This isn't designed to be definitive, but I thought it would be a good to have a "catch-all" thread for what's out there as far as published battlefield guides are concerned.
As a general word f advice, unless you have tons of spare time and/or no timetable, plan your schedule in advance. I typically have an itinerary spreadsheet with addresses and coordinates that I can punch into my Maps app to seamlessly take me from stop to stop. Planning the route order out in advance is also highly recommended -- you don't want to be haphazardly driving all over the map! Mapquest has a route "optimizer" where you can enter around 20-25 addresses at a time and Mapquest will then "optimize" the route based on time or distance. This is less of a concern if you are visiting only one or two battlefields, but essential if you hitting many spots in a geographic area. Also: be aware that roads and developments may have changed the directions or landscapes from the initial publication date. Take this into consideration when planning.
General Guides
The Complete Civil War Road Trip Guide: More than 500 Sites from Gettysburg to Vicksburg by Michael Weeks
--This is a great "big picture" guide that gives you a list of "can't miss" stops in several geographic areas. Weeks also includes several smaller sites and tries to list as many campaigns as he can -- even if the stop is limited to an interpretive sign or two. In-depth analysis of each site (particularly the larger sites) won't be found here, but it's a great starting point.
National Geographic The Civil War: A Traveler's Guide by National Geographic
--Similar to Weeks's book above, the Nat Geo guide also serves as a great "first step," but there are enough differences between the two to make referencing or owning both worthwhile. The format is also a bit different, as Nat Geo organizes theirs by state instead of Weeks's regional grouping. You may prefer one over the other.
Civil War Road Trip, Volume I: A Guide to Northern Virginia, Maryland & Pennsylvania, 1861-1863: First Manassas to Gettysburg and Civil War Road Trip, Volume II: A Guide to Virginia & Maryland, 1863-1865 by Michael Weeks
--These two volumes goes into more detail than either of the nationwide entries listed above. Weeks gives an ordered guide to each of the major campaigns in the East, including stops on the battlefields themselves, which wasn't a feature of his more general guide. They may not have quite as much detail as some of the guides that are specifically tailored to campaigns or battles (see below), but if you are pressed for time or just want general overview, these really can't be beat. A very helpful feature is a list of GPS coordinates for each stop in the back of the books -- extremely useful when trying to find stops with no fixed address.
Campaign-specific guides (Gettysburg and Antietam)
This is going to be broken into sections by series, but I'm going to address a couple of individual works first. Gettysburg and Antietam are the two most popular battlefields in the country, so it's only natural that large guides have been specifically created for each.
Complete Gettysburg Guide: Walking and Driving Tours of the Battlefield, Town, Cemeteries, Field Hospital Sites, and other Topics of Historical Interest by J. David Petruzzi and Steven Stanley
--This is your guide to everything Gettysburg, hitting popular stops and obscure stops, as well as cemeteries, rock engravings, and other more niche curiosities.
A Field Guide to Gettysburg, Second Edition Expanded Ebook: Experiencing the Battlefield through Its History, Places, and People and A Field Guide to Antietam: Experiencing the Battlefield through Its History, Places, and People by Carol Reardon and Tom Vossler
--Great guides! The Gettysburg guide doesn't quite have the detail of Petruzzi's, but that wasn't the goal. This is going to give you more than enough information and stops for you to make a very comprehensive visit to both sites.
Campaign-specific guides (Matt Spruill guides)
Matt Spruill has written four battlefield specific guides: Seven Days, Second Manassas, Stones River, and Chattanooga. The guides can be very detailed -- sometimes giving directions in yards or feet, which make it a bit more difficult to plan or route, especially if you are a poor judge of small distances. Still, if you are looking for a little more detail for the four sites listed above, Spruill guides are great to have.
