Culpeper Battlefields State Park
Photo credit: Buddy Secor/American Battlefield Trust
Culpeper Battlefields State Park is Virginia’s 43rd state park. The new park will enable visitors to experience more than 2,200 acres of historic battlefield land, after a series of land transfers occurring between June 2024 and December 2027. These properties were preserved by the American Battlefield Trust and Brandy Station Foundation, in partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia, and include parts of the four major Civil War battles fought in Culpeper County: Brandy Station, Cedar Mountain, Kelly’s Ford and Rappahannock Station.
Dedicated on June 8, 2024, visitors to the park can explore its history through interpretive walking and equestrian trails, along with guided tours available through local tour organizations and convenient mobile apps. Recreational activities may eventually include boating, camping and public programming.
Creation of the park in the heart of the Virginia Piedmont was approved by the Virginia General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Glenn Youngkin in June 2022 as part of the Commonwealth’s two-year budget plan. Virginia has set aside additional funds to acquire 800 more acres of historic land that will augment the overall experience for park visitors.
Culpeper Battlefields allows us to tell not only the story of the battles that occurred, but also a story of a community and its people that found itself repeatedly on the front lines of war, and how the war impacted all peoples.
View the dedication - https://youtu.be/BcHJ2EaFHJE
History
Histories of the four battles associated with the park (Brandy Station, Cedar Mountain, Kelly’s Ford and Rappahannock Station), along with modern and historical maps of those conflicts, can be found at https://www.battlefields.org/maps-culpeper.
A number of organizations conducted guided tours of the battlefields associated with the new park. You can find information about all of them at https://www.culpeperbattlefields.org/tours.
Park maps
Hours
- Sunrise to sunset
Parking/Trails
Parking is available at the following sites:
Brandy Station - Fleetwood Hill Trailhead (0.26-mile hike with 10 interpretive signs)
Address: 20362 Fleetwood Heights Rd, Brandy Station, VA
Coordinates: 38.50965923678993, -77.87971190254238
There are no restrooms or drinking facilities at this site, so please be prepared in advance for your visit.
Brandy Station - St. James Church Trailhead (0.75-mile hike with 4 interpretive signs)
Address: 13198 St James Church Rd, Brandy Station, VA
Coordinates: 38.52148593623829, -77.86613556305046
There are no restrooms or drinking facilities at this site, so please be prepared in advance for your visit.
Brandy Station – Buford’s Knoll Trailhead (2.52-mile hike with 7 interpretive signs)
Does not have an address.
Coordinates: 38.53210168052754, -77.85810219854996
There are no restrooms or drinking facilities at this site, so please be prepared in advance for your visit.
Cedar Mountain - Visitor Center and Trailhead (1.25-mile hike with 10 interpretive signs)
Address: 9465 General Winder Road, Rapidan, VA
Coordinates: 38.404509913006564, -78.07007663032375
There are no drinking facilities at this site, so please be prepared in advance for your visit.
Learn more
Learn more about Brandy Station Battlefield - American Battlefield Trust
