Donelson Trail Map (click to enlarge)

• Length: 3.2-mile loop (add 2.2 miles for an out-and-back side trip to Fort Donelson National Cemetery)
• Time: 2.5 hours including stops at the historic points of interest
• Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

The Donelson Trail is the main trail at Fort Donelson National Battlefield. It circles most of the park and passes by the battlefield tour stops 1, 4, 5, and 6, plus there is an option to make a 2.2-mile round trip detour to the Fort Donelson National Cemetery, Stop 11 on the tour. The trail is for exercise purposes only. It does not pass anything historical other than the tour stops, and you can drive to all of these. This trail review covers the main loop only. See the Fort Donelson Cemetery Trail web page for details on that hike.

You can access the Donelson Trail from Stops 4 and 5 on the battlefield tour and from the Picnic Area at the end of Fort Donelson Park Road, but the Visitor Center is where most people begin the hike. To travel in the counterclockwise direction, start at the amphitheater behind the building. The trailhead for hiking in the clockwise direction is on the other side of the road towards the park entrance, and it is a little harder to find. I started at the amphitheater, and this trail report is written from that perspective.

Trailhead for the Donelson Trail behind the Fort Donelson National Battlefield Visitor Center

The Donelson Trail is blazed with orange tags attached to trees that you follow like Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs. There is usually one blaze within eyesight of the other despite the fact that it is obvious which way to go. Some are so close together that it is comical. The National Park Service really doesn’t want anyone to get lost…or maybe the government just ordered too many orange tags.

Orange blazes mark the Donelson Trail at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

The Donelson Trail begins by heading downhill into a ravine on a series of switchbacks. The trail surface is quite rutty, almost like the bottom of a stream bed, and it can be pretty muddy if it has been raining. At the bottom of the hill is a stream spanned by a footbridge. Once across, the trail immediately heads back uphill for another 100 yards before somewhat leveling out. Both the descent and ascent are moderate in difficulty.

Footbridge over a small stream on the Donelson Trail at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

The turnoff for the trail to Fort Donelson National Cemetery comes .6 mile into the hike; there is directional signage at the intersection. The cemetery trail is blazed with green tags.

Intersection of the Donelson Trail and Fort Donelson National Cemetery Trail

Just beyond the turnoff for the cemetery trail, the Donelson Trail plunges into another ravine, then heads back up no sooner than it hits the bottom. The climbs never reach what I would call strenuous, but they do come close. This hilly section lasts for nearly a half mile. The trail surface is composed of some sort of clay, so it can be very slippery when wet.

Typical terrain on the Donelson Trail, Fort Donelson National Battlefield

When heading up and out of the ravine, be careful not to end up on an old dirt road that leads to Fort Donelson Park Road. You must make a slight turn to stay on the hiking trail, so if you find yourself on a trail with tire tracks, you missed it.

The terrain remains hilly all the way to the next point of interest, the picnic area and restroom at the end of Fort Donelson Park Road. Each hill is very distinct, and the trail follows a pattern of down into a ravine, up out of the ravine, a stretch of level trail, then repeat. Some of the hills are steep, but most won’t present a problem to even those who are out of shape.

Just before arriving at the picnic area, the Donelson Trail comes out of the forest and into the sunshine on a grassy hill. The picnic area, which is pretty small with just four tables, is right on the Cumberland River, or as it is known today in this area due to damming, Lake Barkley. There are some very nice views of the water.

Donelson Trail near the picnic area at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

View of the Cumberland River from the picnic area at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Picnic table overlooks the Cumberland River at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

To continue the hike, follow along the river until you come to the park road. You must walk a short distance on the pavement until just past where the guardrail ends. At this point the trail continues on a short grass path before heading back into the forest.

Donelson Trail near the picnic area at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

In less than a quarter mile—1.2 miles into the hike—the trail comes out above the Upper River Battery at the River Batteries stop on the tour of Fort Donelson National Battlefield. It’s a pretty steep hill down to the battery.

Upper River Battery at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Once down the hill and at the display of cannons, you have two choices. If you have not yet visited the River Batteries stop, take the trail on your left—about the 10 o’clock position—up to the parking lot. There are wayside exhibits and an overlook platform with nice views from above the stop’s main attraction, the Lower River Battery. Stairs lead from the overlook down to the actual battery and cannon exhibits, which are much more extensive than what you saw at the Upper River Battery.

