Summer and Fall Hikes, Tours & Lectures

Hikes and Tours

Sunday, May 18, 2025 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm

The Battle of Antietam: Fighting, Photos, and Folklore

Type of Event: Hike

Guides: Garry Adelman and Kevin Pawlak

Cost: $62.00 Per Person

Exertion: We rate this hike as challenging, with 5-6 miles of walking and several stops. We will walk 5-6 miles over rolling terrain with several stops, including a lunch break. We will follow trails that may include rocks, mud, branches, tree roots, and other obstacles. We will also follow park roads that contain active vehicular traffic.

Description: There is no better way to see a battlefield than in the footsteps of the soldiers and photographers, on the ground where it happened. Join the Trust’s chief historian, Garry Adelman, and Antietam licensed battlefield guide, Kevin Pawlak, for an epic hike of the Antietam Battlefield. We'll have lots of photos, and perhaps some surprises along the way. This hike takes participants to the fighting, photos, myth, and legend at the scenes of the famous fights north of Sharpsburg, including the Cornfield, West Woods, Dunker Church, Hagerstown Pike, Roulette and Mumma Farms, the Bloody Lane, and more.

Sunday, June 8, 2025 | 9:00 am – 11:45 am

The Whirlpool of Death: The Wheatfield at Gettysburg

Type of Event: Hike

Guides: Garry Adelman and Kristopher White

Cost: $45.00 Per Person

Exertion: We rate this hike as moderate, with 2-3 miles of walking and several stops. We will follow park trails that may include rocks, mud, branches, tree roots, and other obstacles. We will also follow park roads that contain active vehicular traffic.

Description: The Wheatfield may claim to be the most confusing fighting at Gettysburg. With disjointed elements of four different corps overlapping in a back-and-forth fight and few features to remember from it, the Wheatfield confounds Gettysburg novices and experts alike.  Join the Trust’s chief historian and licensed battlefield guide, Garry Adelman, and American Battlefield Trust deputy director of education, Kristopher White, for a walk around portions of Rose Woods, the Stoney Hill, Houck’s Ridge and of course the Wheatfield proper in which White and Adelman will link the fighting to the places we see. You’ll come away understanding the actions a little bit (or a whole lot!) better. Expect some (pleasant!) surprises along the way.

Sunday, June 8, 2025 | 1:30 pm – 4:40 pm

Gettysburg’s Awful, Awful Rocks

Type of Event: Hike

Guides: Garry Adelman and Tim Smith

Cost: $55.00 Per Person

Exertion: We rate this hike as DIFFICULT. This hike involves walking up and down the heights of Little Round Top and Devil’s Den over some three miles on park roads and trails that may include rocks, mud, branches, tree roots, and other obstacles. We will also follow along park roads that contain active vehicular traffic.

Description: Devil’s Den and Little Round Top constitute the first pitched battles of the Second Day at Gettysburg and are some of the most iconic of the Civil War.  Soldiers wrote about tactics in the terrible terrain, the gruesome aftermath of battle, and the folklore of the fight.  Several photographers documented the sites spanning from just days after the fight and in the decades to come, increasing its curious popularity.  Join the Trust’s chief historian and licensed battlefield guide, Garry Adelman, and Official Adams County Historian and Licensed Guide Tim Smith, for a journey in time with photos, fighting, folklore, and fascinating facts galore!

Saturday, July 26, 2025 | 9:00 am – 12:15 pm

Fire in the Streets: The Street Fighting at Fredericksburg

Type of Event: Tour

Guides: Kristopher White and Chris Mackowski

Cost: $35.00 Per Person

Exertion: We rate this hike as easy-moderate, with 2-3 miles of walking along sidewalks and pathways in a city setting

Description: High drama played out on the banks of the Rappahannock River. An undersized Confederate force of Mississippians and Floridians stalled the Union advance across the river for nearly an entire day.

The bombardment of a city, a riverine crossing under fire, and street-by-street fighting marked one of the most trying days in the history of the Army of the Potomac. Learn more about this fascinating and overlooked aspect of the Fredericksburg Campaign as you move street by street with the Federals and Confederates into an occupied city.

