Kennesaw Mountain is such a great spot for families, history lovers, and anyone who enjoys the outdoors! There are both paved and natural trails, so you can choose your adventure depending on how easy or challenging you want the hike to be. Along the way, you'll come across really interesting Civil War landmarks and historic markers that make the hike feel like stepping back in time. It's also very family-friendly and dog-friendly! I was able to hike it with my 4-year-old daughter walking beside me and my 1.5-year-old on my back, and we all had a blast. The views at the top are so worth it, and the whole mountain is filled with a sense of history and beauty. If you're looking for a hike that blends nature, family fun, and historic charm, Kennesaw Mountain is definitely worth the visit. read more

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This was my 2nd hike at Kennesaw Mt but my first time hiking to the top (vs around). PERFECT balance of incline and flat surfaces. BEAUTIFUL views - I can't wait to visit again in the spring - and well cleared route. We started around 9am and the trail was already well populated. Other hikers and runners were courteous. This hike is definitely on my repeat list. read more

Such a gorgeous park! Plenty of trails (of varying length & difficulty), parking & a great way to see wildlife as well!

Super nice. Lived in Atlanta area for many years and never came here. Finally decided to swing through. Walked on a little trail and it was cool. Very nice day in November. Lots of history in the small museum as well. read more

Kennesaw Mountain - Parks Near Me - Kennesaw, Georgia

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Favorite mountain in the metro Atlanta area. Beautiful scenery. Very peaceful. Parking is small but there is extra parking a 2/3 min walk away, which is okay. Gives you time to get more exercise in and see more scenery. read more

Kennesaw Mountain - Parks Near Me - Kennesaw, Georgia

Perfect place for a hike! Love the views. Easy access, Parking at the top of the mountain and an over flow parking lot near by. Several different trails if you don't want to climb the mountain! read more

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Very cool park to remember this Civil War Battlefield. This is definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. I find it so fascinating to visit these historic places, places where history was defined and today is a marked difference to the bloody battle that happened upon this site. Again, I would definitely recommend visiting this place. I give it five stars overall. read more

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The mountain is a site for hiking, though one can also drive to the top. The visitor center at the bottom holds plenty of history, and people down here really care about the details of the Civil War. I mean, from my perspective, it was basically taught as: bad guys declare war, Lincoln makes speech, good guys win, but here a couple was searching for a specific medal on display, which they had somehow found a picture of in advance and were searching all the exhibits to match what they found online. I could not for the life of me figure out what was so important about it, but it is not uncommon around here to see people really invested in minute details of local history. I picked a rainy day to try and hike up the mountain, and while the leaves that still remained on the autumn trees offered decent protection from light rain, I had time to get only halfway up. Nonetheless, it's quite pretty, and the elevation makes for a considerable workout. And despite the rain, it was crowded; I have no doubt that the satellite parking lots called out by various signs are necessary at peak times. This is a national park area, and as with most such sites just buying the pass for all national parks is likely to be a better deal than spending on this one in particular. Just put your card on the dashboard before you set out. read more

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I think that sometimes we can take for granted the gems in our own back yard. I really enjoy being outdoors. If I could hike daily- I would. When I go on vacation I try to plan at least one hike into my itinerary if one is available. However, I can take a quick 15-20 min drive and be at Kennesaw mountain. I have been to this mountain several times. Last weeeknd a friend talked me into doing some trail running at this mountain and walk to the top of the mountain. I arrived at the visitors center parking lot around 7:30am. The lot was already at capacity. Lucky for me, she had another parking spot waiting on me. The park has a number of smaller lots. The one we parked at is about a mile or so from the visitors center. Please note that wherever you park you will need to pay $5 per day or purchase an annual pass for $40. I am not sure of the name of the trail that we ran. As noted above , it was about a mile run to the visitors center. The trail was amazing. It is clear that it is well taken care of. There are small bridges, they look new, as well as benches throughout the trail. I am not a runner, but after this run- I purchased trail running shoes and am excited to return every Saturday. It is a great way to diversify cardio workouts! The visitors center also houses restrooms and water fountains. The restrooms were stocked with toilet paper and paper towels! Again, this place is taken care of!! The hike to the top of the mountain is not easy, but also not extremely challenging. I am not going to lie- it is a decent incline for the majority of the journey. Take your time- you can do it!!! If you are in the area I strongly suggest checking out Kennesaw Mountain! It's a great place to enjoy the beauty of nature! read more