View of the Lower River Battery from the Stop 4 overlook on the Fort Donelson National Battlefield Tour

If you have already been to the tour stop, take the steps in front of the Upper River Battery and proceed along a swath of mowed grass that follows the river bank below the parking lot. This is the actual route of the Donelson Trail, and it leads to the Lower River Battery. There are a number of wayside exhibits along this section of the trail that you can’t get to from up above.

Donelson Trail continues along the Cumberland River at the Fort Donelson River Batteries

Donelson Trail along the Cumberland River at the River Batteries, Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Follow the grass trail all the way around the base of the parking lot and past the very last cannon of the Lower River Battery. At this point the Donelson Trail darts back into the forest.

Donelson trail circles in front of the Lower River Battery at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Donelson Trail on the west side of the Lower River Battery at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

The trail forks just up ahead—you can see it from the edge of the forest—with a left being the Donelson Trail (orange blazes) and a right the River Circle Trail (blue blazes). These two trails form a loop of their own, and I do cover the River Circle Trail in another review. For now, take a left to continue on the Donelson Trail.

Intersection of the Donelson Trail and the River Circle Trail at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

At this point you are at the lowest elevation on the hike. By the time you get back to the Visitor Center you will have climbed 225 feet. However, it is not a long and gradual uphill climb. Instead the hike tackles a number of hills—up one side and down the other. Three of the hills are quite steep, some even tippy-toe steep. That’s a hill so steep that you must push off on the balls of your feet to move forward, and your heels never touch the ground.

Steep terrain on the western side of the Donelson Trail, Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Steep terrain on the western side of the Donelson Trail, Fort Donelson National Battlefield

The western side of the Donelson Trail is wide and has a fairly smooth surface, so hikers can travel at full speed without having to worry about stepping on something and twisting an ankle.

Typical trail surface of the western side of the Donelson Trail, Fort Donelson National Battlefield

In a little over a mile is the second intersection with the River Circle Trail. If you were doing the loop hike, this would be the far end of the loop and you would take the River Circle Trail back to the River Batteries. To continue on the Donelson Trail, follow it out to the cul-de-sac at the end of Eddyville Spur Road.

Donelson Trail at Eddyville Spur Road cul-de-sac, Fort Donelson National Battlefield

There is a confusing directional sign at the intersection. Both arrows point back the way you came, either via the Donelson Trail or the River Circle Trail. It even mentions the Visitor Center, which is 2.5 miles away if you retrace your steps. Nothing points out the fact that the Visitor Center is only .75 mile away if you continue hiking along the Donelson Trail in the counterclockwise direction just as you have been. So ignore the sign and continue following the trail around the cul-de-sac to the right, and you’ll soon come to a sign post with an orange blaze that points the way.

Confusing signage on the Donelson Trail at the Eddyville Spur Road, Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Donelson Trail runs along Eddyville Spur Road at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

The Donelson Trail now follows the road all the way back to the Visitor Center. It passes the Smith’s Attack and Union Camp stops on the Fort Donelson National Battlefield Tour. From this point until the end of the hike, you are still heading slightly uphill, but compared to before, the terrain might as well be flat.

Smith’s Attack stop on the Fort Donelson National Battlefield Tour

The small hills and gullies to your left are Confederate trenches that made up Fort Donelson’s outer line of defense. When driving on the park road, you are on the Confederate side of the trenches. As you walk along the Donelson Trail, you are now outside the fortifications and seeing them from a Union soldier’s point of view, all without being shot at.

Confederate earthworks along Eddyville Spur Road in Fort Donelson National Battlefield

One last point of interest before getting back to the Visitor Center is the Confederate Monument, the first stop on the battlefield tour. The Donelson Trail runs along the backside of the monument. The only way to see the front is to climb up and over the earthworks, which you aren’t supposed to do, and of course you’d have to do the same thing to get back on the trail. Thus, if you haven’t yet seen the monument, drive to it after the hike. It has its own parking lot.

Confederate Monument at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

From the Confederate Monument it’s about .2 mile back to the Visitor Center. The Donelson Trail actually goes a little beyond the Visitor Center because there is never a break in the earthworks, and again, the National Park Service doesn’t want anyone climbing on them. When it finally does come out on the main road, it does so at Porter’s Battery. A cannon and limber (supply wagon) are on display. The park entrance gate is just down the road to the right, and the Visitor Center is just down the road to the left.

Cannon and limber on display at Battery Porter, Fort Donelson National Battlefield

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