Saturday, July 26, 2025 | 5:45 pm – 8:00 pm

Jackson's Flank Attack at Chancellorsville

Type of Event: Tour

Guides: Kristopher White and Chris Mackowski

Cost: $35.00 Per Person

Exertion: We rate this hike as easy-moderate, with 1-2 miles of walking across rolling terrain and high grass.

Description: Join us for an evening tour exploring one of the most daring maneuvers of the Civil War: Lieutenant General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson’s famous flank attack during the Battle of Chancellorsville.

This guided experience will take you across some of the very terrain where Jackson executed his audacious march and devastating assault on May 2, 1863. We'll follow in the footsteps of Jackson’s troops as they navigated dense wilderness to surprise the Union 11th Corps. Along the way, we’ll delve into the tactics, leadership, and challenges faced by Confederate and Union forces alike. 

Whether you're a seasoned Civil War enthusiast or a curious newcomer, this tour provides a vivid recounting of Jackson’s boldest moment and its profound impact on the campaign at Chancellorsville.

Sunday, July 27, 2025 | 8:30 am – 12:30 pm

Spotsylvania: From The Death of Sedgwick to the Bloody Angle

Type of Event: Hike

Guides: Kristopher White and Chris Mackowski

Cost: $40.00 Per Person

Exertion: We rate this hike as challenging, with 5-6 miles of walking and several stops. We will walk 5-6 miles over rolling terrain with several stops. We will follow trails that may include rocks, mud, branches, tree roots, and other obstacles. We will also follow park roads that contain active vehicular traffic.

Description: Step back in time and traverse the hallowed ground of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House on this immersive hiking tour, journeying from the site of Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick's fateful death to the infamous Bloody Angle.

Hear the fateful story of John Sedgwick's fall—we'll recount the moments leading to the loss of one of the Union Army's most respected commanders. As we follow the Union and Confederate lines, the trail will bring us to Emory Upton's May 10, 1864, assault and then onto the heart of the battle: the Bloody Angle. Here, amid the rain and smoke of May 12, 1864, soldiers endured one of the Civil War's most brutal close-quarters combats, lasting nearly 20 hours.

Along the hike, we’ll examine the tactical decisions, human stories, and unimaginable sacrifices that defined this phase of the Overland Campaign. You’ll witness the geography that shaped the battle and hear firsthand accounts from those who fought there.

Sunday, August 31, 2025 | 8:45 am – 12:00 pm

Gettysburg’s First Day along the Chambersburg Pike

Type of Event: Hike

Guides: Garry Adelman and Kristopher White

Cost: $50.00 Per Person

Exertion: We rate this hike as moderate, with 2-3 miles of walking and several stops. We will follow park trails that may include rocks, mud, branches, tree roots, and other obstacles. We will also follow park roads that contain active vehicular traffic.

Description: Because it hosted the battle’s beginning, because the fighting was fierce, and because of the Killer Angels and the movie Gettysburg, the land along the Chambersburg Pike has become iconic.  McPherson’s Ridge, Willoughby’s Run, Renolds Woods, the Railroad Cut, and other sites are well known to the Gettysburg aficionados, but few actually visit these sites with the aim of making plain the confused and multi-staged fight on July 1, 1863.  We will do just that! Join the Trust’s chief historian and licensed battlefield guide, Garry Adelman, and American Battlefield Trust deputy director of education, Kristopher White, for a learning hike covering part of the First Day’s Field. People, pictures, pitched battle, and more!

Sunday, August 31, 2025 | 1:45 pm – 5:15 pm

Culp’s and East Cemetery Hill: Close Calls on the Right Flank

Type of Event: Hike

Guides: Garry Adelman and Kristopher White

Cost: $50.00 Per Person

Exertion: We rate this hike as DIFFICULT. It involves some 4-5 miles of walking and several stops at both Cemetery and Culp’s Hill. We will follow park trails that may include rocks, mud, branches, tree roots, and other obstacles. We will also follow park roads that contain active vehicular traffic.

