I did most of driving from St Louis here. The visitor center is under remodeling so it is in a trailer now. Watched a short video on Uysses Grant, General Buckman and the battle the Union won over the Confederates here. Drove to all sites, cemetery and Dover Hotel where the south surrendered. read more

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The cemetery is part of the free Fort Donelson National Battlefield tour. The grounds were well kept. One of the building on site offers a little bit of information. Beautiful national cemetery. "In July 1862, Congress passed legislation giving the President of the United States the authority to purchase land for the establishment of cemeteries "for soldiers who shall die in the service of their country". The legislation effectively began the national cemetery system. In 1863, the Union Army abandoned the Confederate works and constructed a new fortification on the ground that became the cemetery site. A freedmen's community developed around the new Union fort. Four years later, this same site was selected for the establishment of the Fort Donelson National Cemetery and 670 Union soldiers were reinterred here. These soldiers (which included 512 unknowns) had been buried on the battlefield, in local cemeteries, in hospital cemeteries, and in nearby towns. These totals include five known and nine unknown soldiers from the United States Colored Troops. The high percentage of unknown soldiers can be attributed to the haste in cleaning up the battlefield and the fact that civil war soldiers did not carry government-issued identification. In 1867, Fort Donelson Cemetery was established as the final resting for Union soldiers and sailors initially buried in the Fort Donelson area." read more

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Fort Donelson turned out to be a surprise favorite stop on our recent trip to the LBL area. My husband wanted to visit a fort and found Donelson online, so we wound our way past Bison and turkeys as we drove to the national historic site. The visitor's center was closed for renovations, but there is a temporary one set up in a trailer. I highly recommend stopping there for the video and to grab a map and a sheet that explains the cell phone tour. After watching the video, we cruised through the site, stopping at each marker for an explanation via cell phone of what occurred there. Make sure you stop at the overlook on the river, as well as at the Dover hotel. I had never heard of Fort Donelson before, in the same way that the US had never heard of a brigadier general named Ulysses S Grant before Fort Donelson. Visiting the site left me with a greater appreciation for the history surrounding the civil war. It's worth the time to visit if you're in the area. read more

I've seen quite a few Civil War sites, but I underestimated this one. The partially reconstructed fort sits with a rather lovely view over a river (one apparently deeper than it was at the time of the various battles due to subsequent building of dams downstream). Multiple sites offer additional historic perspective, and the tour would take a while if you visit all of them. I already put myself behind schedule by staying an hour and a half or so. My experience would not be entirely typical, as when I was there some Civil War re-enactors had traveled in from various other states to set up what appeared to be a working camp and to give a presentation on how the artillery worked. Still, even without that, the site had plenty to offer in terms of aesthetics and history, and nearby creeks looked worth exploring. No charge to visit anything here as far as I could tell. read more

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Came here with my team of active duty Soldiers from Fort Campbell and had an official guided tour. If you come on your own, it's a driving tour that is well marked. The tourists/ visited center is closed for renovation, and the temporary one has a bathroom but doesn't open until 9am. There are placards well places around the National Park and the grounds are well kept. Saw one flying Bald Eagle and several deer. read more

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So beautiful and peaceful! Walking trails through nature near the lake. Clean indoor bathrooms. In the trees there is a bald eagle that has lived there for years and years! read more

We love visiting National Parks and we got to come here today. The park is fairly small and the visitor's center is being renovated, so there's just a small temporary visitor's center there now. The park is designed where you can drive through and stop at the highlights or you can hike through it (two different 3-4 mile trails). It was 90 degrees today and sunny so we opted to drive and stop instead of hike. The battlefield is well kept, but there's very little actually remaining from that time aside from numerous cannons. There are many informational plaques present so it does help you imagine how things were actually set up for the battle. There's also a National Cemetery and a separate hotel (Dover Hotel) where the confederates surrendered. The cemetery is very well-maintained and informative, but much of the information at the Union Hotel was not present; there were books missing throughout the displays at the Union Hotel that we assumed were removed due to Covid. There was also a section that was closed as it looked like they just didn't have enough people to staff that area. This is a nice National Park to visit if you're in the area and you can go through the park in about 1 hr to 1.5 hr. read more

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Educational battlefield, but hard to enjoy when the park employees take their government issued truck and trailer and block the available handicapped parking spaces in an area. read more

Fort Donelson National Battlefield - Great Parkjob by employees of the park. Good thing they have a giant park logo on the side so we know who doesnt care for the handicapped - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Dover, Tennessee

Very pretty and well kept NPS site. Beautiful scenery. Decent interpretive content. Interesting wildlife. Very enthusiastic rangers (although temp visitor center is nothing special). Average junior ranger program. Not a destination site but definitely worth stopping if in area. read more

Very lovely park. The park ranger was very helpful and guiding me to the historical places.

