I will never not recommend a national park. I've been to a few dozen but never a depot so it was an interesting perspective. The rangers are knowledgeable and played the movie for us. The trails are well marked and the signs are well maintained. The reproduction barracks is a nice touch although it seems roomy for the time. read more

Camp Nelson National Monument - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Nicholasville, Kentucky

Camp Nelson, Bob, Emily and Milly So much history here, and the promise of freedom serves. Inlisting US military, Blackman opportunities, ring the chains of bondage in a fight for the civil rights many signed up and joined, and then they were able to bring their families as well to live, get jobs as well as a education. THE HIKE IS GOOD,so is the history. I WOULD RECOMMEND read more

Camp Nelson National Monument - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Nicholasville, Kentucky

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I will definitely be coming back here once the visitor center reopens (closed currently due to COVID). I didn't know that this existed until I was trying to find directions to get to the nature preserve. We walked around a bit but there would be so much more to see once the tours resume. There is a visitor center with an interpretive museum as well as a house that has civil war graffiti. Camp Nelson was used during the civil war as part Union supply depot and part recruitment/training facilities for African American soldiers. I learned today that Kentucky didn't ratify the 13th amendment until the 1970s. I'm not sure if I ever knew this. There are several miles of trails and interpretive signs. We only walked about a mile but there was a lot to see and read. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on the National park website to see when Camp Nelson fully opens. I definitely visit again. read more

Camp Nelson National Monument - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Nicholasville, Kentucky

This site is a national park, but not one that charges a fee as far as I could tell. Even on a beautiful weekend day, it was not busy, and most of the people there seemed to be walking their dogs. A small parking lot and visitor center are at the entrance, with a room of exhibits explaining the history of the place as a military hospital and a refuge for formerly enslaved people fleeing the Confederate South (whether or not Kentucky counts as South is an interesting question to which I do not have a comprehensive answer). Most of the site, however, is a set of fields with earthworks that were once a fort and some signage explaining the history. The bulk of it is a loop around a very Bluegrass countryside. Wandering to the hilly part yielded some nice views over a very deep gorge, but also a ton of spider webs and a dead end. I wouldn't venture there after any rain, as it is likely to be slippery and even more buggy. When it's dry, the occasional clink of limestone pebbles getting knocked down the hill reminds you you're in Kentucky. On the whole, not a major must-see destination, but a nice place to drop by. You can spend a couple of hours on the trails if you do the full park. read more

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