Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain

Great photos. I've been to Lookout Mountain several times and Chickamauga just briefly. But I really need to make it out to Missionary Ridge.
 
I've never been to Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain. Thanks for the beautiful pics.
 
You certainly had better weather atop Lookout than I did when I was there! (Although it cleared up next day for Orchard Knob/Missionary Ridge.) I'm glad you went to Orchard Knob, too - many seem to be put off by the surrounding neighborhood, but I think that's an exaggerated opinion, especially when there are so many important monuments located there.

I agree about Orchard Knob. It is a fascinating little spot. It is certainly a much less prosperous neighborhood than Missionary Ridge, but it is such an exposed area I did not feel uncomfortable exploring around the monuments and taking in the various views. I also tried to do a few then vs. now comparisons based on the classic photos that George N. Barnard took of the area in 1864-1866. I think I am pretty close on the Orchard Knob comparison and the first Missionary Ridge comparison. The others were taken from lower angles that I could not duplicate exactly.

Barnard's collection is available here: http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/artist/Barnard,+George+N

Barnard's "Mission Ridge from Orchard Knob"

Mission Ridge from Orchard Knob.jpg


Orchard Knob looking to Missionary Ridge, Oct. 2017, with rough ground/low spot in foreground

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Barnard's "The Crest of Mission Ridge"

The Crest of Mission Ridge.jpg


Missionary Ridge, Oct. 2017, looking to northwest from neighborhood south of the Bragg reservation

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Barnard's "Orchard Knob from Mission Ridge"

Orchard Knob from Mission Ridge.jpg


Orchard Knob from Missionary Ridge, Oct. 2017. This is taken from a somewhat higher elevation than Barnard, but the view is approximately the same based on the curves in the distant ridge line. Orchard Knob is outlined in the center of the photo. This was taken from an area south of where Shallowford Rd. crosses North Crest Rd. (no parking in this area). I parked at De Long reservation and walked south along the ridge.

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Barnard's "Chattanooga Valley from Lookout Mountain No. 2"

Chattanooga valley from Lookout Mountain no. 2.jpg


Chattanooga Valley from Point Park, Oct. 2017. Based on the bend in the river, I think this is lined up about right, but Barnard seems to have been at a lower elevation, below the modern Point Park. I could not find a trail to duplicate his somewhat lower vantage point.

20171019_Chatt valley from Lookout Mtn no. 2.jpg
 
Thank You for posting such beautiful pictures. I have never been to this battlefield or area of the country. The views are breath taking. David.
 
Fantastic pics @George Thomas! I'm glad you captured some of the beautiful home along Missionary Ridge. That's a gorgeous neighborhood, especially at night.

Yes, the homes along Missionary Ridge were an added treat. In addition to the more formal reservations, there are a wide variety of interesting monuments and plaques all along the ridge. The sidewalk along the ridge is narrow, just enough for one person, but certainly adequate for safely exploring the area. Here is a nice monument to the 19th Illinois regiment in the neighborhood south of the Bragg reservation (the width of sidewalk in this picture is much wider than normal).

20171016_19th IL Missionary Ridge.jpg
 
I just love Chattanooga. I went to college there back in the 60's and was a TV news photographer there. The town has changed so much. When people visit, they forget about Stringers Ridge. It is located just north of the
Tennessee River across from down town. The ridge played an important role there. The 18th Indiana occupied the ridge top and shelled the river front as part of the downtown.
 
Great pictures. You couldn't have asked for better weather. What a great area too. So much to see. Went there in June 2016 and the weather was just like that. Planning another trip there in late October next year.

The Chickamauga battlefield is wonderful for anyone who likes to get out the car and walk. There are endless trails to follow. The photos I posted were mostly of open fields, but of course much of the battlefield is heavily wooded. However, there are still a vast assortment of monuments and plaques along the trails that go through the wooded areas. Here is a little monument marking the death site of John W. Bull, Co. K, 3rd Tennessee regiment. It is located off a small side trail on the southwest portion of Snodgrass Ridge. I relied heavily on the Trailhead Graphics map showing the locations of all the monuments, as well as the park service color coded map showing all the hiking trails.

20171015_Pvt John W Bull monument.jpg
 
I agree about Orchard Knob. It is a fascinating little spot. It is certainly a much less prosperous neighborhood than Missionary Ridge, but it is such an exposed area I did not feel uncomfortable exploring around the monuments and taking in the various views. I also tried to do a few then vs. now comparisons based on the classic photos that George N. Barnard took of the area in 1864-1866. I think I am pretty close on the Orchard Knob comparison and the first Missionary Ridge comparison. The others were taken from lower angles that I could not duplicate exactly.

