Fort Oglethorpe, GA Road Trips

In this little pocket of northwestern Georgia, antebellum life carried on until the Battle of Chickamauga descended upon the area in 1863 along Chickamauga Creek, which would become the largest Union defeat in the Western Theater and carry the second greatest number of casualties in the War after the Battle of Gettysburg. After that, the area witnessed industrialization with coal and textiles and the installation of an army fort and WWII POW camp. These events are commemorated with various sights in the area.

1 Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, 3370 Lafayette Rd, ☏ +1 706 866-9241. Daily 8:30AM-5:00PM. Some 150000 Union and Confederate forces converged here over the course of Sept 18-20, 1863 in the first major Civil War battle to take place in Georgia. It is the first and largest battlefield set aside in the US. Try observing it from the top of the Wilder Tower. Free. (updated Dec 2021) 2 Sixth Cavalry Museum, 6 Barnhardt Cir, ☏ +1 706 861-2860. All about the 6th Cavalry, which was based out of Fort Oglethorpe, covering its story from the late 19th century up through WWII. (updated Dec 2021) 3 Gordon Lee Mansion, 217 Cove Rd, Chickamauga. Historic home owned by a plantation/mill owner and original settler of the town of Chickamauga. (updated Dec 2021) 4 Walker County Regional Heritage Museum, 200 Gordon St, Chickamauga, ☏ +1 706 375-4488. Historical perspective on area, including on the Civil War, maybe slightly slanted towards the Confederacy. (updated Dec 2021) 5 Gordon Lee Mill, 71 Red Belt Rd #3316, Chickamauga. Old textile mill owned by the same individual as the mansion listed above. (updated Dec 2021) 6 Chickamauga Coke Ovens. Here coal from Lookout Mountain was converted into coke in these furnaces. (updated Dec 2021)

1 Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park, 1730 Lakeview Dr, Rossville, ☏ +1 706 866-5681. An older amusement park with rides and rollercoasters like the Cannon Ball. (updated Dec 2021)

1 Super 8 by Wyndham Ft. Oglethorpe GA/Chatt TN Area, 2044 Lafayette Rd, ☏ +1 706 956-4430. Outdoor pool, few snacks in the morning. (updated Dec 2021) 2 Holiday Travel Park, 1623 S Mack Smith Rd, Rossville, ☏ +1 706 891-9766. RV spaces and camping cottages in this sort of rustic but touristy campground. (updated Dec 2021)

Seemingly like a stone's throw away from Chattanooga, you can get to Fort Oglethorpe and the battlefield with a short drive south of Chattanooga on Hwy 27.

It might be best to have a car to see the military park, since it's so large.