Campaign-specific guides (This Hallowed Ground series)
University of Nebraska Press site
--For my money, this is probably the best battlefield "guide" series. Easy-to-follow directions and detailed descriptions of what took place at each stop are both highlights of this series. It seems to have dried up the past few years and doesn't appear to have any new additions on the horizon, but hopefully we haven't seen the last of this great series. Includes guides to:
Manassas (First and Second)
Antietam (including South Mountain and Harpers Ferry)
Gettysburg
Peninsula and Seven Days
Chickamauga
Wilson's Creek, Pea Ride, Prairie Grove
Shiloh
Campaign-specific guides (U.S. Army War College series)
University of Kansas Press site
--Not quite as good as the THG series, but you'll still find much to like here, including sites and stops not covered by THG. Some of these books can be dated, so make sure you get the new editions, if available. It's a little more on the "dry" side (it's the War College, after all), but I've still found them very useful. Includes guides to:
Chickamauga
Richmond-Petersburg Campaign
Gettysburg
Atlanta Campaign (first phase only)
Vicksburg (including stops and battles leading up to the siege)
Shiloh
Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg
Antietam
Campaign-specific guides (Emerging Civil War series)
Savas Beatie site
--These aren't specifically guides (although a handful are -- I've listed them as such, below), but most entries include a fairly detailed tour/recommended stops sections, either following the book's narration or included as an appendix. Gives some detailed coverage for campaigns not addressed in the Hallowed Ground or War College series. A major positive of these books is they also serve as narrative companions, so you can read up on the battle or campaign before or after your visit. The entries that include battle/campaign guides are as follows (listed in the Savas-Beatie link, above):
Fredericksburg
Spotsylvania
Chickamauga
1864 Valley Campaign ("Bloody Autumn")
Cold Harbor
Overland Campaign guide ("No Turning Back")
Chancellorsville
Bentonville
Gettysburg, Day 1
North Anna
Bristoe Station
Wilderness
Brandy Station
Atlanta Campaign (first phase)
Gettysburg, Day 2 (South battlefield)
Monocacy
Atlanta Campaign (second phase)
Lookout Mountain
Seven Days
Antietam
Shiloh
Maryland Campaign Guide ("To Hazard All")
Chattanooga
Mine Run
Franklin
New Market
Richmond
Monitor/Virginia fight
Bermuda Hundred
Cedar Mountain
Secessionville
Peninsula Campaign
Nashville
Gettysburg, Day 2 (North battlefield)
Stones River
Second Manassas
After Gettysburg (Lee's Retreat)
Campaign-specific guides (Command Decisions of the Civil War series)
University of Tennessee Press site
--As with the Emerging Civil War series above, the Command Decisions of the Civil War series does not serve solely as a battlefield guide. Instead, it attempts to chronicle major decisions that impacted the battle or campaign and provides a guide to accompany those decisions in an appendix (at least in all of the entries I've read). They have cranked out several books in this series, so there are entries here that aren't represented in detail by any of the above series (Red River, Henry/Donelson, etc.). Battles and campaigns addressed by this series are:
Antietam
Atlanta
Chattanooga
Chickamauga
Forts Henry and Donelson
Franklin
Fredericksburg
Galveston(!)
Gettysburg
Kennesaw Mountain
Kentucky Campaign
Maryland Campaign
Perryville
Red River
Second Manassas
Seven Days
Shiloh
Stones River
Shenandoah Valley Campaign (1862)
Tullahoma(!)
Vicksburg
Wilderness and Spotsylvania
Campaign-specific guides (Army Staff Rides)
Army University Press Staff Rides and U.S. Army Center of Military History Staff Rides
--The U.S. Army has also published or released staff rides outside of the War College series mentioned above. Not all of these staff rides offer a tour or list of selected stops (especially in the second link), but I've tried to list those that do. Some of these are quite dated or have been superseded by entries above, but there is still insight to be gained from referencing these entries. Sites addressed at these two links are:
First Link
Red River
Olustee(!)
Chickamauga
Mobile Campaign (all phases, 1864-1865)
Overland Campaign
Perryville
Shiloh
Vicksburg
Wilson's Creek
Second Link
First Manassas
Antietam
Lincoln Assassination
Conclusion
--I have done site visits both small and large, and have found each of the above sources to be useful in some form or fashion over the years. If you looking for a casual trip, don't have a lot of experience, or have physical limitations, you may want to reference just one of the above entries for a specific site. However, if you're a psycho like me, you can combine the stops from all of the above sources for a "mega" visit, so if you have plenty of time or want to do a deep dive, you may consider something similar. It's really all up to you.
