Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is a 2,965 acre National Battlefield that preserves a Civil War battleground of the Atlanta Campaign. Opposing forces maneuvered and fought here from June 19, 1864 until July 2, 1864. Although most famous as a Civil War battlefield, Kennesaw Mountain has a much richer story.
About under an hour from Atlanta by car.
active
Alerts
- ClosureNPS ↗Kennesaw Mountain Dr. Closed to Private Vehicles, Limited Cycling Permitted
The road to the top of Kennesaw Mountain is now closed to private vehicles. Shuttle service to the top of the mountain is available 7 days a week for free, parking fees still apply. Cycling is now permitted to the top of the mountain in designated lane during designated hours. Cyclist Hours: Summer: 7:30–9:30 AM & 4:30–8:30 PM Winter: 7:30–9:30 AM & 4:30–6:30 PM
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleThe Daily Pass is valid for the date of purchase only. It admits all persons traveling in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van) and is non-transferable. This pass does NOT guarantee a parking spot. | $5 | |
| Per PersonThe Daily Pass is valid for the date of purchase only. It admits all walk-in visitors aged 16 and older. | $5 | |
| Education/Academic Groups | Free | |
| Commercial tours · by vehicle capacity | ||
| Motor Coach$100 Motor Coach/Commercial Tour Groups with 26 or more people | $100 | |
| Mini-bus$40 per passenger bus with 16-25 people | $40 | |
| Sedan$25 per passenger bus/sedan with 1-6 people | $25 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkThe Annual Pass is valid for one year from the month of purchase. It admits all persons traveling in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van) and is non-transferable. This pass does NOT guarantee a parking spot upon arrival. This can be purchased online, in our Visitor Center, or at any of our 5 Automated Fee Machines located in our major parking lots. | $40 | |
The daily entrance fee for Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is $5. This can be purchased online, in our Visitor Center, or at any of our five Automated Fee Machines located in our major parking lots. A valid debit/credit card will be needed as none of these locations accept cash.
Hours
| Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park | Daily · 6:30AM - 8:30PM |
| Cheatham Hill Parking Lot | Daily · 8:00AM - 7:30PM |
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 6:30AM - 8:30PM |
| Nov 6, 2026 to Mar 17, 2027Standard Time | 6:30AM - 6:30PM |
Cheatham Hill Parking Lot: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 8:00AM - 7:30PM |
| Nov 6, 2026 to Mar 13, 2027Standard Time | 8:00AM - 6:30PM |
When to go
September draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Visitor CenterPassport stamp
The Visitor Center at Kennesaw Mountain is located at 900 Kennesaw Mountain Dr. and is open Monday - Sunday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm except on major holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years).
Explore
Things to do
- View Park Film35-35 Minutes
Viewing the park film
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit The Park Bookstore10-60 Minutes
America's National Park's bookstore is a one-stop shop for information, historic literature, snacks, refreshments, and souvenirs.
Opens on the Park Service site - Genealogy Research10-30 Minutes
Rangers and volunteers can assist with basic genealogy research on Civil War ancestors.
Opens on the Park Service site - Tour the Museum15-60 Minutes
Tour Kennesaw Mountain NBP's Museum
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike to the Top of Big Kennesaw Mountain45-90 Minutes
This 1.1 mile hike to the summit of Big Kennesaw mountain is one of the most scenic and popular trails in the park. You will see Confederate trenches and artillery positions, as well as breathtaking views of the surrounding area.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Museum Tour10/1402:00 PM · runs through Jan 1 · freeThis program will take place at the Museum in the Visitor Center
News
- Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Announces Battle Anniversary Weekend from June 27 to 28 ↗2026-06-18
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Announces Battle Anniversary Weekend from June 27 to 28
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
-104A8449.jpg/960px-Fox_Theatre%2C_Atlanta_(2024)-104A8449.jpg)
.jpg/960px-Atlanta_University%2C_Stone_Hall%2C_Morris_Brown_College_Campus%2C_Atlanta_(Fulton_County%2C_Georgia).jpg)
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
Seen this monthBarred Owl 5× · Belted Kingfisher 4× · Red Fox 2× · Bald Eagle 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 202 birds, 19 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Barred Owl · Black Vulture · Broad-winged Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Eastern Screech Owl · Great Horned Owl · Merlin · Mississippi Kite · Northern Harrier · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Red Shouldered Hawk · Red tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Black Duck · American Coot · American Wigeon · Black-crowned Night Heron · Blue-winged Teal · Canada Goose · Common Loon · Common Merganser · Common Teal · Double-crested Cormorant · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Green Heron · Hooded Merganser · King Rail · Little Blue Heron · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Sandhill Crane · Virginia Rail · Wood Duck · Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Woodcock · Bonaparte's Gull · Greater Yellowlegs · Killdeer · Least Sandpiper · Lesser Yellowlegs · Pectoral Sandpiper · Ring-billed Gull · Semipalmated Sandpiper · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Wilson's Snipe
