Horseshoe Bend National Military Park
On March 27, 1814, Major General Andrew Jackson ‘s army of 3,300 men attacked Chief Menawa’s 1,000 Red Stick Creek warriors fortified in a horseshoe shaped bend of the Tallapoosa River. Over 800 Red Sticks died that day. This battle ended the Creek War, resulted in a land cession of 23,000,000 acres to the United States and created a national hero of Andrew Jackson.
About 1.5 hours from Birmingham by car.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Admission is free. Interagency passes are not available for sale at this location. For more information on passes, see https://usparkpass.com For a list of sites that issue passes, see https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/pickup-pass-locations.htm
Hours
| Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Hours | Daily · 8:00AM - 5:00PM |
When to go
May draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Visit our newly renovated museum to learn more about the Muscogee (Creek) people who made Alabama their home for thousands of years. See the 23-minute park film to learn about events leading to the Creek War and the consequences still reverberating today.
No campgrounds, no webcams, no things to do or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
News
- “Memory and Meaning and the Creek War” ↗2026-07-13
DAVISTON, Ala. — Horseshoe Bend National Military Park is pleased to announce the academic symposium, “Memory and Meaning and the Creek War,” at Auburn University on Aug. 22. Offered in collaboration with Auburn…
- Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Volunteer for Living History Program ↗2026-06-11
DAVISTON, Ala. — Horseshoe Bend National Military Park is excited to offer the opportunity for anyone with a strong interest in history to join the Horseshoe Bend Living History Program.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- County Line Baptist ChurchBuilding · Dudleyville Vicinity · 9.3 mi
- A. J. and Emma E. Thomas Coley HouseBuilding · Alexander City · 12.6 mi
- Reuben Herzfeld HouseBuilding · Alexander City · 12.6 mi
- Wadley Railroad DepotBuilding · Wadley · 14.1 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Full checklist: 112 birds, 33 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · BLACK VULTURE · BROAD-WINGED HAWK · Barred Owl · Cooper's Hawk · Eastern Screech Owl · GREAT HORNED OWL · NORTHERN HARRIER · RED-SHOULDERED HAWK · RED-TAILED HAWK · TURKEY VULTURE
Waterfowl & wadersCOMMON LOON · GREAT BLUE HERON · GREAT EGRET · GREEN HERON · LITTLE BLUE HERON · Wood Duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsRING-BILLED GULL · SPOTTED SANDPIPER
Gamebirds & dovesMourning Dove · NORTHERN BOBWHITE · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER · Red-headed Woodpecker · YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
Also on the checklistACADIAN FLYCATCHER · AMERICAN CROW · AMERICAN REDSTART · AMERICAN ROBIN · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · BARN SWALLOW · BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER · BROWN THRASHER · BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH · Belted Kingfisher · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-headed Vireo · Brown-headed Cowbird · CAROLINA CHICKADEE · CAROLINA WREN · CEDAR WAXWING · CHIPPING SPARROW · CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW · Common Grackle · Common Yellowthroat · DARK-EYED JUNCO · EASTERN BLUEBIRD · EASTERN KINGBIRD · EASTERN PHOEBE · EASTERN TOWHEE · EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE · EVENING GROSBEAK · Eastern Meadowlark · European Starling · FOX SPARROW · Field Sparrow · Fish Crow · GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET · GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER · Gray Catbird · HERMIT THRUSH · Hooded Warbler · House Finch · House Wren · INDIGO BUNTING · KENTUCKY WARBLER · Least Flycatcher · Louisiana Waterthrush · NASHVILLE WARBLER · NORTHERN CARDINAL · NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD · NORTHERN PARULA · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · ORCHARD ORIOLE · PALM WARBLER · PINE SISKIN · PINE WARBLER · Prairie Warbler · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Finch · Purple Martin · RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Rusty Blackbird · SCARLET TANAGER · SUMMER TANAGER · Song Sparrow · Swainson's Warbler · Tufted Titmouse · Veery · WHITE-EYED VIREO · WOOD THRUSH · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-throated Sparrow · Winter Wren · Worm-eating Warbler · YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO · YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT · Yellow-rumped Warbler · Yellow-throated Vireo · Yellow-throated Warbler
Small mammalsAMERICAN BEAVER · COTTON MOUSE · EASTERN CHIPMUNK · EASTERN COTTONTAIL · EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL · EASTERN HARVEST MOUSE · EASTERN MOLE · EASTERN WOODRAT · GOLDEN MOUSE · HISPID COTTON RAT · LEAST SHREW · MUSKRAT · NORTHERN SHORT-TAILED SHREW · SOUTHEASTERN SHREW · WOODLAND VOLE · White-footed Deermouse
PredatorsBOBCAT · COMMON GRAY FOX · COMMON RACCOON · COYOTE · Common Otter · RED FOX · STRIPED SKUNK
Hoofed mammalsDomestic Horse · WHITE-TAILED DEER
BatsEASTERN RED BAT · EVENING BAT
Also on the checklistFERAL CAT · FERAL DOG · Marsh Oryzomys · NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO · VIRGINIA OPOSSUM · WOODCHUCK
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 34 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Summers can be extremely hot and humid and winters can be damp, wet, and cold, with occasional hard freezes. During the summer season visitors should dress in light, comfortable clothing, wear comfortable shoes and use sunscreen and insect repellant. Stay hydrated to avoid risk of heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke. A bottle refill station is available in the visitor center. In the spring and fall visitors should have a light jacket available as temperatures can drop suddenly.
Questions people ask
Does Horseshoe Bend charge an entrance fee?
No. Horseshoe Bend is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Horseshoe Bend?
Standard hours are 8:00AM - 5:00PM, every day.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Horseshoe Bend?
50,738 recreation visits in 2025, number 264 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Horseshoe Bend?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE. No reported coverage for AT&T and T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Horseshoe Bend?
Summers can be extremely hot and humid and winters can be damp, wet, and cold, with occasional hard freezes. During the summer season visitors should dress in light, comfortable clothing, wear comfortable shoes and use sunscreen and insect repellant.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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