Hopefully this helped some of you out.
As a general word f advice, unless you have tons of spare time and/or no timetable, plan your schedule in advance. I typically have an itinerary spreadsheet with addresses and coordinates that I can punch into my Maps app to seamlessly take me from stop to stop. Planning the route order out in advance is also highly recommended -- you don't want to be haphazardly driving all over the map! Mapquest has a route "optimizer" where you can enter around 20-25 addresses at a time and Mapquest will then "optimize" the route based on time or distance. This is less of a concern if you are visiting only one or two battlefields, but essential if you hitting many spots in a geographic area. Also: be aware that roads and developments may have changed the directions or landscapes from the initial publication date. Take this into consideration when planning.
General Guides
The Complete Civil War Road Trip Guide: More than 500 Sites from Gettysburg to Vicksburg by Michael Weeks
--This is a great "big picture" guide that gives you a list of "can't miss" stops in several geographic areas. Weeks also includes several smaller sites and tries to list as many campaigns as he can -- even if the stop is limited to an interpretive sign or two. In-depth analysis of each site (particularly the larger sites) won't be found here, but it's a great starting point.
National Geographic The Civil War: A Traveler's Guide by National Geographic
--Similar to Weeks's book above, the Nat Geo guide also serves as a great "first step," but there are enough differences between the two to make referencing or owning both worthwhile. The format is also a bit different, as Nat Geo organizes theirs by state instead of Weeks's regional grouping. You may prefer one over the other.
Civil War Road Trip, Volume I: A Guide to Northern Virginia, Maryland & Pennsylvania, 1861-1863: First Manassas to Gettysburg and Civil War Road Trip, Volume II: A Guide to Virginia & Maryland, 1863-1865 by Michael Weeks
--These two volumes goes into more detail than either of the nationwide entries listed above. Weeks gives an ordered guide to each of the major campaigns in the East, including stops on the battlefields themselves, which wasn't a feature of his more general guide. They may not have quite as much detail as some of the guides that are specifically tailored to campaigns or battles (see below), but if you are pressed for time or just want general overview, these really can't be beat. A very helpful feature is a list of GPS coordinates for each stop in the back of the books -- extremely useful when trying to find stops with no fixed address.
Campaign-specific guides (Gettysburg and Antietam)
This is going to be broken into sections by series, but I'm going to address a couple of individual works first. Gettysburg and Antietam are the two most popular battlefields in the country, so it's only natural that large guides have been specifically created for each.
Complete Gettysburg Guide: Walking and Driving Tours of the Battlefield, Town, Cemeteries, Field Hospital Sites, and other Topics of Historical Interest by J. David Petruzzi and Steven Stanley
--This is your guide to everything Gettysburg, hitting popular stops and obscure stops, as well as cemeteries, rock engravings, and other more niche curiosities.
A Field Guide to Gettysburg, Second Edition Expanded Ebook: Experiencing the Battlefield through Its History, Places, and People and A Field Guide to Antietam: Experiencing the Battlefield through Its History, Places, and People by Carol Reardon and Tom Vossler
--Great guides! The Gettysburg guide doesn't quite have the detail of Petruzzi's, but that wasn't the goal. This is going to give you more than enough information and stops for you to make a very comprehensive visit to both sites.
Campaign-specific guides (Matt Spruill guides)
Matt Spruill has written four battlefield specific guides: Seven Days, Second Manassas, Stones River, and Chattanooga. The guides can be very detailed -- sometimes giving directions in yards or feet, which make it a bit more difficult to plan or route, especially if you are a poor judge of small distances. Still, if you are looking for a little more detail for the four sites listed above, Spruill guides are great to have.
