Antietam Driving Tour: A National Battlefield Exploration
One of the great early battles of the Civil War, Antietam is a must-see visit for any National Park visitor. This site is one of the most well preserved and contained Civil War battlefields in the National Park Service. Its major role during the Civil War and the impact it had on our collective history definitely deserves a few hours of your time.
A great way to visit Antietam, especially if weather is not in your favor or if you are short on time, is to take the driving tour. While there are many hiking options, the driving tour gives you a great overview of the landscape, the actions that led up and were happening during the battle.
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Park Details
- Operating Hours: 9am – 5pm EST, Year Round
- Address: 5831 Dunker Church Rd., Sharpsburg, MD 21782
- Contact: 301-432-5124
- Entrance Fees: Yes, an Entrance Fee is Required
Visitor Center
Not surprisingly, the best place to start is at the visitor center. Newly dedicated in 2023, the building is well designed to set you in right direction for your visit. There are several things to do here before you head out on the driving tour.
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! This is found right at the entrance to the gift shop.
Antietam Battlefield Driving Tour Stops
- Stop 1 – Dunker Church: This was the target point for the union advance south on the morning of Sep 17, 1862.
- Stop 2 – North Woods: Poffenberger’s farm was the starting point of the Union advance by Hooker’s unit.
- Stop 3 – East Woods: The first infantry engagement occurred here on Sep 16, 1862, the day before the main battle.
- Stop 4 – The Cornfield: This 24-acre cornfield saw the most horrific parts of the battle and helped to make the battle the deadliest one-day engagement in US History.
- Stop 5 – West Woods: Over 2,200 union soldiers died or injured in 20 minutes trying to attack this area on the morning of the battle.
- Stop 6 – Mumma Farm: – Site where union artillery pushed back the advance of Gen. Breckinridge.
- Stop 7 – Sunken Road (Bloody Lane): Confederates held off union attacks for over 3 hours until the line collapsed back to Piper Farm.
- Stop 8 – Burnside Bridge: Confederates held this bridge for 3 hours against Burnsides who then crossed the creek pushing the confederates to Sharpsburg.
- Stop 9 – The Final Attack: Just as their lines began to break, the Confederates were reinforced by last minute arrival of forces from AP Hill’s division and pushed the Union back across Antietam Creek.
- Stop 10 – Antietam Cemetery: Originally, the artillery position for the Confederates, it was later used as a Union cemetery.
Interesting Fact: A Union solider found a copy of Lee’s battle plan (special order 191) wrapped in two cigars. This played a key role in the Union knowing the location and intentions of Lee’s army before the battle.
Antietam Driving Tour Map
Driving Tour Overview
The route starts from the visitor center and takes a route through the major parts of the battle. All along the driving route there are monuments and informational signs go much deeper than the ten-driving tour stops.
I will go through what you can expect at each of the driving tour stops, and some history as well.
Interesting Fact: Antietam was the first American battlefield that was photographed before the dead had been buried. Check out the stunning and surreal photography by Alexander Gardner.
1. Dunker Church
There are some small parking spots running along the road. You can go up into the building and read informational signs as well to get a view of the battlefield from that position.
Interesting fact: Built in 1852, as a place of worship for the German Baptist Brethren. The original structure was eventually torn down to the foundation. A local man kept all the original material in his barn and finally donated it to a local historical society. It was finally restored using the original material.
2. North Woods
Poffenberger’s farm is picturesque set of buildings. They are not open to the public but played a key role in supporting the wounded after the battle. A nice sized parking lot is along the road next to the farm which provides plenty of space.
Interesting Fact: There is a great monument to Clara Barton, the ‘angel of the battlefield’, who played a prominent part in helping the wounded of this battle. She eventually helped found the American Red Cross.
A trail head for the Cornfield Trail is located on the other side of the parking lot. You can hike through the North Woods and through the cornfield battlefield.
3. East Woods
Parallel parking is available at right after the turn onto Cornfield Avenue, on the right-hand side. They have done a nice job of setting the landscape and trees back to how it looked at the point in the battle. This was hotly contested over two days.
4. Cornfield
Here you will find a long parking lot along an open field, informational signs and monuments. Make sure to check out the informational sign and learn about the youngest congressional medal of honor winner, Johnny Cook, an artilleryman in Battery B who was only fifteen years old!
The Cornfield Avenue was not here during the battle and cuts through the middle of the battlefield. As you stand in the parking lot you can get a sense of how the deadly battle would unfold in the open field.