This is a fantastic site just north of Atlanta. Great hiking with lots of history, including civil war era cannons and artifacts. And spectacular views of Atlanta in the distance. The trails are easy to moderate in difficulty, that most people can complete. read more

The views are so gorgeous. It is a very good place to visit especially if you're from out of town. It has a truck or car access to drive to the top of the mountain or you could actually hike it, which is pretty cool. They also have multiple different hiking trails as well. read more

Came here to learn more about the Civil War with my kids. This place has so much information to read and relics to see. It's very interesting and you can spend hours here. There's a gift shop and when I visit places, I buy an ornament for my Christmas tree. There are benches outside if you want to sit and look at the scenery. It was peaceful when we were there. There's also hiking trails. We took a short trail up a hill and back. There is plenty of parking. read more

Kennesaw Mountain - Parks Near Me - Kennesaw, Georgia

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I never have sought out or studied civil war history or even been this close to the "action". So I felt compelled to check out this famous civil war battleground while in the area. The Historical Park itself is spread out in a long snake fashion like a golf course. There are a lot of trails through the woods and well-marked and documented battle sites. It was raining and I want interested in hiking the trails. So, I drove to the top of the mountain for a look. Once on top, it's taller than it looks. The mountain top, provides great views of the area and I could see downtown Atlanta, although obscrued by the rain. It's really hard to imagine a battle going on up here but it did. Seems kind of silly now that your enemy is on a hill and you have to take him out. What? These places always ignite introspection for me and I enjoyed the visit. A nice fall or spring day would be perfect to explore the entire battlefield area and think about what was. Definite Go! read more

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We went to this national park as a family of 4 with our grandparents on a Saturday morning. The main parking for the visitor Center was small and crowded. So watch for signs for additional parking which you have to go past the signal. The visitor Center was packed with history of the place and the folks were very helpful. There is a restroom inside this space. We started out hike just behind the visitor complex and we mistakenly took the tougher route. If you are new to hiking and it is first time like us after a long time I would recommend to take the left route on the fork. Would be much easier climb. Our whole family enjoyed the hike and loved every bit of it definitely recommend the visit. There is a $5 parking pass you need to pay when you visit. read more

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Great place to go hiking, I do it often but I must admit that now that parking is being charged. I feel like more can be done to make access to park more accessible. The public safety always comes first this should have a sidewalk it could be fixed it is extremely dangerous with older people/Small children being that it's a blind drive read more

This is a great park! Kennesaw Mountain park is primarily used as a fitness area with great set of trails divided into three sections (northern, central, and southern). You can pick up all three maps at the visitor center. Let's not forget the great visitor center. It has nice display of the civil war battle that took place here. Spoiler alert: Most of the battle took place at Kolb's Farm and Pigeon Hill which are part of the park, the mountain itself saw relatively little action during the battle. Most folks skip the visitor center but it is worth spending several hours there. My group of seven strong hikers started our hike at the visitor center and went over Big Kennesaw and Little Kennesaw mountain to Burnt Hickory Road and back OVER the two mountains to the visitor center. That is slightly more than six miles, but the elevation got our heart rate up. Various markers along the trail indicate were confederate and union troops were during the battle. Lots of rocks and roots on the trails. Afterwards we went to close by Panera Bread for lunch (see my separate review on that). We usually hike here several times a quarter as it is so well maintained. The mountain road is closed to traffic on weekends and is hike-able, but we prefer the trails in the woods. The main parking lot is small so we usually just park at the huge overflow lot and walk the short distance to the visitor center. Nominal charge for parking. Definitely worth a trip for the history of this civil war battle, and worth a trip for a beautiful walk on the many trails here. read more

My husband and I love hiking and are so fortunate to live 15 minutes away from Kennesaw Mountain. We go hiking here fairly often, and we always park and start at the visitor's center. Although there are many other trails and starting options. We always hike to the top of the mountain, and it's about 1 hour to 1.5 hours round trip, depending how long you stop to admire the view at the top. I'd say it's a moderate hike - parts are easy, but other parts I'm out of breath. It's great for a bit of exercise! The view at the top is very pretty, and you can also see the Atlanta skyline, as well as downtown Marietta, which is cool! We have also seen deer on several occasions. It's part of the US National Park Service, so you do have to pay to park. It's $5 for one day, $40 for an annual pass to this park only, or $80 for an annual pass to any National Park. read more