Campaign-specific guides (This Hallowed Ground series)
University of Nebraska Press site
--For my money, this is probably the best battlefield "guide" series. Easy-to-follow directions and detailed descriptions of what took place at each stop are both highlights of this series. It seems to have dried up the past few years and doesn't appear to have any new additions on the horizon, but hopefully we haven't seen the last of this great series. Includes guides to:
Manassas (First and Second)
Antietam (including South Mountain and Harpers Ferry)
Gettysburg
Peninsula and Seven Days
Chickamauga
Wilson's Creek, Pea Ride, Prairie Grove
Shiloh
Campaign-specific guides (U.S. Army War College series)
University of Kansas Press site
--Not quite as good as the THG series, but you'll still find much to like here, including sites and stops not covered by THG. Some of these books can be dated, so make sure you get the new editions, if available. It's a little more on the "dry" side (it's the War College, after all), but I've still found them very useful. Includes guides to:
Chickamauga
Richmond-Petersburg Campaign
Gettysburg
Atlanta Campaign (first phase only)
Vicksburg (including stops and battles leading up to the siege)
Shiloh
Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg
Antietam
Campaign-specific guides (Emerging Civil War series)
Savas Beatie site
--These aren't specifically guides (although a handful are -- I've listed them as such, below), but most entries include a fairly detailed tour/recommended stops sections, either following the book's narration or included as an appendix. Gives some detailed coverage for campaigns not addressed in the Hallowed Ground or War College series. A major positive of these books is they also serve as narrative companions, so you can read up on the battle or campaign before or after your visit. The entries that include battle/campaign guides are as follows (listed in the Savas-Beatie link, above):
Fredericksburg
Spotsylvania
Chickamauga
1864 Valley Campaign ("Bloody Autumn")
Cold Harbor
Overland Campaign guide ("No Turning Back")
Chancellorsville
Bentonville
Gettysburg, Day 1
North Anna
Bristoe Station
Wilderness
Brandy Station
Atlanta Campaign (first phase)
Gettysburg, Day 2 (South battlefield)
Monocacy
Atlanta Campaign (second phase)
Lookout Mountain
Seven Days
Antietam
Shiloh
Maryland Campaign Guide ("To Hazard All")
Chattanooga
Mine Run
Franklin
New Market
Richmond
Monitor/Virginia fight
Bermuda Hundred
Cedar Mountain
Secessionville
Peninsula Campaign
Nashville
Gettysburg, Day 2 (North battlefield)
Stones River
Second Manassas
After Gettysburg (Lee's Retreat)
Campaign-specific guides (Command Decisions of the Civil War series)
University of Tennessee Press site
--As with the Emerging Civil War series above, the Command Decisions of the Civil War series does not serve solely as a battlefield guide. Instead, it attempts to chronicle major decisions that impacted the battle or campaign and provides a guide to accompany those decisions in an appendix (at least in all of the entries I've read). They have cranked out several books in this series, so there are entries here that aren't represented in detail by any of the above series (Red River, Henry/Donelson, etc.). Battles and campaigns addressed by this series are:
Antietam
Atlanta
Chattanooga
Chickamauga
Forts Henry and Donelson
Franklin
Fredericksburg
Galveston(!)
Gettysburg
Kennesaw Mountain
Kentucky Campaign
Maryland Campaign
Perryville
Red River
Second Manassas
Seven Days
Shiloh
Stones River
Shenandoah Valley Campaign (1862)
Tullahoma(!)
Vicksburg
Wilderness and Spotsylvania
Campaign-specific guides (Army Staff Rides)
Army University Press Staff Rides and U.S. Army Center of Military History Staff Rides
--The U.S. Army has also published or released staff rides outside of the War College series mentioned above. Not all of these staff rides offer a tour or list of selected stops (especially in the second link), but I've tried to list those that do. Some of these are quite dated or have been superseded by entries above, but there is still insight to be gained from referencing these entries. Sites addressed at these two links are:
First Link
Red River
Olustee(!)
Chickamauga
Mobile Campaign (all phases, 1864-1865)
Overland Campaign
Perryville
Shiloh
Vicksburg
Wilson's Creek
Second Link
First Manassas
Antietam
Lincoln Assassination
Conclusion
--I have done site visits both small and large, and have found each of the above sources to be useful in some form or fashion over the years. If you looking for a casual trip, don't have a lot of experience, or have physical limitations, you may want to reference just one of the above entries for a specific site. However, if you're a psycho like me, you can combine the stops from all of the above sources for a "mega" visit, so if you have plenty of time or want to do a deep dive, you may consider something similar. It's really all up to you.
Hopefully this helped some of you out.
Bringing the