5. West Woods
On stop 5, you back track toward the visitor center but this time head off Hagerstown Pike, historic to the period, toward the west to a parking lot that circles around the tall Philadelpha Brigade monument.
6. Mumma Farm and Cemetery
The parking here is a little sparse and runs parallel along the road, and not as large as stop 1, 4 or 8. There is a small family cemetery here and you can get a nice view of the rebuilt farm.
Interesting Fact: Confederate soldiers deliberately burned the farm buildings (rebuilt by the family, who all escaped before the battle). The family tried for years to get compensation for the financial loss of their home.
7. Sunken Road (Bloody Lane) and Observation Tower
You can still see and walk down the trench line an get an idea of how effective a defensive rifle position this was.
You can drive further down and climb up an observation tower to get a bird’s eye view of the battlefield. The day was getting a little warm, and it felt nice and cool inside the shade of the tower.
8. Lower Bridge (Burnside bridge)
At this stop there is a general parking area and an overflow parking along a gravel road. It is one of the most popular locations affording the additional parking. Leaving the parking you are positioned on the hill where the Confederates were overlooking the bridge and the Union line.
There is a well paved walkway from the parking lot down a moderately steep decline to the bridge. You can walk across and read the informational signs and take in the view from the other side. You can continue on the Union Advance Trail, which is a short loop around this section of the battlefield.
Interesting fact: The large tree on the opposite site of the bridge is called the ‘Witness Tree’ as it was a small tree during the battle in 1862.
9. Final Attack
At the final attack stop #9, you head up a ridge and get a great view of the landscape and hills surrounding Sharpsburg. There is a small parking lot that you can use so you can take in the scenery and read the informational signs.
10. Antietam National Cemetery
To get to the final stop at the Antietam Cemetery, you will be driving through the town of Sharpsburg. You can take a right on a driveway to a small parking lot next to the cemetery, or there is a sizable parking lot on the left off main street past the cemetery. There is a clear walkway from this parking lot the Antietam cemetery.
Over 4,700 Union soldiers are interned here. Originally, this was to include soldiers from the North and the South. However, wounds were still fresh at the time, less than a few years from the end of the war, and lack of funds from Southern states prevented a consolidated cemetery.
The National Park Service has a map of the cemetery and provides a list of known dead that are interned. Unfortunately, over 38% of the remains are unknown.
Helpful Things to know for the Driving Tour
- Use the NPS app to get the audio guide to go along with the tour stops.
- The road is one way, so make note!
- Follow the blue signs with the white arrow. They are really simple to follow, but you have to pay attention.
- Read the informational signs for context.
- There are over 300 black roadside signs that were made by the war department in the 1890s. They are useful to find specific regiments.
Driving Tour FAQ
How long does it take to tour Antietam Battlefield?
I was surprised at how long this could take. Our visit took between 2-3 hours, completing the entire driving tour. We were traveling back home and were just going to ‘stop by’ and do the driving tour.
While we could have been faster, our daughter was completing the Jr. Ranger book, which took a bit of time. Definitely allot additional time if you are trying to complete this booklet, because you can easily get sucked into the history!
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 I bring my metal detector?
A big fat NO. 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 to use your Leave No Trace principles!
Can I bring my drone?
That would be a negative as well. All NPS sites forbid the use of drones.
Can you hike through the Battlefield?
Yes! There are several established hiking trails throughout this Battlefield Park that you can explore. Check out my article on the ten best hiking trails at Antietam for more information.
FAQ on the Battle
When did the Battle of Antietam take place?
The battle primarily occurred on one day, Sep 17, 1862, outside of Sharpsburg, Maryland.
What is the significance of the battle?
Antietam was the deadliest one-day battle in American history. It was also significant, in that it allowed Lincoln the ability to propose the Emancipation Proclamation from a position of Strength. It was also the beginning of the end for McClellan, as his timidity in committing his full force and for the delay in pursuing Lee’s forces into Virginia.
Why is it called the Battle of Antietam?
The Union name for the is derived from Antietam creek, which flows south next to the battlefield. The South referred to it as the Battle of Sharpsburg. (Civil War battles in the North were named after a prominent nearby feature, the South usually derived the names from the nearby town/city.)
How many soldiers fought in the battle?
Over 132,000 soldiers fought in the battle of Antietam, with 45,000 confederates under Robert E. Lee and over 87,000 from the union under George McClellan.
What was the casualty rate?
At the end of the day, there were over 22,700 casualties at the Battle of Antietam, the most in any one day. Over 12,400 were Union and over 10,300 were Confederate.