Description: Spanning two days and more than eight hours, the Union right hosted the most sustained fighting at Gettysburg, and yet, Gettysburg’s “other hills” are little understood.  How close were the Confederates to winning the battle at these hills?  What got in their way? How can we better understand these fights and the fascinating story of its transformation into a National Park?  Join the Trust’s chief historian and licensed battlefield guide, Garry Adelman, and American Battlefield Trust deputy director of education, Kristopher White, for a learning hike covering everything from East Cemetery Hill, the Stevens Knoll, and Culp’s Hill.  See little-seen earthworks, a seldom-visited spring, and numerous photo locations as Kris and Garry separate fact from fiction at Gettysburg!

Sunday, October 19, 2025 | 9:15 am – 12:15 pm

Henry Hill at Manassas National Battlefield

Type of Event: Tour

Guide: Garry Adelman

Cost: $50.00 Per Person

Exertion: We rate this hike as EASY TO MODERATE. We will mostly follow the 1.1-mile Henry Hill Walking Trail, which is mostly grassy but may include rocks, mud, branches, tree roots, and other obstacles.

Description: At a time when most people thought the war would be a short affair, Americans fought one another in the costliest battle in American History, up to that time, and Henry Hill was the place that hosted much of it.  Here, Thomas Jackson became Stonewall. Here, soldiers had difficulty determining who was friend or foe. Here, the fighting seesawed back and forth in the summer heat as the first civilian death of the war occurred. And here, above Bull Run and north of Manassas, the Civil War was set on its terrible and bloody course.  Join the Trust’s chief historian and licensed battlefield guide, Garry Adelman for an epic hike of the Manassas Battlefield. We'll explore multiple dimensions of photography, bust some myths, and sort out who did what where on Henry Hill at Manassas!

Sunday, October 19, 2025 | 1:45 pm – 5:00 pm

The Second Battle of Manassas

Type of Event: Hike

Guide: Sarah Kay Bierle 

Cost: $30.00 Per Person

Exertion: We rate this tour as EASY TO MODERATE. It involves some 3 - 3.5 miles of walking and several stops. We will mostly follow mowed and grassy trails, but may include rocks, mud, branches, tree roots, and other obstacles.

Description: Come walk some trails at Second Manassas and explore the opening shots of the battle fought on August 28-30, 1862. As the hike continues, view the topography that Union troops charged across and the deep railroad that Confederates defended while waiting for their reinforcements to arrive. Though throwing rocks is prohibited for good tour etiquette, we will explore the primary sources of this desperate defensive measure and other hardships that soldiers on both sides experienced during this determined fight that altered the course of the Civil War in the East during 1862.

Lectures

Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | 7:15 pm (EST)

The Shot Heard 'Round the World: The Battles of Lexington and Concord

Type of Event: Online Lecture

Speaker: Rob Orrison

Cost: $5.50 for Access

Description: On April 19, 1775, the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired at Lexington and Concord outside Boston, Massachusetts.  What started as a mission by British troops to find hidden stores of weapons and gunpowder ended in a day-long 18-mile running battle.  The battles were incredibly bloody and vicious as New England militias engulfed the British troops.  These battles started an eight-year war that resulted in the independence of the new United States of America. Come learn about these first battles of the war and what visitors to the area can see there today.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 | 7:15 pm (EST)

Bringing the War to an End-From Appomattox to Citronelle

Type of Event: Online Lecture

Speaker: Chris Mackowski

Cost: $5.50 for Access

Description: This lecture explores the critical final months of the American Civil War, focusing on the series of surrenders that brought the conflict to a close. Starting with General Robert E. Lee's surrender to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in April 1865, we will trace the subsequent capitulations of Confederate forces across the South, culminating in the surrender at Citronelle, Alabama. By examining the terms of surrender, the personal interactions between military leaders, and the broader implications for the nation, this session illuminates how these moments symbolized not just the end of a war but the beginning of a challenging journey toward reunification and reconstruction.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 | 7:15 pm (EST)

Gettysburg Civil War Photo Extravaganza

Type of Event: Online Photo Extravaganza 

Speaker: Garry Adelman 

Cost: $12.50 for Access

Description: Lights, camera, history! Gettysburg is one of the most photographed Civil War battlefields. From images of the dead to Abraham Lincoln's iconic Gettysburg Address, photographers captured images of the town, the dead, and the battlefield in the days, weeks, and years following the battle. 

