please complete and submit this form. There is NO charge for the program. If your students are 16 years of age or older, you will need to complete the Academic Fee Waiver Request section. However, if your students are 15 years of age or younger, you will not need to complete the Academic Fee Waiver Request section.  

NPS Form 10-1750 (Rev. 04/2021)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0228
Expiration Date 11/31/2025

Disclaimer:

A park representative will follow-up to confirm group details once this request has been received and reviewed.


NPS Form 10-1750 (Rev. 04/2021)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0228
Expiration Date 11/31/2025

Notices

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: Public Law 114-289 National Park Service Centennial Act and 54 U.S.C. 100701 Protection, interpretation, and research in System.

Purpose: To administer education programs for education audiences including but not limited to school groups, scouting groups, extracurricular groups, and home school groups.

Routine Uses: To effectively manage requests for education received by the NPS, the Education Reservation Request Form is used to collect basic education reservation information to facilitate operational aspects of scheduling groups for park education programs, including in-park education programs, ranger in classroom programs, and/or online distance learning programs.

Disclosure: Voluntary, however, failure to provide the requested information may impede the ability to grant your education reservation request.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement

We are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) to provide park managers and educators the information needed to schedule and conduct education program activities. All applicable parts of the form must be completed in order for your request to be considered. You are not required to respond to this or any other Federal agency-sponsored information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. OMB has approved this collection of information and assigned control number 1024-0288.

Estimated Burden Statement

Public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Do not send your completed form to this address.

 

For directions and other information about getting to the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Center, see the information below. 

Last updated: April 25, 2024

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Contact Info

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3370 LaFayette Road
Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742

Phone:

706-866-9241

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