Eastern end of the Assault Trail at Cheatham Hill, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Length:  .4 mile (one way)
Time:  15 minutes
Difficulty:  Between easy and moderate

The Assault Trail at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park runs east to west between the Cheatham Hill Road Parking Lot and the intersection with the Cease Fire Trail just below the Illinois Monument on Cheatham Hill. It is an out-and-back trail, but nobody hikes it as such. Instead, most people combine it with the Old John Ward Trail and the Cease Fire Trail to make a very popular 2.2-mile loop hike. On a nice day, expect to see many people hiking the loop with you.

Old John Ward-Cease Fire-Assault Trails Loop Hike map

I did the loop hike, but I began on the Old John Ward Trail and went around in the clockwise direction. Thus, I picked on the Assault Trail at the intersection with the Cease Fire Trail and hiked west from the Illinois Monument. This report is written from that perspective.

When hiking the Cease Fire Trail south, it curves around to below the Illinois Monument and runs between it and a large field far down below. There is a directional sign pointing out how to get to the Kolb Farm West Trail, but there is no mention of the Assault Trail. However, just beyond the sign is a trail that forks off to the right and heads down the steep hill to the field below. This is the Assault Trail, which gets its name from the fact that Union soldiers charged across this field and up the hill in an unsuccessful attempt to overtake the Confederate position at the top of Cheatham Hill. The monument sits at the high-water mark of the Union assault.

Cease Fire Trail below the Illinois Monument on Cheatham Hill, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Start of the Assault Trail at the intersection with the Cease Fire Trail, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Of the three trails that make up the loop hike, only the Assault Trail has any hills worth mentioning, with the largest being the one below the monument. The hike to the bottom is a little over a hundred yards, and the average grade is 14% (15% is where strenuous hiking begins). Of course, starting from the eastern end of the trail, you will be hiking downhill.

View of the Assault Trail from the Cease Fire Trail below the Illinois Monument on Cheatham Hill, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

The Assault Trail enters the forest at the bottom of the hill and immediately comes to the first of two bridges over a small creek.

Bridge over a small creek on the Assault Trail in Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

At the second bridge, the trail comes to a 4-way intersection that is not on any trail map. I have no idea where a left or right leads, but these trails follow along the creek. The Assault Trail continues straight ahead.

Western bridge on the Assault Trail is at a 4-way intersection that is not on any trail map, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

There is one monument along the Assault Trail near its midpoint. This marks where the Union launched its June 27, 1864, assault on Cheatham Hill.

Monument along the Assault Trail marking the starting point of the Union assault on Cheatham Hill during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

The area at the bottom of the hill where the creek is located is actually a small valley, and once across the creek the Assault Trail begins a quarter-mile uphill climb out of the valley. However, the grade of the hill is never more than 10%, which is barely even moderate in difficulty. The ascent is definitely more gradual than the descent down from the Cease Fire Trail.

Hilly terrain on the western side of the Assault Trail in Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

After .3 mile, the Assault Trail exits the forest and comes to one last hill. At the top less than a tenth of a mile away is the intersection with the Old John Ward Trail. The Cheatham Hill Road Parking Lot is within eyesight on the other side of the road. This was the end of the hike for me, for I started at this point. If you began the loop hike at the Illinois Monument, take a right on the Old John Ward Trail and follow the former road north towards Dallas Highway. The Old John Ward Trail connects to the northern end of the Cease Fire Trail after a mile of hiking.

Field on the western end of the Assault Trail, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Intersection of the Assault and Old John Ward trails near the Cheatham Hill Road Parking Lot in Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Old John Ward Trail at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Back to the Top