Join American Battlefield Trust Chief Historian Garry Adelman for a fast-paced, photo-filled presentation that will take you through the Gettysburg landscape through photography. It's a dynamic presentation that nobody will want to miss!

Wednesday, July 23, 2025 | 7:15 pm (EST)

Stonewall Jackson and the Siege of Harpers Ferry

Type of Event: Online Lecture

Speaker: Chris Mackowski

Cost: $5.50 for Access

Description: When Stonewall Jackson captured Harpers Ferry in September 1862 during the Maryland campaign, it became the largest surrender of US troops until World War II. Did the Federal post surrender because it was in a geographically indefensible position, garrisoned by poorly led green troops? Or was it one of Jackson’s greatest achievements of the entire war?

Note: When offered to present a lecture for this series, Mackowski pitched a Stonewall Jackson lecture, which was not surprising to anybody!

Wednesday, July 30, 2025 | 7:15 pm (EST)

The Boy Major: Joseph W. Latimer in the American Civil War

Type of Event: Online Lecture

Speaker: Billy Griffith 

Cost: $5.50 for Access

Description: Brentsville, Virginia, native Joseph White Latimer was one of the rising stars in the Confederate Artillery when his life was tragically cut short at age 19 following a mortal wound received at the battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. Latimer was in his second year at the Virginia Military Institute when the Civil War commenced. However, he did not return to complete his studies and instead joined the Courtney Artillery in September 1861 as a second lieutenant. His star rose quickly despite his young age, and he was made a major in R. Snowden Andrews’ Battalion by the spring of 1863. Affectionately referred to as the “Boy Major,” Latimer’s decision to join the fight, which he made while home in Brentsville in August 1861, placed him on the path to Gettysburg and towards an untimely death. 

Wednesday, August 6, 2025 | 7:15 pm (EST)

The Battle of Wilson's Creek: Going Back to "The First"

Type of Event: Online Lecture

Speaker: Sarah Kay Bierle

Cost: $5.50 for Access

Description: The first major battle fought in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. The first combat for many of the volunteer soldiers who had rushed into the ranks in 1861. The first death of a Union general occurred at this battle. The Battle of Wilson's Creek—fought on August 10, 1861—resulted in a Confederate victory and shaped the course of the war and the lives of the soldiers who fought there. Virtually, take a closer look at the ways this battle and battlefield have shaped history and preservation efforts. (Fun Fact: Wilson's Creek Battlefield was the first Civil War battlefield that Sarah Kay Bierle visited, and she will share some memories of how touring a battlefield site can inspire a young student!)

Wednesday, August 20, 2025 | 7:00 pm (EST)

"A Good and Brave Man": Maj. John Pitcairn and the Opening of the American Revolution

Type of Event: Online Lecture

Speaker: Daniel Davis

Cost: $5.50 for Access

Description: The events that took place in Massachusetts in the spring and summer of 1775 set the world on fire and led to the independence of a new nation. While the names of Parker, Revere, Gage, and Warren are well-known, other names seem largely forgotten, particularly that of British Royal Marine Maj. John Pitcairn. Before the hostilities, Pitcairn enjoyed a cordial relationship with the citizenry, regularly attending services at the Old North Church. He went on to fight at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill, where he was mortally wounded. Yet his actions and even death have sparked some of the greatest mysteries of the early days of the American Revolution.

Join Dan Davis, the Trust's Senior Education Manager, for an exploration of Pitcairn's life. We'll examine his actions during the crucial opening months of the conflict, the questions that still remain, and his unique connection to one of the most famous officers of the American Civil War. 

Tuesday, September 9, 2025 | 7:15 pm (EST)

The Battle of Lake George: England's First Triumph in the French and Indian War

Type of Event: Online Lecture

Speaker: Billy Griffith 

Cost: $5.50 for Access

Description: In the early morning hours of September 8, 1755, a force of French Regulars, Canadians, and Indians crouched unseen in a ravine south of Lake George within the colony of New York. Under the command of French general Jean-Armand, Baron de Dieskau, the men ambushed the approaching British colonial forces, sparking a bloody conflict for control of the lake and its access to New York's interior. Against all odds, British commander William Johnson rallied his provincials through the barrage of enemy fire to send the French retreating north to Ticonderoga. The stage was set for one of the most contested regions throughout the rest of the conflict. Historian William Griffith recounts the thrilling history behind the first major British battlefield victory of the French and Indian War.

