Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park closes certain areas to prevent COVID-19 spread

Chickamauga National Military Park, as seen on Thursday, March 26, 2020 in Chickamauga, Georgia. / Staff photo by Troy Stolt
Chickamauga National Military Park, as seen on Thursday, March 26, 2020 in Chickamauga, Georgia. / Staff photo by Troy Stolt

The Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park has announced some temporary closures and other modifications to its operations in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, according to a park news release.

As of March 24, 2020, the following facilities and areas at the park are temporarily closed until further notice:

Chickamauga Battlefield

* Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center

* Wilder Brigade Monument (Tower)

* All secondary roads

* Vault toilets

* America's National Parks Bookstore

Lookout Mountain Battlefield

* Point Park

* Ochs Museum

* Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center (including parking lot)

* Sunset Rock parking lot

* Cravens House parking lot

* America's National Parks Bookstore

Other park areas

* Signal Point parking lot

* Signal Point restrooms

* Bragg Reservation parking lot

(READ MORE: Chattanooga area cancellations and closures due to coronavirus outbreak)

While the park remains open, visitors should follow park regulations and social distancing guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by gathering in groups smaller than 10 and maintaining a six foot distance from one another, the release states. Crowded trailheads and overlooks should be avoided.

Most park areas are still accessible, but services are limited. Visitors should park only in the designated areas to cut down on congestion on LaFayette Road. Since the horse trailer area is inaccessible, riders will need to access the red and white horse trails by parking in Chickamauga Battlefield's lower lot and unloading to access the red trail below the parking lot. The other option is to ride in from outside the park via one of the Blue "neighbor" trails.

All trash should be packed out in order to keep the park clean. Park rangers will continue to patrol the park to protect the safety of visitors and the protection of park resources.

Visitors may continue to enjoy the park online or through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Much of the battlefield tour route will be affected by the closures, but visitors can virtually tour the park by visiting chch.toursphere.com. If visitors are searching for unit monuments, markers, or tablets while hiking within the national military park, the park's "Find a Regiment" app is also available for download here.

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