Little Round Top Mountain

Address: Little Round Top, Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, PA

Website: https://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htm

Hours: Park grounds: 24/7; Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center: Daily 9:00am-5:00pm

Admission: National Park grounds: free; Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center admission: $20-$25 (variable).

Little Round Top is a steep, rocky hill on the southern end of the Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania and was the scene of intense fighting on July 2, 1863 during the American Civil War. The hill is a central landmark within Gettysburg National Military Park.

The site contains rocky outcrops, wooded slopes and a network of paths that lead to viewpoints and numerous commemorative markers. Several regimental monuments, interpretive panels and a major memorial to the 20th Maine are located on and around the hill.

On July 2, 1863, Union forces defended Little Round Top against Confederate assaults in a key action of the Battle of Gettysburg; the defense by units including the 20th Maine under Colonel Joshua Chamberlain is one of the battle’s best known episodes. The ground was later preserved as part of the national military park and has been the focus of battlefield interpretation and preservation since the late 19th century.

Little Round Top sits at the southern end of the Gettysburg battlefield, just south of Cemetery Ridge and close to the borough of Gettysburg in south-central Pennsylvania.

• Best time to visit: Best visited early morning or late afternoon when shadows and light make the battlefield topography clearer and temperatures are cooler.
• Monuments and interpretation: Part of Gettysburg National Military Park; multiple regimental monuments, plaques and interpretive signs are concentrated on and around the hill.

What to See#

• 20th Maine Monument: A stone marker and large bronze memorial dedicated to the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, placed near the summit to mark the unit’s defensive action.
• Summit and interpretive area: A rocky ridge and summit with interpretive plaques and walking trails that form the main battlefield viewpoint and interpretive zone for the action on July 2, 1863.

From Gettysburg town center, drive east on Taneytown Road (PA-134) toward the battlefield; Little Round Top is accessible via the Park Drive system with signed parking areas nearby. The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center is at 1195 Baltimore Pike (US-140) in Gettysburg; shuttles and interpretive tours run seasonally from the visitor center.

• Approach Little Round Top from the Visitor Center and take the lower carriage drives to avoid the uphill crowds that form at High ground points.
• Stand where the 20th Maine formed its line-think about sightlines rather than reenactor placements; the slope still reads the battle.
• Avoid mid-July for the anniversary; spring and late autumn offer the clearest light and fewer tour buses.