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I can't remember last I went to Kennesaw Mountain. When I was in high school? What a mistake. It's the perfect outing, especially in the time of covid. After the weekly Sunday phone calls with children, we headed to Kennesaw. On a Sunday with no traffic, it's much quicker than you think. We hiked up the mountain road -- closed to traffic on weekends -- in order to avoid the crowd of hikers on the relatively narrow trails. The view is great and while this hike won't challenge serious hikers, we aired out our lungs and pushed our legs enough that I'm sore this morning. Hats off to the handful of people who jogged up and back. And to the dad pushing a stroller. The Civil War relics are interesting but not explained particularly well. They assume a knowledge of the Civil War that the general public does not have. There are also markers noting where various Union and Confederate regiments were staged, but it's hard to imagine that it would interest anyone but a hard-core Civil War buff that so and so's regiment of so and so's brigade of the such-and-such army fought at a particular spot. The attraction is the walk itself -- outdoors, enjoying the company of your sweetie. Hints: 1. Bring snacks. 2. Be sure to use the restroom in the visitors center before you head up the mountain. 3. This National Battlefield Park has now been surrounded by the Atlanta suburbs. Loads of people use it. We had to park at the overflow parking lot. read more

The highest point in the Atlanta metro area with the summit elevation 1,808 feet. The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought in 1864 during the Civil War resulting in the Confederate victory. With 2,965 acres, the mountain offers a great hiking trail. It is a 1.1 mile moderate hike to the top with a nice view of downtown Atlanta and the surrounding cities. A restroom is available in the visitor center. It was a great outdoor activity with the family. read more

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Kennesaw Mountain The name "Kennesaw" derives from the Cherokee Indian "Gah-nee-sah" meaning "cemetery" or burial ground. The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, fought between Generals William Tecumseh Sherman (Union) and Joseph E. Johnston (Confederate), took place on June 27, 1864. The Union army consisted of 99,000 men and the Confederates only at 50,000. The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was the last major frontal assault Union commander William T. Sherman ordered during the American Civil War. There was around 3,000 Yankee casualties compared to 1,000 Rebel casualties, which resulted in a Confederate victory; however, the battle failed to deliver the result that the Confederacy needed--a halt to Sherman's advance on Atlanta. On September 2, Sherman reached Atlanta and telegraphed President Lincoln, "Atlanta is ours, and fairly won." This was one of the key factors enabling Lincoln's reelection in November. read more

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This hike is a great workout. The altitude makes your lungs really work for getting to the top. However, the view at the top is all the motivation you need to get kicked into gear. Please note, some people have on masks and others don't. If this makes you uncomfortable I would hold back on visiting for a few months until the Covid cases decrease. There is parking for the mountain in front of the visitors center but it's usually full. They also have overflow parking which gets full fast too but I've always eventually found a spot. read more

Kennesaw Mountain - Views from side of mountain - Parks Near Me - Kennesaw, Georgia

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Kennesaw is a great park that have several trails. Get there early as it seems to also be popular. Going up the mountain is pretty tiring, but it's beautiful once you make it to the top. read more

Kennesaw Mountain - Overlooking Atlanta at Kennesaw Mountain - Parks Near Me - Kennesaw, Georgia

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We go here often. Went last Saturday and it was packed. Took some adult family members along and we huffed it up the road this time. Took some breaks along the way. Got a great workout at an important historical site. Definitely pay for parking or you will get ticketed. Do not chance it. read more

There are places worth going once to check it off the list, and those worth a return trip. Still fewer unlock new discoveries the longer you spend. Take your first or hundredth trip to the Mountain where scenery meets history. First off, unless you walk or bike in, you'll need to park. Good luck in the main lot if it's not raining or 8 am in January. So drop of any feeble members of the party at the visitor's center and head for overflow. New in 2020 is that $5/car parking fee. It's unavoidable for any lots but since the park is free not too bad. First-timers head for the visitor center, open until 5, or just start the trek upward. You have two choices to the top by foot: paved/longer/flatter or trail/shorter/steeper. Pick your poison; we typically do trail-up, road-down. It's 1+ mile up the trail, so a nice stroll will put you to the upper lot in 30-45 mins. Note: take the paid shuttle if you're not into the hike. Stop and admire the upper lot view, then head up the stairs for the remaining hike to tip-top. Pause briefly to throw a football down to your kid in the lot below, then make your way past the cannons trying to resist not climbing. Check out the historic signs and admire the Atlanta skyline that taunts Sherman's best efforts to keep the ATL down. Shuffle on where the trail eventually meets the road or vice-versa. Along the way you'll pass a few trails that head toward exotic locations like Cheatham Hill and Kolb Farm. Remembering all those who died in these fields, respect the areas where no playing/picnicing is allowed. You'll have plenty of places to roam for these activities across the 2965 acres that make up Kennesaw Mountain NP. For all those guaranteed return visits, explore the miles of trails that will take many days to complete if you decide to hit them all. Enter at Burnt Hickory or Whitlock for other trails, maybe take your horses too. Look out for me when you're there--I'll probably wave. read more

