Antietam National Battlefield Map

There are ten stops on a self-guided tour of Antietam National Battlefield. The route is 8.5 miles long, so it is best to do the tour in a vehicle. The route is included on the park brochure, which you can get free of charge at the Visitor Center. Plan to spend around three hours for the tour.

If you do the battlefield tour, most likely you’ll want to be a little smarter when you get to the end. Therefore, I highly recommend that you begin your visit to the park at the Visitor Center where you can learn about the battle by perusing museum exhibits and watching a 20-minute film. Having some knowledge of the battle will go a long way in helping you understand what you are seeing once you venture out to explore the actual battlefield.

Once on the battlefield, there are a number of ways to get information. There are wayside exhibits at each tour stop that impart basic information, and there is a paragraph about each stop on the park brochure. However, the best way to learn about the Battle of Antietam is to use some type of audio or video tour, either free or fee-based. The National Park Service offers a free video tour for those who are able to watch videos on their cell phone or other mobile device. Go to the National Park Service’s Virtual Tour web page, and when you get to a particular tour stop, watch the corresponding video.

If you have a CD player in your car, there is a CD Audio Tour, the Antietam Field Guide, for sale at the book and souvenir store inside the Visitor Center. Not only does this provide detailed information about the tour stops, but it also comes with a booklet full of photos and battle maps. The Antietam Field Guide does not follow the National Park Service tour exactly, as two stops are skipped and two different stops are added, but it’s still a great way to get information. This is my preferred way to see the battlefield. Cost is around $25.

Private tours of the battlefield for you and your group can be arranged by calling (301) 432-4329. There is a standard tour that lasts three hours, and customized tours are available as well. For more information, visit the Antietam Battlefield Guides website.

Many of the tour stops also serve as trailheads for the ten hiking trails within Antietam National Battlefield. All are two miles or less in length, and they are a great way to experience the same terrain as the Union and Confederate soldiers did on September 17, 1862. Some of the trails lead to monuments and artillery exhibits that can’t been seen from a parking lot. If you hike all the trails at the tour stops—which is not every trail in the park—allow an extra five hours.

National Park Planner has created a virtual tour of the Antietam battlefield, complete with plenty of photos of what you will see at each tour stop. Feel free to use this as an additional source of information as you drive around the battlefield. At the bottom of each web page is a navigation menu that allows you to jump to the next or previous stop.

Stop 1:  Dunker Church

Stop 2:  North Woods

Stop 2:  East Woods

Stop 4:  The Cornfield

Stop 5:  West Woods

Stop 6:  Mumma Farm and Cemetery

Stop 7:  Sunken Road (aka Bloody Lane)

Stop 8:  Lower Bridge (aka Burnside Bridge)

Stop 9:  Final Attack

Stop 10:  Antietam National Cemetery

Back to the Top