Culps Hill Trails at Gettysburg?

There's a bridge on East Confederate Avenue just north of where it comes abeam Culp's Hill, just before the Jones' Brigade marker. If you look toward Culp's Hill, you'll see a raised area of flat ground, forming a plateau. You go up there, and you should be able to find the start of the trail along the tree line.

You da' man, cash....I found the bridge, which I circled. I also drew a line, which I hope is the path to the top! Thanks!

culp.jpg
 
Great! Do you know if it goes all the way to the top?

Yes, you can get all the way to the top. You can either connect with the Union line trail or you can go to the right and come up north of where the Iron Brigade's line would extend to the crest.
 
Yes, you can get all the way to the top. You can either connect with the Union line trail or you can go to the right and come up north of where the Iron Brigade's line would extend to the crest.

Looks like the trail goes past where the 66th Ohio advanced down the slope to flank the charge.
 
Looks like the trail goes past where the 66th Ohio advanced down the slope to flank the charge.

Praise be! Something I DO remember from my reading :smile: I can visualize that particular passage/area :smile:
 
It's not a straight line, but you'll see the markers tied around the trees.

Report:
I made the climb!
I did find the pink marker ribbons tied to the trees. However, I did not find anything that looked like a trail. Fortunately, the underbrush in the woods isn't that bad, so I just went up wherever I could find good footing. My first surprise is that from the base of Culps Hill to the top isn't much more than a tenth of a mile in horizontal distance. It is steep at places, especially the path that I took. In fact, I was on the right flank of the Confederates that charged the hill. I can understand why they climbed more to the left of me since the slope is not quite as steep. I was even to the right (left from their perspective) of the 66th Ohio, who flanked the charge. I finally appeared at the summit where the 76th NY tablet is placed. It took me only about 5 minutes to get back down the hill.

I've always seen Culps Hill as this forbidden cliff that seemed to almost drop menacingly down. However, after making the climb, it no longer takes on the dimensions that I had once imagined. On another occasion, I would like to try to ascend that hill more in the center of where the Rebs charged.
 
Report:
I made the climb!
I did find the pink marker ribbons tied to the trees. However, I did not find anything that looked like a trail. Fortunately, the underbrush in the woods isn't that bad, so I just went up wherever I could find good footing. My first surprise is that from the base of Culps Hill to the top isn't much more than a tenth of a mile in horizontal distance. It is steep at places, especially the path that I took. In fact, I was on the right flank of the Confederates that charged the hill. I can understand why they climbed more to the left of me since the slope is not quite as steep. I was even to the right (left from their perspective) of the 66th Ohio, who flanked the charge. I finally appeared at the summit where the 76th NY tablet is placed. It took me only about 5 minutes to get back down the hill.

I've always seen Culps Hill as this forbidden cliff that seemed to almost drop menacingly down. However, after making the climb, it no longer takes on the dimensions that I had once imagined. On another occasion, I would like to try to ascend that hill more in the center of where the Rebs charged.

Ranger Bill Hewitt has a trail that he takes groups up on. I did that trail with him once, but I'm not sure where it is. It might be that same marked trail.
 
That trail takes you further down Slocum Avenue and comes out behind the 1st Maryland Eastern Shore monument on Slocum.
If it's the trail I'm thinking of it splits off into two directions one to the Maryland monument and the other straight down to East Confederate Avenue. A friend and I discovered it as teenagers a while back while attempting to locate Union breastworks and ended up getting lost and found ourselves at the base of the hill on Confederate Avenue. As I recall it was quite the strenuous hike back to the top. On my recent trip to Ball's Bluff when hiking back up from the Potomac, I couldn't help but notice some similarities in the terrain.
 
I again made the trip to Culps Hill this week and walked 2 more paths to East Confederate Ave. Again, I found no continuous trails to follow, but just continually moved downhill wherever it was passable. On the picture below, the path farthest north is the one that I walked a few weeks ago and is by far the steepest and most challenging. The other 2, to the south, which I walked this week were much easier, but longer. It was well worth getting a feel for what the ground was really like.

IMG_5392.JPG
 
If you enjoy going off the beaten path around Culp's Hill, you may enjoy the challenge of getting over to the Z. Taney house site. You have to find a way across Rock Creek, which can be a little tricky, but it is worth it. It is a fascinating site, higher above Rock Creek than I imagined. You can look through the woods on the west side and see the monument to the 13th NJ along Colgrove Avenue. Here is the view from behind the house, looking roughly back in the direction of Spangler's Meadow.

Z Taney site.jpg
Z Taney site.jpg
 
If you enjoy going off the beaten path around Culp's Hill, you may enjoy the challenge of getting over to the Z. Taney house site. You have to find a way across Rock Creek, which can be a little tricky, but it is worth it. It is a fascinating site, higher above Rock Creek than I imagined. You can look through the woods on the west side and see the monument to the 13th NJ along Colgrove Avenue. Here is the view from behind the house, looking roughly back in the direction of Spangler's Meadow.

View attachment 155523 View attachment 155523

That's a cool tramp, but because it's been a wet summer, it's been impossible to cross Rock Creek where I usually do. I haven't been out there all summer, and usually I go a couple times. There is a way in from the other side, but I like coming from Spangler's Meadow.
 
Report:
I made the climb!
I did find the pink marker ribbons tied to the trees. However, I did not find anything that looked like a trail. Fortunately, the underbrush in the woods isn't that bad, so I just went up wherever I could find good footing. My first surprise is that from the base of Culps Hill to the top isn't much more than a tenth of a mile in horizontal distance. It is steep at places, especially the path that I took. In fact, I was on the right flank of the Confederates that charged the hill. I can understand why they climbed more to the left of me since the slope is not quite as steep. I was even to the right (left from their perspective) of the 66th Ohio, who flanked the charge. I finally appeared at the summit where the 76th NY tablet is placed. It took me only about 5 minutes to get back down the hill.

I've always seen Culps Hill as this forbidden cliff that seemed to almost drop menacingly down. However, after making the climb, it no longer takes on the dimensions that I had once imagined. On another occasion, I would like to try to ascend that hill more in the center of where the Rebs charged.

"Forbidden cliff""--that would be the back of BRT. Talk about steep! The fartherest up I've ever gone there is following the old Scout nature trail.
 
If you enjoy going off the beaten path around Culp's Hill, you may enjoy the challenge of getting over to the Z. Taney house site.

Excellent. I've wondered whether anything was left of the Taney house. The 2nd VA was firing shots from there at the 13th NJ across Rock Creek.
 
Hi infomanpa:
If you like "then vs. now" photo comparisons, the large cornerstone in my earlier photo appears to match the one in the old photo that appears in Tim Smith's book on the Farms of Gettysburg. I have uploaded the page and tried to outline the rock in red.

Z. Taney House-Then (with outlining).jpg
 
Hi infomanpa:
If you like "then vs. now" photo comparisons, the large cornerstone in my earlier photo appears to match the one in the old photo that appears in Tim Smith's book on the Farms of Gettysburg. I have uploaded the page and tried to outline the rock in red.

Amazing. I'll have to visit that spot.
 
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