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | 7:15 pm (EST)

1775: Women, War & Revolution

Type of Event: Online Lecture

Speaker: Sarah Kay Bierle

Cost: $5.50 for Access

Description: From Lexington and Concord to Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston, the events at the beginning of the American Revolution shaped history...and transformed the lives of women caught in the road of war. Take a closer look at the farms, village greens, and city streets where the Revolution began and trace the stories of Rachel Revere, Rebecca Fiske, Hannah Davis, Martha Moulton, Prudence Wright, and other women who witnessed history. Their names may not be as familiar as the midnight messengers or militia captains, but their stories survive as a reminder of how 1775 would challenge and transform the lives of all who lived in the colonies. 

Sunday, September 28, 2025 | 7:00 pm (EST)

Beyond George Custer: From Gettysburg to the Little Bighorn

Type of Event: Online Lecture

Speaker: Daniel Davis

Cost: $6.50 for Access

Description: In July 1863, outside the south-central Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg, Union and Confederate armies engaged in one of the most pivotal battles of the Civil War. Nearly thirteen years later, in Montana Territory, Sioux and Cheyenne warriors clashed with U.S. cavalry in one of the greatest battles of the American West along the banks of the Little Bighorn River. Although separated by miles and years, the two battles are connected by the common individuals who struggled on both fields.

Join Dan Davis, the Trust's Senior Education Manager, for a unique exploration of the personalities linked to two of the most significant events of the nineteenth century. You will meet prominent individuals like George Custer and lesser-known characters like Thomas French, John Ryan, and others who helped shape these legendary battles.

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 | 7:15 pm (EST)

Felled by Friendly Fire: The Wounding of James Longstreet

Type of Event: Online Lecture

Speaker: Kristopher White

Cost: $5.50 for Access

Description: “Old Pete,” Lee’s second-in-command, was a stalwart that the “Gray Fox” relied on as the 1864 campaigns opened. However, just hours after Longstreet saved Lee’s army along the Orange Plank Road in the Wilderness, tragedy struck. While riding along the road during an audacious and successful flank attack, Longstreet, like Stonewall Jackson, was accidentally shot by his own men, less than three miles from the spot of Jackson’s fateful wounding. Longstreet’s wounding, like Jackson’s, forever changed the face of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 | 7:15 pm (EST)

Civil War Myths and Mistakes

Type of Event: Online Photo Extravaganza 

Speaker: Garry Adelman 

Cost: $12.50 for Access

Description: Dive into the enduring myths and misconceptions of one of the most pivotal periods in American history through photos! This dynamic and engaging lecture explores the stories we've been told about the Civil War—some true, some exaggerated, and others completely fabricated.

Whether you're a history enthusiast, an educator, or simply curious about the truth behind the legends, this lecture offers a fresh perspective on the Civil War’s complex history. Join American Battlefield Trust Chief Historian Garry Adelman as he untangles fact from fiction and reveals how myths shape our collective memory of the past. Prepare to question what you think you know!

Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | 7:15 pm (EST)

Ike and Gettysburg: General, President, and Gentleman Farmer

Type of Event: Online Lecture

Speaker: Kristopher White

Cost: $5.50 for Access

Description: This engaging lecture explores the deep connection between Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—a place that became both a strategic symbol of his leadership and a cherished personal refuge.

The session delves into Eisenhower's decision to purchase a historic farm near the Gettysburg Battlefield, his first and only permanent home, during a pivotal time in his career. We'll examine how this iconic location influenced his presidency, from hosting world leaders at his farmhouse to embodying ideals of peace and democracy. The talk will also reflect on Eisenhower's earlier ties to Gettysburg as a young officer training military units on the historic battlefield during World War I.

Through this journey, participants will gain insights into how Eisenhower's connection to Gettysburg shaped his identity as a soldier, statesman, and advocate for global stability, leaving a legacy that continues to resonate in American history.