Fort Donelson National Battlefield
Dover, TN Hours and Location

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I obtain a park entrance pass?

Only 118 of your 417 park sites charge entrance fees. You can obtain park entrance passes by visiting a park site that charges an entrance fee. Entrance fee sites have passes available; we recommend calling a park prior to your visit. (See the park search to locate a specific park.) There are a number of entrance passes available, including park-specific passes as well as passes that offer entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites in addition to the national parks (Annual, Military, Senior, 4th Grade, Access, and Volunteer passes). Learn more about the America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.

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About this location:

National Battlefield

Operating Hours & Seasons

Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Park open 8:00 AM to sunset Visitor center open daily 8AM to 4:30PM (CT), closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25, January 1. Fort Heiman unit open sunrise to sunset. Check website for gate closures at Fort Donelson

Standard Hours

• Sunday:8:00 AM-8:00 PM
• Monday:8:00 AM-8:00 PM
• Tuesday:8:00 AM-8:00 PM
• Wednesday:8:00 AM-8:00 PM
• Thursday:8:00 AM-8:00 PM
• Friday:8:00 AM-8:00 PM
• Saturday:8:00 AM-8:00 PM

Fees & Passes

Entrance Fees:

• $0.00 – No fees
  Fort Donelson does not charge for entrance or interpretive fees.

Entrance Passes:

• $0.00 – No entrance fees at Fort Donelson
  Passes are not needed at Fort Donelson National Battlefield, as we have no fees. Passes are not issued at Fort Donelson…but may be purchased at Land Between the Lakes, a few minutes away. http://www.landbetweenthelakes.us/

About

"Fort Donelson will hereafter be marked in Capitals on the maps of our United Country…"

Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant was becoming quite famous as he wrote these words following the surrender of Confederate Fort Donelson on Sunday, February 16, 1862. The Union victory at Fort Donelson elated the North, and stunned the South. Within days of the surrender, Clarksville and Nashville would fall into Union hands. Grant and his troops had created a pathway to victory for the Union.

Directions

Fort Donelson’s main entrance is located along Highway 79, in Dover Tennessee. It is advised to start a visitor experience here. (From December 7, 2015 until announced, Fort Donelson’s temporary visitor center will be at the Stewart County Visitor Center, 117 Visitor Center Lane, Dover, TN, 37058). Physical address for the park’s Fort Heiman unit, in Calloway County, Kentucky (unstaffed and in development): 682 Fort Heiman Road, New Concord, Kentucky.

Visitor Centers

Fort Donelson Visitor Center

GPS: 120 Fort Donelson Park Road, Dover, TN 37058 **Starting December 7, 2015, Fort Donelson’s visitor center will be closing for a much needed accessibility and energy sustainability rehabilitation. Our temporary home will be the Stewart County Visitor Center, at 117 Visitor Center Lane, Dover, TN, 37058** http://www.nps.gov/fodo/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Weather

Fort Donelson National Battlefield traditionally experiences mild to moderate winters and hot summers with an average high of 90 degrees in the summer and 40 in winter; average lows in the winter are 30 degrees but single digits are not unusual. Rainfall in the area averages 53 inches a year with an additional 6 inches of ice/snow and violent thunderstorms can take place at any time of year.