Pea Ridge National Military Park
On March 7-8, 1862, over 23,000 soldiers fought here to decide the fate of Missouri which was a turning point of the war in the Trans-Mississippi. This 4,400-acre battlefield honors those who fought and died on these hallowed grounds. Pea Ridge was the most pivotal Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
There is no camping allowed in Pea Ridge National Military Park.
Hours
| Park Grounds | Daily · 6:00AM - Sunset |
When to go
March draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Pea Ridge National Military ParkPassport stamp
The Pea Ridge Visitor Center is located down the new entrance road from Hwy 62. Once inside the Visitor Center, there is a 28-minute orientation film "Thunder in the Ozarks." The park's film was produced in 2001.
No campgrounds, no webcams 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
Things to do
- Bicycles in Pea Ridge National Park30-120 Minutes
Cycling at Pea Ridge National Military Park is a great way to discover the true scope of the park, both in size and meaning. It is also a wonderful opportunity to experience a quiet peaceful place of nature in bustling Northwest Arkansas.
Opens on the Park Service site - Williams Hollow Loop Hike45-90 Minutes
Hiking at Pea Ridge National Military Park is a great way to understand the true scope of the park, both in size and meaning. It is also a wonderful opportunity to experience the quiet peace of nature in bustling Northwest Arkansas.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Springfield to Fayetteville Road–Elkhorn Tavern SegmentStructure · Garfield · 1.6 mi
- Garfield Elementary SchoolBuilding · Benton · 3.5 mi
- Miller HomesteadBuilding · Pea Ridge · 4 mi
- Pea Ridge Commercial Historic DistrictHistoric district · Pea Ridge · 4.5 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
Seen this monthBarred Owl 3× · Great Horned Owl 3× · Coyote 2× · Bobcat 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 68 birds, 44 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsBarred Owl · Broad-winged Hawk · Eastern Screech-Owl · Great Horned Owl · Hen Harrier · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Coot · Great Blue Heron
Gamebirds & dovesMourning Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker
Hummingbirds & swiftsRuby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian Flycatcher · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Robin · American Tree Sparrow · Baltimore Oriole · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Black-and-white Warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Carolina Chickadee · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Chuck-will's-widow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Starling · Common Yellowthroat · Dickcissel · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Towhee · Eastern Wood Pewee · Field Sparrow · Grasshopper Sparrow · Great Crested Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · Indigo Bunting · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Scarlet Tanager · Scissor-tailed Flycatcher · Song Sparrow · Summer Tanager · Warbling Vireo · Whip-poor-will · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-eyed Vireo · Wood Thrush · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · eastern tufted titmouse
Small mammalsAttwater's Mouse · Black Rat · Brown Rat · Deer Mouse · Eastern Chipmunk · Eastern Cottontail · Eastern Fox Squirrel · Eastern Gray Squirrel · Eastern Mole · Eastern Woodrat · Elliot's Short-tailed Shrew · Fulvous Harvest Mouse · Golden Mouse · Hispid Cotton Rat · House Mouse · Pine Vole · Prairie Vole · Southeastern Shrew · Southern Flying Squirrel · Southern Short-tailed Shrew · White-footed Deermouse · bee shrew · mole shrew
PredatorsAlleghanian Spotted Skunk · American Black Bear · Bobcat · Common Gray Fox · Coyote · Cross Fox · Long-tailed Weasel · Striped Skunk · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Black Bat · Eastern Pipistrelle · Eastern Red Bat · Evening Bat · Hoary Bat · Little Brown Bat · Northern Bat
Also on the checklistGroundhog · Virginia Opossum · long-nosed armadillo
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 15 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Pea Ridge National Military Park is located in the northwestern part of the state and is on a part of the Ozark Plateau. The climate is hot and humid in the summers, has mild temperatures in the fall, and drier and cooler temperatures in the winter. During the spring and summer, active thunderstorms can pop up. During the winter months, the wind chill factor can make the temperature feel much colder than the air temperature. The winters can be cold with some snow and ice.
Questions people ask
Does Pea Ridge charge an entrance fee?
No. Pea Ridge is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Pea Ridge?
Standard hours are 6:00AM - Sunset, every day.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Pea Ridge?
131,726 recreation visits in 2025, number 195 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Pea Ridge?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Pea Ridge established?
1956.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Pea Ridge?
Pea Ridge National Military Park is located in the northwestern part of the state and is on a part of the Ozark Plateau. The climate is hot and humid in the summers, has mild temperatures in the fall, and drier and cooler temperatures in the winter.
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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