Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Fort Donelson National Battlefield preserves the site of the February 1862 Civil War engagement near Dover, Tennessee, and commemorates the Union victory that followed the fort’s surrender. The battlefield interprets the military campaign that helped secure Union control of the Cumberland River.

Interpretive trails and a self-guided driving route lead to preserved earthworks, battery positions and interpretive markers that explain troop movements and the engagement. A visitor center presents exhibits, films and maps on the battle, and the nearby national cemetery contains burials related to the conflict. The site is concentrated and designed for short educational visits.

Confederate engineers constructed Fort Donelson in late 1861 to defend the Cumberland River; Union forces under Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant attacked in February 1862 and forced a Confederate surrender on February 16, 1862. The victory was strategically important for Union control of river routes into the interior South.

The battlefield sits on the banks of the Cumberland River near the town of Dover in northwestern Tennessee, within a rural landscape of river bottomlands and rolling hills. It is accessible by road from nearby towns and regional highways.

• Surrender date and significance: The fort surrendered to Union forces on February 16, 1862, in a major early Civil War victory that opened the Cumberland River as an invasion route into the South.
• Visitor access: A compact driving and walking tour allows visitors to view key battery sites and earthworks; the park is suitable for short historical visits rather than extended hikes.

What to See #

• Fort earthworks and battlefield traces: Earthwork fortifications, rifle pits and reconstructed sections of the fort where visitors can view defensive lines and the approach of the Cumberland River during the 1862 campaign.
• National Cemetery: Fort Donelson National Cemetery located near the battlefield with graves of Union soldiers from the 1862 operations and later interments.
• Visitor center and tour route: A visitor center with exhibits on the battle of February 1862, interpretive trails and a self-guided driving tour that follows major troop positions and engagement sites.