Gravel road on Viniard-Alexander Road leads to the Hunt Cemetery in the Chickamauga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Access to the Hunt Cemetery begins at the parking area along Viniard-Alexander Road and entails travel down a 1-mile gravel road and then a ten-minute walk along the Yellow Trail. Sounds simple enough, but it is easy to get confused as to which way to go. I ended up hiking well over a mile out of the way, so here is what to do to avoid my mistake.
Start your journey by walking or biking down the gravel road, which is the same gravel road that is part of the Confederate Line Trail. Bikes are allowed on paved and gravel roads within the park, so if you have a bike you can save a lot of time. The gravel road has a slight up/down grade, but it is an easy bike ride. Believe me, I hate hills more than cockroaches when it comes to bike riding, so if I say it’s an easy ride, it’s an easy ride. If I hadn’t gone the wrong way, the round trip using a bike would have been 40 minutes, including time to see the cemetery. It takes 20 minutes (round trip) by bike and 20 minutes (round trip) to hike to and from the cemetery. If you walk, figure 1.5 to 2 hours, as you have a two-mile round trip hike on the gravel road alone.
On the map it appears that at one point there is the choice to stay straight on the gravel road and continue east or take a right and head south. However, the map—at least at a quick glance—is misleading. In reality, the road curves south, and the road to the east is a left turn that comes after the curve. If you just keep going “straight” you will be traveling south without making a turn. Ultimately, you can get to the cemetery either way, but this review assumes you are heading south.
Hunt Cemetery Map
The gravel road eventually comes to the end and turns into a grass path. There will be a field in front of you (Dalton Ford Field), and if you continued to the right, there is a second field around the corner. As soon as you see the first field, stop. This is as far as you want to go. A small sign on a post to the right is another landmark that lets you know you have reached the end of the gravel road. I made the mistake of continuing right towards the sign and into the second field, picking up the Yellow Trail and hiking west back towards the parking lot. The reason for this is that the marker for the eastbound Yellow Trail towards Hunt Cemetery is hidden. I saw only west-bound Yellow Trail marker and assumed this was the trail to the cemetery.
Dalton Ford Field at the end of the gravel road to Hunt Cemetery in the Chickamauga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
The eastbound Yellow Trail towards the cemetery is immediately to your left. You can see a trail heading into the woods, but no marker. The marker is hidden a short distance down the trail.
Start of the east-bound Yellow Trail to Hunt Cemetery in the Chickamauga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Once on the Yellow Trail, in about five minutes you will come to an open field.
Open field on the Yellow Trail near Hunt Cemetery in the Chickamauga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Take a left and follow the tree line across the field.
Eastbound Yellow Trail to Hunt Cemetery in the Chickamauga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park hugs the tree line
The cemetery, which is marked by a sign, is just a few yards into the woods on the other side of the field.
Entrance into the woods and Hunt Cemetery in the Chickamauga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Hunt Cemetery in the Chickamauga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Tombstone of M. L. Hunt in the Hunt Cemetery, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Tombstone of Helm Hunt (1789-1870) in the Hunt Cemetery, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Tombstone of Ann Robison (1784-1868) in the Hunt Cemetery, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Grave marker at Hunt Cemetery in the Chickamauga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Hay field near Hunt Cemetery in the Chickamauga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
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Last updated on July 4, 2024
