Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where can I park my car to access Little Round Top?

Cars (including small vans and trucks) must park in designated spaces at and around the summit of Little Round Top. If parking is not available on the summit, please be prepared to keep moving to a nearby parking area. Accessible parking is available only at the summit parking area. Foot trails connect other parking locations to the summit.

• Summit
  • 24 car spaces (four of which are accessible)
• Wright Avenue at 20th Maine monument (0.3 miles to the summit)
  • 3 car spaces
• Warren Avenue (0.3 miles to the summit)
  • 5 car spaces
• Gravel parking area at Wheatfield and Sedgewick (0.4 miles to the summit)
  • 19 car spaces
• Overflow Parking – right side of road, all 4 tires on pavement
  • South Confederate Avenue
  • Sedgwick Avenue

2. I am bringing my class/tour group to Little Round Top – where can we park our bus?

Buses and oversize vehicles must park in designated spaces at the summit and on the North Slope of Sykes Avenue at Little Round Top.

• Summit
  • 4 bus/oversize vehicle parking spots are available along the right side of the lot.
• North slope of Sykes Avenue
  • 3 bus/oversize vehicle parking spots are available along the right side of the road.

Overflow Parking

• Warren Avenue – 1 bus/oversize vehicle parking spot

• South Confederate Avenue (right side of road, all wheels on pavement)

• Sedgewick Avenue (right side of road, all wheels on pavement)

Parking at the summit allows for unloading to an accessible sidewalk. Foot trails connect other parking locations to the summit.

• Buses may NOT stop in the roadway to load or unload passengers. Be prepared to keep moving if no parking is available.

3. I have been to Little Round Top many times and have always parked on the side of the road on the south or north slopes of Sykes Avenue to access the summit. Can I still park there?

• No. Curbing is in place along Sykes Avenue in order to slow traffic and prevent parking on the side of the road. This habit of years past resulted in the loss of vegetation, soil erosion, and safety concerns for visitors.

4. Where can I ride my bike through this area? Where can I park my bike?

• No designated bike trails are present on or around Little Round Top. As with all park roads and avenues, bicyclists must remain on roads and follow the direction of vehicular traffic. Riding your bike on foot trails or sidewalks is strictly prohibited but walking your bike along these routes is allowed.

• It is recommended that bicyclists traveling to Little Round Top via South Confederate Avenue or Warren Avenue cross onto/turn onto Wright Avenue before heading up the hill to the summit. At the Wright Avenue parking area, dismount and walk your bike along the sidewalk (a.k.a. Chamberlain Ave) to the summit.

• A bike rack is located at the southern end of the summit parking area on the left side of Sykes Avenue.

• If you and/or your group can maintain the same speed as traffic around you – 25 miles per hour – per Pennsylvania State bicycle law, you may ride on Sykes Avenue and take the road lane. Please be aware this roadway has curbing on both sides and is shared with cars, buses and other oversize vehicles.

5. A family member uses a wheelchair – is Little Round Top now accessible?

• Yes. Four designated accessible parking spots are available at the summit. An accessible concrete sidewalk ramp to the summit is present at the southern end of the summit parking area. All concrete sidewalks meet the standards for accessible design by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and provide access to key locations on the summit of Little Round Top. You may also cross Sykes Avenue at the crosswalk and go south on the concrete sidewalk to Chamberlain Avenue/Vincent’s Spur down to the two interpretive panels where the sidewalk and foot trail merge.

• In total, there are 0.7 miles of accessible pathways/sidewalks at Little Round Top today. This is a 100% increase from what was present in 2022.

• The natural-colored foot trails do not meet the standards for accessibility. On these trails visitors may experience challenging grades, uneven surfaces, and water bars that make them unsuitable for individuals with mobility challenges.

6. Why didn’t the NPS make all the trails at Little Round Top accessible?

• We took the need to balance resource protection and goals of providing access and a high-quality visitor experience at Little Round Top very seriously. Decision-making was guided by a desire to implement a rehabilitation that was characterized by a light touch on the landscape. The topography of the site, rocky outcrops, viewsheds, etc. were all considerations in the placement of accessible sidewalks/trails. If making a trail accessible required significant fill or other alteration to meet grade/slope requirements or resulted in other unacceptable impacts to critical elements of the cultural landscape, we opted for an alternative trail surface that does not meet the requirements for accessibility.

