Chickamauga and Chattanooga
This park marks the site of two Civil War battles, one won by the North and the other by the South. This park was the first National Military Park created to preserve and has been in the hands of the National Park system since 1890.
As a non-history buff from the North who has been living in the South near multiple Civil War sites for nearly ten years now, I have nearly had my fill of Civil War history. I have also come to accept that I will be called a “Yankee” for my entire life, and that I may never truly understand “Southern Pride” or the need to reenact war battles!
Given that as our point of reference, we found the Lookout Mountain area to be more interesting than Chickamauga, primarily due to the other tourist attractions offered in the area. Our favorite was an incline railroad that visitors could ride to the top of the mountain and we suggest checking that out. Chickamauga’s Visitor Center had a large Civil War time line that covered two separate walls. It was easy to understand and follow and should be helpful to those not familiar with the progression of the Civil War.
All in all, we cannot say that this park ranked near the top of our list, however, please keep in mind our point of reference. For Civil War buffs, I’m sure it would offer much more!
National Park Service website: http://www.nps.gov/chch/