Very neat place to visit. We got to see the nesting eagles while we were there. The visitor's center has a map for the trail you can follow that leads you to different points of interest. The overlook on the river was beautiful. I liked learning about the different tactics used during the Civil War. We drove around town to the different markers and the cemetery. Overall, a day well spent. read more

Fort Donelson National Battlefield is Federal land preserved by the National Park system to commemorate the decisive battle at Fort Donelson at the convergence of the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. It was this victory which allowed the Union to gain access to Nashville via the Cumberland river, thus dividing the South and interrupting supply lines. There is a large, well-maintained visitor center at the front of the park. There is a driving tour to see different parts of the battlefield, including the bend in the river where the Confederates fought to keep the fort from the hands of the Union. There is also a National Cemetery on the same property. In addition, there are several monuments to the fallen at the battlefield. This is a nice battlefield that has been preserved. You can still see the trenches and earthen bunkers built by the confederates around the front. It's near the Land Between The Lakes recreational area. It's a beautiful well maintained park. Access to the park is free. read more

Great place to visit . Lots of history in a natural setting. The battlefields and monuments are definitely worth seeing. There is a tranquility there. read more

Fort Donelson National Park is a historic place where a couple significant Civil War Battles were fought and where both Confederate and Union forces were headquartered during the war. Just as General Grant was convinced it was time for him to surrender, the Confederate Generals (who didn't understand that they had won the battle) sent their emissary to Grant to discuss the terms of their surrender. They rest is history. And that is what is so cool about places like Ft. Donelson. It is a driving tour with stops for photos and hiking and plaques telling you what happened there and who did it. If you are even close to this place, please give it a look and learn a bit about the history and sacrifices of the brave men who fought and died here. read more

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Have been to several civil war battle fields. They are all a real eye opener of what the men on both sides must have endured. At Fort Donaldson, when seeing the trenches and standing behind the cannons overlooking the river, I could almost envision an actual battle. I would suggest that everyone should visit one of these sites. Will make you grateful for the freedoms that we have. read more

Nice Battlefield alongside the river with a National Cemetery nearby. Many very large cannon entrenched as well as earthworks from the war. read more

Fort Donelson National Battlefield - Guns overlooking the river. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Dover, Tennessee

Great small national battlefield park. Can be walked or driven. Friendly staff and great views of the Cumberland. Easily marked to interpret the battle. Visitor Center is being updated. read more

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I visited about a week ago. Didnt visit the visitors center first... but definitely do that. The staff was amazing. Very welcoming. Ask to watch the video. It was well made. He told me about the hotel in town (another historical spot). Very glad.. wouldve missed it. The park itself had a great view. I spent time walking along the river. I didnt see a nest but spotted an eagle. Great day spent. read more

Fort Donelson National Battlefield - This is a horrible picture. Much better in person. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Dover, Tennessee

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A great, beautiful place to give your kiddos a history lesson and nice little walking trail.

I love this place. Always clean and well maintained. I actually go to watch the two resident eagles who have been nesting there since 2004. Best time to see them are morning and late afternoon. Look for the photographers for an easy way to know where the eagles are. They'll be glad to tell you about them. read more

The other reviews are right on. I enjoyed visiting Fort Donelson. Beautiful. Clean. Better for old kids, not necessarily great for preschoolers. If i planned better I would have packed a lunch. There are great picnic areas. Also, bring your fancy camera or binoculars. You may get some great shots of eagles while your there. read more

great battlefield if you want to go for an adventure. there isn't a LOT there, but the museum is cool and the battlefield makes you really wonder about the tactics and logistics of the civil war. great driving tour, or, if you are CRAZY like we are, a driving/running/walking tour. read more