10 Best Hiking Trails at Antietam National Battlefield
Antietam is a major battle of the American Civil War and is also one of the best-preserved battlefield sites. With this preservation comes a pretty extensive hiking trail system that you can use to get a ground level view of the battlefield.
If this is your first time visit to Antietam, check out our First Time Driving tour overview of the battlefield, as it is a great way to get a complete understanding of one of the most iconic battles of the American Civil War.
Table of Contents
Hiking Trails at Antietam National Battlefield
| Trail | Length |
|---|---|
| Antietam Remembered Trail | 0.35m |
| Bloody Lane Trail | 1.82m |
| Three Farms Trail | 1.90m |
| West Wood Trail | 0.90m |
| Cornfield Trail | 1.95m |
| Tidball Trail | 0.76m |
| Sherricks Farm Trail | 1.80m |
| Union Advance Trail | 1.0m |
| Snavelys Ford Trail | 1.93m |
| Final Attack Trail | 1.79m |
One thing to keep in mind with these trails is there are a number of connectors and off shoots, that allow you to shorten or lengthen your hike. For example, the Cornfield trail has an inner loop, but you can also make a lager loop by taking a trail through the East Woods.
This makes providing distances a bit subjective, so keep this in mind. While the list provided provides the primary route, consult the trail map to adjust your route based on your needs.
Antietam National Battlefield Hiking Trail Map
Antietam Hiking Trail Details
Below I have detailed ten hiking trails at Antietam National Park. I have also listed all these Antietam hikes on the Alltrails app so you can check them out in more detail.
Antietam Remembered Trail
- Distance: 0.35m
- Type: Paved sidewalk Loop
- Difficulty: Easy
- Locations: Visitor Center, Dunker Church
- Information: This is a very short loop trail that starts and ends at the visitor center. It is primarily on a paved sidewalk and takes you close to Dunker church and several of the larger monuments on the battlefield
Bloody Lane Trail
- Distance: 1.82m, Elevation gain 144ft
- Type: Loop
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Locations: Visitor Center, Bloody Lane, Observation Tower
- Information: This substantial loop trail starts and ends at the visitor center. It takes you to one of the bloodiest locations on the battlefield. You walk along the Confederate rifle positions on sunken road, renamed ‘bloody lane’ after the battle. Make sure to heed up the observation tower as well for a great view of the site. There is a connector to the Three Farms Trail, which can make this a loop trail.
Three Farms Trail
- Distance: 1.90m, Elevation gain 72ft
- Type: Single line
- Difficulty: Easy/moderate
- Locations: Visitor Center, Mumma Farm, Roulette Farm, Parks Farm
- Information: Another significant trail that starts at the visitor center and ends at a parking lot on Boonsboro Road (via Tidball Trail). This route takes you to the Mumma farm, where you can visit the small family cemetery, Roulette Farm and along the back part of the park to Boonsboro Farm. You can continue on to connect with Sherrick Farm Trail to extend the hike, or you can also connect to the Bloody Lane Trail as well.
West Wood Trail
- Distance: 0.90m, Elevation gain 62ft
- Type: Loop Trail
- Difficulty: Easy/moderate
- Locations: West Woods, Dunker Church
- Information: This loop hiking trail takes you from Dunker Church and through the battlefield of the West Wood. It crosses by the parking lot of stop 5 of the driving route.
Cornfield Trail
- Distance: 1.95 m, Elevation gain 95 ft
- Type: Loop Trail
- Difficulty: Easy/moderate
- Locations: Cornfield, East Wood, Poffenberger’s farm
- Information: A major trail that gives you an amazing sense of the battlefield, the cornfield trail has a trail head on at the parking lot of the Proffenberger Farm. It takes you south and as you walk, gives you a sense of the Union Soldier’s view as they marched toward the Confederate positions. You can take a longer route that rounds you through the East woods where the earliest engagements of the battle took place.
Tidball Trail
- Distance: 0.76 m, Elevation gain 102ft
- Type: Out and Back
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Locations: Newcomer Farm, Boonsboro Pike
- Information: A short up and back hike starting at the Robert E Lee monument up a hill overlooking the battlefield. Located at the parking lot on Boonsboro Pike near Newcomer Farm. It has a connector to the Three Farms Trail for a longer hike.