Kennesaw Mountain - Bike Share - Old Hwy 41 Overflow Lot - Parks Near Me - Kennesaw, Georgia

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Beautiful area! Great viewing. Easy to get up and down, great family outing. Definitely recommend going in the fall

YOU WILL HURT AFTER THIS HIKE!! Especially if you go up the mountain, they have different trails but I decided to go up the mountain and boy oh boy did I have regrets after a few minutes but I saw it through and climbed to the top. It is a cute view and there is a little concession stand near the top. Going down was so much easier but gravity tried taking me out a couple of times but I made it. You have to pay $5 for parking and PLEASE PAY because they are checking and writing up tickets at each parking area around the mountain so be prepared. There is historic things to look at on the way up but I was too tired and sweating to stop and read things. read more

Great Hiking Trail, great incline. My best friend took me here for the first time and it's definitely worth it. Took us about an hour to do the whole trail, the trail is primarily covered with trees at the top. Bring your bug spray & water!!! read more

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This is a great way to get exercise and enjoy nature. There is free parking and you have a few different options as far as trails. We went up the mountain but you can also go the paved road route it you have a stroller or try alternate trails around the mountain which are pretty flat. You will definitely see wildlife on your journey. Mainly deer and squirrels but they typically keep to themselves. read more

Kennesaw Mountain - Mountain - Parks Near Me - Kennesaw, Georgia

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Absolutely amazing. You need many days to visit it. We only intended to stay 30 minutes. Started at noon and finished at 3 pm. The section we walked is paved. Plenty of areas to see. Great place to relax and meditate. This time of year you can go in warm ups or shorts. Nice place to walk with friends read more

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I love having Kennesaw mountain in my backyard. I go here often and it never gets old (well trying to find parking does but...anyhoot). There are tons of trails and wildlife and shade (thank goodness for shade). Excellent for a stroll, nature walk, or exercise. Take your pick! It does get BUSY however! Especially on a nice day. Don't count on getting parking near the welcome center (it's possible though) so be prepared for a small hike TO the mountain if you have to park down the road. This is TOTALLY different than Stone mountain by the way...with lots of trees and woods. Excellent views from the top and on the way back down! read more

Kennesaw Mountain - Parks Near Me - Kennesaw, Georgia

It's not a business. This is hallowed ground left to us from those who fought a Civil War battle here. We got here and watched the film describing what happened here and why. Peter Coyote is a fantastic commentator!! The museum is very well done. Staff is very knowledgeable. We hope to take the tour to the top of the mountain tomorrow. read more

People died on this mountain. It was once drenched in blood, but there are no haunted feelings of paranormal activity going on here. There's this old NPC volunteer dude who walks around with a stick asking if you bought a parking pass. I never once had to pay to come here for all these years, but it's nice that they're enforcing it now to keep the maintenance up. read more