Gamebirds & dovesBobwhite · Mourning Dove · Rock Dove · 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 · Alder Flycatcher · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Redstart · American Robin · Baltimore oriole · Barn Swallow · Bay-breasted Warbler · Bell's Vireo · Belted Kingfisher · Black and White Warbler · Black billed Cuckoo · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Black-throated Green Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-headed Vireo · Blue-winged Warbler · Bobolink · Brewster's Warbler · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Brown-headed Nuthatch · Bruant de LeConte · Canada warbler · Cape May Warbler · Carolina Chickadee · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Cerulean Warbler · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Chipping Sparrow · Cliff Swallow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Yellowthroat · Connecticut Warbler · Dark-eyed Junco · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Palm Warbler · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Towhee · Eastern Wood-Pewee · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Field Sparrow · Fish Crow · Fox Sparrow · Gadwall · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-winged Warbler · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Gray-cheeked thrush · Great Crested Flycatcher · Henslow's Sparrow · Hermit thrush · Hooded Warbler · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Kentucky Warbler · Lawrence's Warbler · Least Flycatcher · Lincoln's Sparrow · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mourning Warbler · Nashville Warbler · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Northern Rough-winged swallow · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned warbler · Orchard Oriole · Palm warbler · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Siskin · Pine Warbler · Prairie Warbler · Prothonotary Warbler · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Gallinule · Purple Martin · Red Crossbill · Red winged Blackbird · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-throated Diver · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Rusty Blackbird · Sand Martin · Savannah Sparrow · Scarlet Tanager · Sedge Wren · Song Sparrow · Sora · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Swainson's Warbler · Swamp Sparrow · Tennessee Warbler · Tree Swallow · Tufted Titmouse · Veery · Vesper Sparrow · Warbling Vireo · Western Palm Warbler · Whip-poor-will · White throated Sparrow · White-Eyed Vireo · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Yellow rumped warbler · Yellow throated Vireo · Yellow throated warbler · Yellow warbler · Yellow-bellied Flycatcher · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · chuck-will's-widow
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · Brown Rat · Eastern Chipmunk · Eastern Gray Squirrel · Eastern Harvest Mouse · Eastern Mole · Eastern cottontail · Hispid Cotton Rat · Southeastern Shrew · bee shrew · mole shrew
PredatorsCommon Gray Fox · Coyote · Cross Fox · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
Also on the checklistFERAL CAT · Virginia Opossum · domestic dog
Activities
Activity guides for this park Hiking in the national parks
Weather & climate
Before you start your trip to the mountain, check the local weather forecast to be sure that you will have a dry time. Though we are located north of Atlanta, we're still have the same hot summers and mild winters as our neighbors. The mountain top generally ranges 8-10 degrees cooler than at the base. In fall and winter, be prepared with a light weight jacket on hand. After planning your activities, check back to see what the weather will have in store for your day.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Kennesaw Mountain?
Entrance is $5 per private vehicle and $5 per person on foot or bike. The Daily Pass is valid for the date of purchase only.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Kennesaw Mountain?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Kennesaw Mountain-only annual pass is $40.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Kennesaw Mountain takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Kennesaw Mountain free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Kennesaw Mountain?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Kennesaw Mountain. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Kennesaw Mountain?
Standard hours are 6:30AM - 8:30PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Kennesaw Mountain right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Kennesaw Mountain Dr. Closed to Private Vehicles, Limited Cycling Permitted.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Kennesaw Mountain?
1,179,671 recreation visits in 2025, number 65 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Kennesaw Mountain?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE and AT&T 4G LTE. No reported coverage for T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Kennesaw Mountain?
Before you start your trip to the mountain, check the local weather forecast to be sure that you will have a dry time. Though we are located north of Atlanta, we're still have the same hot summers and mild winters as our neighbors.
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.
More in Georgia