Barnard's collection is available here: http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/artist/Barnard,+George+N

Barnard's "Mission Ridge from Orchard Knob"

View attachment 162932

Orchard Knob looking to Missionary Ridge, Oct. 2017, with rough ground/low spot in foreground

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Barnard's "The Crest of Mission Ridge"

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Missionary Ridge, Oct. 2017, looking to northwest from neighborhood south of the Bragg reservation

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Barnard's "Orchard Knob from Mission Ridge"

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Orchard Knob from Missionary Ridge, Oct. 2017. This is taken from a somewhat higher elevation than Barnard, but the view is approximately the same based on the curves in the distant ridge line. Orchard Knob is outlined in the center of the photo. This was taken from an area south of where Shallowford Rd. crosses North Crest Rd. (no parking in this area). I parked at De Long reservation and walked south along the ridge.

View attachment 162943


Barnard's "Chattanooga Valley from Lookout Mountain No. 2"

View attachment 162941

Chattanooga Valley from Point Park, Oct. 2017. Based on the bend in the river, I think this is lined up about right, but Barnard seems to have been at a lower elevation, below the modern Point Park. I could not find a trail to duplicate his somewhat lower vantage point.

View attachment 162942
Outstanding pictures. I did not get to go to Missionary Ridge or Orchard Knob on my first visit there but they are on the list for next year's visit. I have 2 Confederate ancestors that were there.
 
I am very encouraged by your description of Missionary Ridge. I have heard conflicting things about the neighborhood. I have been to Lookout Mountain but did not get to walk any trails or go to the Craven House. Is that and Missionary Ridge doable in 1 day with an early start?
 
I just love Chattanooga. I went to college there back in the 60's and was a TV news photographer there. The town has changed so much. When people visit, they forget about Stringers Ridge. It is located just north of the
Tennessee River across from down town. The ridge played an important role there. The 18th Indiana occupied the ridge top and shelled the river front as part of the downtown.

Agreed, Stringer's Ridge is very visible from the downtown area, right across from the Ross's landing area that has been so beautifully developed with the Chattanooga aquarium and art museum. Here is the ridge as seen from the current river walk.

20171019_Stringer's Ridge.jpg
 
I am very encouraged by your description of Missionary Ridge. I have heard conflicting things about the neighborhood. I have been to Lookout Mountain but did not get to walk any trails or go to the Craven House. Is that and Missionary Ridge doable in 1 day with an early start?

That would be a lot for one day. I found it slow going on Missionary Ridge because you have to do a lot of backtracking if you want to walk and really take in the scenery. There are not many places to park, and many of the best views are not near parking areas. In fact, there are no views of the city from the two reservations with parking areas (Bragg & De Long). I parked at Bragg reservation, then walked south on South Crest Road until I reached the area around the New York monument below. There are also smaller markers for Geary's Division nearby. Then I returned to the car, drove to the parking area at the De Long reservation, and then walked south along North Crest Road until I reached the Ohio reservation. That took a good portion of the day. I also stopped briefly at the Sherman reservation at the north end of Missionary Ridge. There is a small parking area there. The neighborhood around the Sherman reservation is much less grand and much of the area is wooded. I would have liked to explore it more, but I decided to move on to Orchard Knob and then the National Cemetery. That itinerary took a full day.

20171016_NY monument on Missionary Ridge.jpg


One can hike or drive to Craven's House. After reaching the plateau, there are a couple of different trails up to Point Park, or one can drive. It takes a while to walk from Craven's House to Point Park, I'd estimate about 2 hours round trip. Craven's House is surprisingly far below the crest. There are metal stairs that you take up to Point Park once your reach the palisades near the crest. The cliffs are evident in this famous photo of Grant on Lookout Mountain, which matches up pretty well with the third photo I posted at the beginning of the thread. Photo available at Library of Congress site: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/90712601/

Grant on Lookout Mountain.jpg
 
Great pictures. You couldn't have asked for better weather. What a great area too. So much to see. Went there in June 2016 and the weather was just like that. Planning another trip there in late October next year.

Another nice side trip near the Chickamauga battlefield is Lee and Gordon's mill. It is just south of the battlefield off Lafayette Rd. I had seen this old photo from the National Archives site many times, but I didn't realize how many monuments there were in this area. There is a road that runs along the ridge above the mill that has several interesting monuments/plaques. I captured one in the photo below, but there are at least 6 others in the same general vicinity in a residential area.

Lee and Gordon's mill from https://catalog.archives.gov/id/528904

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Lee and Gordon's mill, Oct. 2017, with Georgia monument

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Lee and Gordon' mill, Oct. 2017

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