Of the 26 Civil War battlefields I've been to, this one is the worst. First when I got to the visitor center there was barely any parking left even thought it was a Thursday morning. The museum was good i'll admit if not a little small. Then when I asked the park ranger which hikes had the most history she said the hike up the mountain, which is bs because most of the fighting was not in that area. Then there were the tour stops: Tour Stop 2 Kennesaw Mountain: I drove up the Mountain and while I was driving up people were using the road as a "trail" even though there is a perfectly good trail up the mountain. The people going on the road did not care about cars and were not even paying attention to them, blocking the road. The top was also filled with people who didn't even care about the history, some not even seeming to be able to speak English. Tour Stop 3 24 Gun Battery: The parking for this tour stop was tiny and already filled up with hikers cars. There was no signage indicating the stop at road (which will be a common theme) the only signs I saw that had 24 Gun Battery on it were about 0.25 miles into the trail. Tour Stop 4 Pidgeon Hill: The parking area actually had a sign that said "Pidgeon Hill Parking" and was halfway filled with cars. The actual hill could've used more historical signs and more signage indicating where it was. Overall a mid stop. Tour Stop 5 Cheatham Hill/Illinois Monument: Had enough signage to be able to get there easily. Was actually secluded and had very few people there, and had historical signage. Best area of the park by far for people who love history. Tour Stop 6 Thomas Headquarters: Had no signage for the parking lot, filled with cars for hikers who either wanted to start hiking there or use the picnic area. The stop was just a sign in the opposite corner of the picnic area at start of a short trail with no signage at the start of the trail. Tour Stop 7 Kolb Farm: Had signage to it and was secluded from hikers. Another good place for history lovers. Overall Kennesaw Mountain is a glorified hiking park, which is filled up with Atlantans who do not care about the history. I would not recommend any history buffs to go there during good weather or the weekend, it will be filled with hikers. This battlefield can probably be at least ok without people. I am only giving this place a one star for Cheatham Hill. If you want to go to a battlefield that is not like this, go to one that is hard to get to, like if its not near a large city. The Richmond Battlefields surprisingly do not really have this problem. Stones River and Rock Creek Park do because they are near a metropolitan area. I think every history buffs should be here just for the historical significance, but they probably won't enjoy it. For the hikers from Atlanta, I fucking despise every single one of you, you all are disrespecting the people who fought here by hiking without caring for the history, especially for the African American who disrespect the people who fought for your freedom. Y'all can go to Chattahoochee or Stone Mountain to hike, you don't need to hike here. read more

We stayed overnight nearby so we decided to pay a quick short visit here before we got back on the road to complete our trip. This is a wonderful park and we will be sure to stop again when we might have more time. At the base of the mountain, the park entrance has a new interpretive center, museum, and numerous self-guided tour trails that document Union General William Tecumseh Sherman's "March to the Sea" during the Civil War. There is an incredible amount of history here. read more

Kennesaw Mountain - Artillery Cannon - Parks Near Me - Kennesaw, Georgia

This was a fun Saturday afternoon. My boyfriend and I were looking for something fun to do outdoors and had never been to the park before. First we went to the visitors center and spoke to some of the very helpful guides who suggested we check out the video in the theatre before venturing out. We did and it was very educational! There is also a small museum that was interesting as well. After spending some time in the gift shop we drove down to another area of the park and walked to the Illinois Memorial/Cheatham Hill/The Dead Angle. It was very cool to see. Lots of deer in the meadow! Overall there was a little more driving involved than I imagined but still a very educational trip. We'll be back later to check out more of the trails. read more

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Always a good time. Lots of variety in trails and scenery to either walk, run, or bike. After every time, I always say I need to go more often. read more

When my oldest son was about two I had the brilliant idea to come here and walk up the entire Kennesaw Mountain with him wrapped around me like some sort of blanket. Seriously, it probably was not the most brilliant ideas, but a memory that I will never forget. Fast forward to almost a decade later I decided to bring both of my sons here last month and we climbed Kennesaw Mountain together. They were not excited to walk up to (close to 5 miles roundtrip), but they loved the view at the top. I am glad that they have a food trailer on top that carries several sports drinks as they do not have drinking fountains at the top of the mountain. As you walk up one of the many trails on Kennesaw Mountain the views are just absolutely beautiful. The fresh clean air and the sounds of nature are simply stunning. One of my American History professors used to be one of the people who took part in the demonstrate Civil War military drilling and weapons firing. He was an expert with weapons and knew his cannons extremely well. Anyway, I highly recommend coming here. If you come here in the summer make sure you bring something to drink as you ascend up the mountain, or at least carry a credit card or cash so you can purchase something to drink at the top. Overall, this place is well worth the visit at least once. Make sure if you come during a holiday you get here early as the parking lots get full fairly quickly. [Review #609] (35th Review of 2019) (one more day until 2020!) read more

A lot to see we highly recommend Cheatham Hill. The staff at the visitor center were very helpful

Very cool trails and great view from the top. I was visiting on a work trip and try to check out local parks whenever possible. This is one I recommend if you are in the Atlanta area. read more

Who knew ATL had such beautiful mountainous views. The hike is about 0.9 miles of steady incline that'll make you break a good sweat in this Georgia heat . It's truly worth the nice view of downtown ATL from the top. Also if you can't walk it, you can drive to the top of the mountain & park. The park is nicely maintained & the trail is kept clear/well maintained. Well worth a hike & it stays pretty busy. read more

Kennesaw Mountain - We made it to the top of Kennesaw Mountain - Parks Near Me - Kennesaw, Georgia

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