Central Virginia was a major battleground in the Civil War.  The National Park Service owns and manages several National Battlefield parks in our region which preserve the sites of major Civil War battles.  These parks protect artifacts of the battles such as fieldworks, gun emplacements, buildings, and other remaining traces of the war.  They also offer museums and interpretive markers to describe the battles, and allow visitors to walk the battlefield and relive the battle action.  These parks include multiple battlefield sites spanning multiple phases of the conflict and covering wide swathes of the Central Virginia area.  History buffs could spend days visiting the various sites and learning the complicated history of the war.

For hikers and nature lovers, these parks have the added benefit of preserving the battlefield and parts of its surrounding natural environments.   While some park sites are too small in size for anything than a short walk, others offer extended hikes through fields and wooded areas.  We have included some of these hikes in our guides, and the combination of historic importance and natural habitats can be very enjoyable.  Note that the Battlefield Parks restrict most recreational activities other than hiking and walking.  No entrance fees are charged, except for several special exhibits and museums.

While each battlefield is treated as a separate park in our guides, the Park Service manages groups of battlefields as part of a Battlefield Park comprising a large geographic area.  There are three primary Battlefield Parks in our area:

Richmond National Battlefield Park – This park includes 13 different sites in Richmond and the surrounding area.  The Malvern Hill and Cold Harbor parks are part of this conglomeration, and we have guided hikes for those areas.  To learn more, go here.

Petersburg National Battlefield – This park includes a number of sites in and around Petersburg.  We have hikes for the Five Forks and Eastern Front areas.  To learn more, go here.

Fredericksburg National Military Park – This park includes the battles in Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania.  We have hikes for three of these locations.  To learn more, go here.