north anna battlefield park

The North Anna Battlefield state park is tucked away off Rt. 1 near Ashland, VA. It's not a huge National Park but it contains a lot of history. The park trails basically parallel the existing 150 year old pristine Confederate trenches that are still there which is amazing in itself. You can see General Lee's famous "Inverted V" formation - it is still there! The park trails are well marked and have signs posted describing the battle action. The signs are very informative and in fact this park has very good signage. This park is a gem and I am glad that the state of VA, Civil War Trust and other groups could preserve it forever. I still can't believe that these trenches have survived for over 150 years. The park is about 25-30 miles south of Spotsylvania NP so you can drop in on the way to Richmond. There are two trails: Blue and Gray. We hiked the Gray trail which is shorter and easier. I think we spent about two hours hiking. We needed more time to hike the blue trail but it was getting dark. So if you want to hike both trails allocate at least 3-4 hours. I really enjoyed this little park.

I visited the park to enjoy the trails in the beautiful autumn weather. It was peaceful and quite beautiful. The slope down to the river is steep, but it was worth it. If you skip that, the trail is perfect for any age and fitness level.

The North Anna Battlefield is a State run park which provides an opportunity to walk the battlefield from the perspective of both the Federal and Confederate armies. Finding the park shouldn't be a problem as it is listed in a GPD device and is located off of I-95. There is a parking lot located at the base of the entrance to the hiking trails. You will go along a driveway and pass a house to it. I was there on the first day of the 150th anniversary of the battle and they were in the process of setting up their celebrations for the next day, so there was a lot of activity.There are two trails, a grey and blue route with various stops along each one. Curiously they did not have any brochures in the box which you would've thought that there would be given the occasion. At the base of the trail is a two-sided sign explaining the battle in general. The battle of North Anna was the third battle in the Overland Campaign of the Federal Army's push towards Richmond. Of the two trails, the grey route is the only one currently with interpretive signs and describes the battle from a Confederate perspective. There are 10 stops on the grey trail and there are directional signs along the way to guide you to each one. You will backtrack some, but the trail is easy to navigate without a trail map. You are able to get a good perspective of the battle by reading the signs and looking at the terrain simultaneously.The blue trail starts end ends at the grey trail stop #9. They have not completed the blue trail and there are no signs at the 13 stops yet, only a small one that state it is the future stop for that respective number. You can still walk the trail which is still worth it as long as you do the grey one first. Since you will have read the signs from the Confederate perspective you can use it while you walk the grounds from the Federal side of the battlefield. The blue trail also takes you down to the river where you get some good views. Once they finish the trail, which looks like it will be awhile, this battlefield park will be one of the better ones to visit.While the woods have grown up significantly throughout the park, you still can get an appreciation of the terrain. There are some remaining trenches along the trails that show how the war progressed from its beginning back in 1861. If you take the blue trail you will pass a clearing where you can get a glimpse of what it was like. If you are interested in history and looking for something to do in the Fredericksburg/Richmond area, I would highly recommend the North Anna Battlefield Park.

Just off I-95 and not over used. Great place to take a brake, while driving and see some history. The day I walked, I only meet two other folks walking. A carry in & carry it out park, no services in the area.

Typical Civil War battlefield. Enjoyed visiting but really just another site. I equate them to all the others we visited as just mundane.