Richmond Battlefields Tour

[bdtex]

If we decided to visit the museums, I would definitely stretch this out.....

But we decided to visit the battlefields only on this trip.

That is one of the great things about that whole area. Within an hour's drive in all directions,there are battlefields everywhere.

 

[War Horse]

Chuck (@KLSDAD ), my son and I will be touring the NPS Richmond Battlefields on May 11th, 2016. We will be starting out at the Tredegar Iron Works and end our tour at Drewry's Bluff (Fort Darling). I have attached the official NPS map with my highlighted tour route. I know this is a lot to accomplish in one day.........

I have visited the Tredegar Iron Works (Visitor Center and Museum), Hollywood Cemetery, Virginia Historical Society, Museum of the Confederacy, Confederate White House, Gaines Mill Battlefield and Cold Harbor Battlefield.

I will be visiting the North Anna River Battlefield and J.E.B. Stuart's death site north of Yellow Tavern the day before our tour of the Richmond Battlefields. After our tour of the Richmond Battlefield, we are heading south to tour the Petersburg National Battlefield and the Lee's Retreat tour to Appomattox Court House.

Any advanced advice on this tour route of the Richmond Battlefields?

View attachment 93803

Thanks,
Bill

Bill, please take pictures of Stuart's death site. I've always wanted to visit but for one reason or another have not.

 

[War Horse]

I want to start my tour at dawn. How is the traffic flow in the northern sector of this map? May 11th falls on a Wednesday.

* I wish the NPS visitor center at the Tredegar Iron Works opened at 0800 hours instead of 0900 hours.

You will see my friend. Traffic will be you largest concern.

 

[Jamieva]

Ok native Richmonder so a few things I will throw in.

You didn't say where you are staying. Out where Malvern Hill, Gaines Mill and Cold Harbor is there is little traffic. Best way to avoid traffic is to avoid 95 and 64. Use 295 as much as you can to get to the eastern battlefield sites and to swing over the James to get to City Point and Petersburg

You do have the advantage of coming in May so you're going to get long daylight hours.

 

[bdtex]

Out where Malvern Hill, Gaines Mill and Cold Harbor is there is little traffic.

That was my experience in January. Doing it during non-peak driving times on a weekday helped too. I try to do all my battlefield touring on weekdays.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

Ok native Richmonder so a few things I will throw in.

You didn't say where you are staying. Out where Malvern Hill, Gaines Mill and Cold Harbor is there is little traffic. Best way to avoid traffic is to avoid 95 and 64. Use 295 as much as you can to get to the eastern battlefield sites and to swing over the James to get to City Point and Petersburg

You do have the advantage of coming in May so you're going to get long daylight hours.

We are staying at the Country Inn and Suites in Bellwood off I-95 (exit 61).

 

[Dave G]

* Day Five : Lee's Retreat Tour (Petersburg to Appomattox Court House)

I took this trip years ago. There were 2 options: The route that Lee took goes through Namozine Church, Amelia CH, Jetersville and other places. The second option was faster: Route 460 with a detour to Sailors Creek. I would not recommend the long way. There is almost nothing to see at Amelia CH etc. and it cuts into your time at Appomattox CH. I made that mistake.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

I took this trip years ago. There were 2 options: The route that Lee took goes through Namozine Church, Amelia CH, Jetersville and other places. The second option was faster: Route 460 with a detour to Sailors Creek. I would not recommend the long way. There is almost nothing to see at Amelia CH etc. and it cuts into your time at Appomattox CH. I made that mistake.

Thanks for the heads up, Dave! All of the hotels and Bed & Breakfasts are booked solid on the weekend of our trip. Liberty University in Lynchburg is graduating their students on Friday, May 13th. If we can book a room in Farmville, Appomattox or Lynchburg, we will probably travel the long route. If we can not find a room, we will take the short route.

Bill

 

[W. Richardson]

They are beautiful homes. Toured them several years ago.

Yes they are beautiful homes Donna. My wife and I did the "Plantation tour" some years back and really loved it. IIRC we had dinner at the Berkeley Plantation. I think we enjoyed the tour of Shirley the most. We also threw in a trip to Malvern Hill Battlefield.

