Confederate Line Trail Map
Download a copy of the Confederate-Line-Trail map. You can also pick up a color copy at the Chickamauga Visitor Center. The map above is just to help readers follow along with the trail description.
Length: 6 miles
Time: 3 to 3.75 hours
Difficulty: Flat and easy
The Confederate Line Trail is a 6-mile trail located within the Chickamauga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park that takes around 3.5 hours to hike. It is a well-marked path with no confusing areas or intersections. If you read my write-up on the General Bragg Trail, you may notice that even though the Confederate Line Trail is a mile longer it takes about the same time to hike. This is because there aren’t as many monuments along the way.
The Confederate Trail starts at the Texas Memorial, which is located near the halfway point of Battleline Road. It is a small monument made of pink marble, and it will be on your left if you are coming from the Visitor Center. A pullout parking area is on the opposite side the road from the monument.
Texas Monument on Battleline Road at the Chickamauga Battlefield, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
To find the trailhead, if you are standing facing the monument, look a little to the left and into the woods and you’ll see a Yellow Trail marker—follow this trail and take it all the way to Brotherton Road.
Trailhead for the Confederate Line Trail lies behind the Texas Monument, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Along the way is a memorial to General James Deshler and minor monuments to the 1st Ohio Light Artillery and the Tennessee 4th Confederate Regiment Infantry.
Memorial to General James Deshler, killed in battle on September 20, 1863, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Monument to the 1st Ohio Light Artillery at the Chickamauga unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Monument to the Tennessee 4th Confederate Regiment Infantry at the Chickamauga unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
For a worthwhile side trip, when you come to the intersection with the Green Trail, take a left. Five minutes down the path is the grave of Private John Ingraham, the only soldier known to be buried on the battlefield. He was a local resident, so his family decided to bury him where he died. You can drive to the grave as well. If you have not seen it yet, it’s worth the 10-minute round trip. In addition, you will pass a grouping of Georgia monuments and artillery pieces.
Tombstone for John Ingraham at the Chickamauga unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Georgia Monument and cannon along the Green Trail on the way to the Ingraham grave site at the Chickamauga unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Cannon exhibit along the Green Trail on the way to the Ingraham grave site at the Chickamauga unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Once back on the Yellow Trail, hike a short distance to Brotherton Road. They Yellow Trail continues on the other side of the road at your 2 o’clock position and near a cannon.
Yellow Trail at the Chickamauga battlefield continues across Brotherton Road, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
In about .7 miles the Yellow Trail dead ends into the Red Trail—take a right.
Typical trail terrain along the Yellow Trail at the Chickamauga battlefield, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
In approximately ten minutes you will come to an intersection with another Yellow Trail segment and the Orange Trail. If you are following the directions on the Confederate Line Trail brochure, it suggests that you take a side trip on the Orange Trail to see the Culpepper’s Battery Tablet. Do so if you want, but being that I was on my second day of hiking the battlefield, I had seen enough tablets and didn’t want to spend the time to see another. I’m not sure how far down the tablet is on the Orange Trail, but the trail only extends .2 mile, so at worse, it’s a .4 mile side trip.
Regardless of what you decide to do about the Orange Trail, you need to take a left on the Yellow Trail and continue south until you hit Viniard-Alexander Road, which is a little over a half mile away. This instruction is omitted on the park brochure (it just says to “continue south”). Once at the road, turn right and walk until you come to a parking lot with a gate blocking a dirt road.
Start of a gravel road from parking lot on Viniard-Alexander Road, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
You need to hike down the dirt road (the same dirt road to the Hunt Cemetery) for about five minutes until you come to the Yellow Trail—take a right.