7. Are there more hiking trails on Little Round Top today? Can I still go wherever I want if there is no trail there?

• There are 2.3 miles of hiking trails throughout the Little Round Top area. This represents a 100% increase from what was present in 2022. Approximately 0.7 miles (30% of total) of hiking trails are accessible to those with mobility challenges.

• As stated in the Superintendent’s Compendium, visitors to Little Round Top are required to stay on trail.

• During design of this project, in addition to replacing existing damaged trails, the NPS carefully considered existing “social” trails (unofficial, user-created paths) to evaluate what our visitors were telling us about where they wanted to go and what they wanted to access. Some of these former “social” trails are now part of the formal trail system and allow access to all monuments on the hill as well as access to key routes of attack. “Social” trails that were inappropriate and led to resource protection issues, such as severe erosion, have been rehabilitated or closed. Please stay on these new sidewalks and trails to help us protect this iconic battlefield location for future generations.

8. One of my favorite activities is to visit Little Round Top in the evening and sit on the rocks to watch the sunset. Can I still do that?

• Yes. The NPS recognizes that visitors take great pleasure in experiencing Little Round Top at sunset. Visitors will be able to view the sunset from new gathering areas, the top of the 44th New York Monument, and other areas along the trail system including rocks that are accessible from a trail. Visitors are prohibited from moving off trail to access rocks further downslope or sitting/leaning on rehabilitated defensive breastworks.

9. When is the best time to visit the park to avoid crowding?

• April through October is our typical busy season. In order to avoid crowds, we recommend visiting on weekdays, outside the hours of 10am and 2pm.

10. How much did this project cost? How was it funded?

• $12.9 million dollars. The project was funded by a mix of federal and private funding.

11. Why are areas fenced off?

• Certain areas throughout Little Round Top will remain fenced off throughout the first growing season to reestablish vegetation. These plantings will reestablish native plant communities, stabilize disturbed soil, and decrease soil erosion. Please help us by not entering these areas. Going off trail can damage or kill certain plant species and inhibits reestablishment of vegetation bordering the trail.

12. Can I visit all monuments in the area?

• Formal trails have been established in order reach monuments, though not all monuments are wheelchair accessible. Some monuments are located in steep and hard-to-reach areas of Little Round Top and the trails for these were not able to meet the standards for accessibility without impacting topography or other important cultural features of the landscape.

13. How can I learn about the battle as I explore Little Round Top?

• There are 19 new orientation and wayside exhibits to help visitors gain a better appreciation and understanding of the battle that took place on and around Little Round Top. Five of these exhibits will place visitors along the Union line of battle, while 14 interpretive exhibit panels will provide historical context and firsthand accounts of the battle written by its survivors.

14. How can large groups explore Little Round Top?

• Six new gathering areas have been established at key locations and overlooks across the summit of the hill. Groups visiting Little Round Top are requested to use these areas in order to prevent congestion on the sidewalks and foot trails when active instruction or interpretation is taking place. These spaces are first come, first serve and most are large enough to accommodate group sizes of approximately 50-55 individuals. Please be respectful of other visitors and guides while utilizing these spaces and do not dominate the space for long periods of time when the hill is busy.

15. Why are the rehabilitated breastworks so tall?

• The rehabilitated breastworks have been rebuilt to represent how these fortifications would have looked at the end of the battle, not during the battle.

• Union soldiers arrived on Little Round Top mere moments before they engaged Confederate soldiers in the afternoon hours of July 2, 1863. Due to the immediate nature of the battle in this area, little to no cover could be built until after this engagement concluded.

• Throughout the evening of July 2 and all throughout the day of July 3, Union soldiers erected substantial defensive breastworks in case of further Confederate attacks. Further attacks never materialized and when the Union Army began to leave Gettysburg, they left tall and well-built defensive breastworks behind.

16. I enjoy dressing in historically accurate clothing, portraying a historical figure from the civil war on Little Round Top and interacting with visitors in character. Can I remain at Little Round Top for several hours to engage in this activity?

• Individuals dressed in civil war clothing are common in the park and are welcome to enjoy Little Round Top and any other area of the park as a visitor. However, individuals engaged in living history talks and programs are required to be signed up as an NPS volunteer and adhere to park living history requirements. Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities, and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Email the park at e-mail us for more information.

17. Are there restrooms near Little Round Top?

• Permanent: The South End Guide Station along the Emmitsburg Road.

• Seasonal: the Little Round Top trailhead along Wheatfield Road, and near the Pennsylvania Memorial (Tour Stop 12)

• All restrooms are within 2.75 miles of the summit.