Respectfully,
William

 

[W. Richardson]

Chuck (@KLSDAD ), my son and I will be touring the NPS Richmond Battlefields on May 11th, 2016. We will be starting out at the Tredegar Iron Works and end our tour at Drewry's Bluff (Fort Darling). I have attached the official NPS map with my highlighted tour route. I know this is a lot to accomplish in one day.........

I have visited the Tredegar Iron Works (Visitor Center and Museum), Hollywood Cemetery, Virginia Historical Society, Museum of the Confederacy, Confederate White House, Gaines Mill Battlefield and Cold Harbor Battlefield.

I will be visiting the North Anna River Battlefield and J.E.B. Stuart's death site north of Yellow Tavern the day before our tour of the Richmond Battlefields. After our tour of the Richmond Battlefield, we are heading south to tour the Petersburg National Battlefield and the Lee's Retreat tour to Appomattox Court House.

Any advanced advice on this tour route of the Richmond Battlefields?

View attachment 93803

Thanks,
Bill

Enjoy my friend !! Be safe and we all are looking forward to the wonderful photos

Respectfully,
William

 

[KLSDAD]

I want to start my tour at dawn......

At dawn or early dawn?

 

[Buckeye Bill]

At dawn or early dawn?

Early dawn! We will be leaving our hotel before dawn and hopefully arriving at Tredegar or Chickahominy Bluff by early dawn.

 

[theoldman]

Bill,

I did the Retreat route in 2013. I started at the Crater and followed 460 to Appomattox. I did not rush, saw everything I wanted to see and it took maybe 5-6 hours total. My thought is you won't need a whole day doing it and that may give you time to spend other places. Great, really great Museum of the Confederacy at Appomattox.

Enjoy your trip and always be safe.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

Bill,

I did the Retreat route in 2013. I started at the Crater and followed 460 to Appomattox. I did not rush, saw everything I wanted to see and it took maybe 5-6 hours total. My thought is you won't need a whole day doing it and that may give you time to spend other places. Great, really great Museum of the Confederacy at Appomattox.

Enjoy your trip and always be safe.

We will leave our hotel near Pamplin early and head towards the White Oak Road Battlefield. Then we will tour the Five Forks Battlefield before we start the Lee's Retreat Tour at Sutherland Station. Hopefully we will arrive at Appomattox in the late afternoon. If we can locate a hotel at Appomattox or near Appomattox, we will visit the NPS venue in the morning. If we can not find a hotel, we will visit Five Forks and travel towards Appomattox.

Thanks for the response!
Bill

 

[dlavin]

Five Forks has a lot of trails. I have a print out from the NPS with walking/hiking trails, since the tour is only 5 stops I think.

Farmville is where Longwood University is. So reading your post about Liberty...you may want to check out hotels in Farmville soon as you may run up against graduation there too

 

[bdtex]

Five Forks has a lot of trails. I have a print out from the NPS with walking/hiking trails, since the tour is only 5 stops I think.

In January,at one of the tour stops I could see remnants of earthworks in the woods. There was no walking trail so I just made my way through the underbrush and got as close as I could without walking on the earthworks themselves. The underbrush was too thick to get a good picture.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

Farmville is where Longwood University is. So reading your post about Liberty...you may want to check out hotels in Farmville soon as you may run up against graduation there too

Farmville, Appomattox and Lynchburg hotels are packed and stacked the weekend of May 13-14, 2016.

 

[dlavin]

Attached is the Five Forks trail map

 

[Buckeye Bill]

Thanks again for everyone's recommendations and advice for our May trip to the Richmond battlefields!

Bill

 

[dehight]

Hello all, I was doing a forum search on Lee's retreat route and found this thread. I plan on doing it when I'm in VA in two weeks. I've found the Civil War trails map that shows the route and the stops, but is there anywhere with actual directions? How do I know when to turn and where to stop at some of the stops? Does the actual brochure have this on it or how do I know how to drive the route? Thanks for any help.