Sherrick Farm Trail
- Distance: 1.80 m, Elevation gain 40ft
- Type: Out and Back
- Difficulty: moderate
- Locations: Sherrick’s farm
- Information: Trail head is at the parking lot on the corner of Rodman Ave and Boonsboro Pike and is an out and back to Burnside bridge road. You can continue on to the union advance trail to lengthen the hike. There is a connector north that connects with the Three Farm trail, as well.
Union Advance Trail
- Distance: 1 mile, Elevation gain 127ft
- Type: Loop Trail
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Locations: Burnside Bridge
- Information: A shorter loop trail that takes you through the Union position before their assault on the Burnside Bridge. Has hills and a number of monuments and signs. The trail takes you by the original bridge. Look for the witness tree on the bank of the river next to the bridge.
Snavelys Ford Trail
- Distance: 1.93, Elevation gain 144ft
- Type: Loop Trail
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Locations: Stop 8 of Driving tour, Antietam creek
- Information: This loop trail connects with the small walkway that goes from the top of the hill over burnside bridge and takes a scenic walk along Antietam creek. There is a connector trail that links up with the Final Attack trail.
Final Attack Trail
- Distance: 1.79, Elevation gain 151ft
- Type: Loop Trail
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Locations: Hawkins Zouaves Monument., Stop 8 and 9 of driving tour, Branch Ave
- Information: A decent elevation hike that curves through the final attack, where the Confederate General AP Hill help avoid a major loss of Lee’s forces during his retreat. There is a connector trail to the Snavely Ford trail. You can also cross Branch Ave to visit the Hawkins Zouaves Monument.
Please remember to follow Leave No Trace principles when hiking in Antietam National Battlefield. Note, that being respectful is more than just not littering. Being respectful and courteous to other visitors by not playing music and keeping a respectful volume during your visit is also important. Remember to others want to appreciate their visit as well.
Visitor Center
It would be a huge oversight not to mention the Park’s visitor center, which is at the heart of the battlefield. Newly refurbished in 2023, there are several things to do here before you head out on a hike.
Front Desk: Check in here and pay your entrance fee, get your park brochure and asked the well-informed rangers any questions you may have.
Overview Movie: A 25-minute movie plays on a loop in the theatre, which provides a great overview of the battle and its place in the Civil War.
Exhibits: Head downstairs to the small exhibit rooms to get a more hands on view of the artifacts and impacts of the battle. On our visit they had some key displays empty due to a water leak, which was disappointing.
Observation room: Going upstairs you will see an open room with seats that provide a full expansive view of the battlefield. Markers on the ceiling help guide you on where key parts of the battle are located.
Gift Shop: The driving tour does not end close the visitor center, so be sure to make any purchases before your tour. Also, don’t forget to get your National Park Passport Stamp! The stamping station can be found right at the entrance to the gift shop.
Questions
Is there an Entrance Fee to Antietam National Battlefield?
Yes, you do need to pay to visit the battlefield. You can pay at the front desk or show your America the Beautiful annual pass. Don’t forget to pick up the park brochure.
Can you driver through Antietam Battlefield?
Yes! There is a driving tour if you are short on time or are not interested in hiking the battlefield. The ten-stop tour takes your through the major parts of the battle and gives a great overview. You can take as little or as much time as you want at each location. Check out our Antietam Driving Tour article for more information.
Can I bring my metal detector?
If you have any experience with visiting National Parks, it should not be a surprise to hear that using a metal detector is absolutely not allowed. Searching for artifacts is not permitted. Any items/artifacts you may stumble across should be reported to a park ranger and left where you found it. Remember your Leave No Trace principles!
Can I bring my drone?
All NPS sites forbid the use of drones. So, I would keep it packed up during your visit.
Other Civil War Battlefields Worth Visiting
- Gettysburg: One of the iconic battlefields of the Civil War and a turning point in the war. This is a must see for any Civil War Battlefield list.
- Stones River: A lesser-known battle, but a pivotal one for the Union army’s move toward Atlanta. Check out our driving tour guide of Stones River for more information.
- Petersburg: The Siege of Petersburg was the longest siege in American warfare at nine months, cutting off the vital railroad lines to Richmond was a key part of the Union’s strategy to end the war.
- Kennesaw: One of the more significant battles of the Atlanta campaign, check out my visit to Kennesaw National Battlefield in this article.
