News Releases

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will host an interactive, 3-hour, miniature wargame of the Battle of Chickamauga that will take place at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center. Up to 10 participants can take command of portions of the Federal and Confederate armies, making decisions and maneuvering military miniatures across a 3-dimensional tabletop battlefield as they seek to overcome some of the challenges faced by commanders during the real battle in September 1863.

On Saturday, January 4, at 2 pm, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will present a special ranger-led 1-hour, 1-mile, hike exploring the story of Lieutenant Howard M. Burnham’s Battery on September 19, 1863.  This program will begin at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center, then car caravan to the hiking location. 

After a thorough investigation by a National Park Service investigator, the cause of the wildfire which ignited within the Lookout Mountain Battlefield was determined to be a natural event. The event began around 5:30 am on December 7 with a large rockslide, likely caused by freeze/thaw action.  Large boulders tumbled from the top of Lookout Mountain towards Ochs Highway.  The boulders struck many trees and other stationary boulders along the way, creating immense heat and sparks. The boulders also pushed over a large tree which struck a power line that parallels the Hardy Trail.  Although the powerline strike could have created sparks, the evidence on scene indicates the rockslide as the probable cause of the fire. No evidence of human activity was found in the steep slope area where the wildfire originated.

On Saturday, December 7, a wildland fire was reported on the eastern slope of Lookout Mountain within the boundaries of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, south of the Incline Railway, near the Hardy Trail.  Resources were mobilized immediately, and a Type 1 Helicopter was able to successfully complete several water drops throughout the day.  Currently the cause of the fire is undetermined and is still being investigated by a National Park Service fire investigator. The fire is approximately 10 acres and is 100% contained with crews continuing to monitor the fire.

On Saturday, December 21, at 2 pm, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will present a special 90-minute, less than 1-mile, ranger-led hike exploring the fighting that swirled around the farm of Larkin Poe on September 19 and 20, 1863.  This program will begin at the Chickamauga Visitor Center, then car caravan to Poe Field, where the walking tour will begin. 

On Saturday, December 14, at 2 pm, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will present a 1-hour ranger-led program that will take place at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center. The program will begin in the visitor center then move outside.

On Saturday, November 30, at 3 pm, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park invites the public to participate in a special 1-hour, ranger-led program examining the role of photography at “Point Lookout” during the Civil War. This program will take place inside Point Park, on top of Lookout Mountain.

Chickamauga Battlefield is preserved to commemorate the Battle of Chickamauga and the lives lost during that struggle. It provides a space for almost a million people each year to follow in the footsteps of soldiers engaged in the battle, to recreate, and to connect with nature.  Drug use and weapons violations in the national military park are investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of federal and state laws.

On Saturday, November 16, at 2 pm, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will present a 45-minute ranger-led program focusing on how early indigenous peoples made fire. This program will take place at the Gateway Site, 10 Hamm Road, Chattanooga, TN, 37405. 

Point Park, atop Lookout Mountain and part of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, is waiving the entrance fee on Monday, November 11, to celebrate Veterans Day.