Manassas National Battlefield Park Map (click to enlarge)
The expansiveness of Manassas National Battlefield Park is due to the Second Battle of Manassas, a battle that was much larger than First Manassas in both terms of bloodshed and terrain. While the First Manassas battlefield can be explored by hiking a few trails, it takes twenty miles of driving to visit all of the key spots on the Second Manassas battlefield. To help organize your visit, the National Park Service has created a twelve-stop tour for those with a vehicle. However, just because you can reach the stops by vehicle doesn’t mean you can learn about the battle from the parking lots. If you aren’t willing to hike 1-2 miles, half of the stops aren’t even worth visiting because there is nothing at the parking lot other than a wayside exhibit. The story is out on the trails.
For those who want to learn more about the battle, the Second Manassas Field Guide, a CD audio tour, is on sale at the Henry Hill Visitor Center. Designed to play in your car as you tour the battlefield, the CD contains extensive narrations about the events that took place at each stop. It is not cheap, but it does include a small book of battle maps, bios of some of the key players, and information on the weapons of the day. I’ve purchased CD tours at other battlefields for as little as $5, but all I got was the CD.
While the National Park Service owns all of the battlefield property (sixteen square miles), this is not a self-contained park with an entrance and perimeter fencing around the borders. City streets and four-lane highways crisscross the park, and cars travel at normal speeds, so you can’t lollygag and sightsee from your car. Each tour stop has a parking area, so be sure to use it. Also, during rush hour you could be sitting in traffic for an hour, so avoid the tour at this time.
For detailed information on what there is to see and do at each tour stop, visit the following review pages. A menu is located at the bottom of each page that allows you to navigate to the next and previous stops.
Stop 8: Groveton Confederate Cemetery
Stop 11: Portici Plantation Site
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Last updated on May 20, 2025