Hiking on the Yellow Trail in the Chickamauga unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
In less than five minutes is the intersection with the Orange Trail. You eventually need to take another right here, but venture a very short distance farther down the Yellow Trail to get to monuments, tablets, and artillery for Kelly’s Brigade. This is an interesting side trip because you will see a black, 12-pound Blakely cannon, which is different from the typical green cannons (oxidized brass) found on the battlefield, and the only such cannon I saw during my hikes. If it weren’t for this, I’d tell you to save the effort and just turn on the Orange Trail. Once you have finished having a look, turn around and head back to the Orange Trail and take a left.
Monuments and artillery for Kelly’s Brigade at the Chickamauga unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Blakely Cannon, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Blakely Cannon, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
In .2 mile the Orange Trail intersects with the Green Trail, though this is one intersection that is not marked. You have to turn either left or right—take a right. You will see a sign pointing to the Hall House, though I could not see a house and assume it is just pointing to the former site of the house, probably burned during the war.
Hall’s House sign on the Confederate Line Trail on the Chickamauga battlefield, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
The trip down the Green Trail eventually spills out into an open field. Viniard-Alexander Road, though hidden, is directly in front of you. Walk across the field and turn left on the road.
Cross the field to Viniard-Alexander Road, Confederate Line Trail on the Chickamauga battlefield, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
You’ll have a fifteen minute walk down the road until you come to the end (intersection of LaFayette Road) and to a wonderful grouping of ornate monuments facing an open field, Viniard Field. If you arrive early in the morning, the sun will still be low and coming from across the field, lighting the granite and marble most wonderfully, perfect for photographs. You may end up spending ten minutes or so just walking around the field to photograph them all.
58th Regiment Indiana Infantry Memorial at Viniard Field near Stop #5 on the Chickamauga Battlefield Tour, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
58th Regiment Indiana Infantry Memorial at Viniard Field near Stop #5 on the Chickamauga Battlefield Tour, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
101st Ohio Infantry Memorial at Viniard Field near Stop #5 on the Chickamauga Battlefield Tour, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Michigan 13th Regiment of Infantry Memorial at Viniard Field near Stop #5 on the Chickamauga Battlefield Tour, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
At this point you are actually near the Chickamauga Battlefield Tour Stop #5, the Heg Memorial / Viniard Field. The Heg Memorial lies across LaFayette Road, just a short walk from Viniard Field.
Monument to General Hans Heg, one of eight high ranking officers killed in the Battle of Chickamauga, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
At this point, look for the Blue Trail, which is near a small parking area on Viniard-Alexander Road near the intersection with LaFayette Road. This starts the 1.5 mile journey back to the Texas Memorial. The Blue Trail continues for a .4 miles, then turns into the White Trail when you come to an intersection with the Red Trail. Along the way you will pass a Georgia monument and cannons.
Georgia Monument and artillery on the Confederate Line Trail, Chickamauga unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Stay on the White Trail all the way back to the Texas monument. You will cross over Brotherton Road. However, before crossing the road is a noteworthy monument to the 13th Ohio Infantry, and if you take a side trip to the right down the Green Trail, there is another nice grouping of monuments. If you do so, return back to the White Trail and continue towards Brotherton Road.
13th Ohio Infantry Monument in the Chickamauga unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Carnes Battery Monument, located on the Green Trail near Brotherton Road and the White Trail, Chickamauga unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
The last half mile stretch will take you past the towering Alabama State Monument.
Alabama State Monument in the Chickamauga unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
As with most trails in the park, the Confederate Line Trail is flat and easy. As long as you can hike for six miles, you can hike this trail. Most of the trail is in the forest, so sun exposure is limited. At any time of the year, especially in the summer, be on the lookout for ticks. Whenever you walk through the grass to get to a monument, when you return back to the main trail, check around your ankles to make sure you didn’t pick up a hitchhiker. At one point along the hike I took off my shoes to remove a stone and I found a tick trying to burrow through my socks and into the bottom of my foot. Before getting into your car, take off your shoes and socks to make sure nothing is hiding in there.
Typical terrain of the Confederate Line Trail in the Chickamauga unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
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Last updated on July 3, 2024
