Kennesaw Mountain Summit Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, GA
miles
LENGTH 1.9 MILES
DIFFICULTY 4.1 Easy
DURATION 1 hour
ELEVATION GAIN
580
feet
TRAIL TYPE
There And
Back Again
Kennesaw Mountain Summit

By far the most popular section of trail in the park, hike to the summit of Kennesaw Mountain along this steep trail. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is one of the most popular parks in the Atlanta area, so don't expect solitude on this hike. If you want to get away from the crowds, try the Environmental Loop & 24 Gun Trail or the Noses Creek Loop.

Good luck getting a parking spot at the Visitor Center on the weekend. Even though there are over 80 parking spaces, you'll most likely have to park at the overflow lot just past the park on Old 41 Hwy NW. There are signs from the main lot. This will add about .8 miles round trip on to your hike. Once you get to the Visitor Center, however, the trail begins just behind it next to the pavilion where you'll cross Kennesaw Mountain Drive.

This hike follows the red loop up to the summit, but then turns around at the top. The full red-blazed Mountain Loop is almost 6 miles, although the only difficult part of the trail is hiking up to the summit. The trail is wide and easy to follow. Pass two side trails on the left that have signs pointing to Camp Brumby. Just follow the directions for Kennesaw Mountain.

At .8 miles you'll reach the top of Kennesaw Mountain Drive. Check out the view to the left then head up the steps for another vantage point. You're almost at the top. The trail from here is paved and you'll quickly pass a group of canons. At just under a mile the trail will split but immediately rejoin at the summit. At the summit, a rocky clearing provides a view to the southeast. For this adventure, turn around and head back down the way you came.

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Elevation Map Length (miles) by Elevation (feet)
Slope Breakdown
Elevation Gain
Elevation Range
Grade Range
Length
Elevation Gain
0 - 250 ft/mi
~ 0 - 5 %
0.2 mi
16 ft
250 - 500 ft/mi
~ 5 - 10 %
0.1 mi
41 ft
500 - 750 ft/mi
~ 10 - 15 %
0.3 mi
181 ft
750 - 1000 ft/mi
~ 15 - 20 %
0.2 mi
204 ft
1000+ ft/mi
~ 20+ %
0.1 mi
161 ft
For out-and-back hikes, elevation loss is the same as the gain.
Terrain Map Click to control map
Navigation
0.0 mi
0.0 mi - Trailhead The trail begins just behind the Visitor Center next to the pavilion where you'll cross Kennesaw Mountain Drive.
0.04 mi
0.04 mi - Stay Right Picket Line Trail on left, follow signs for Kennesaw Mountain.
0.24 mi
0.24 mi - Turn Right Camp Brumby Cutoff Trail on left, follow signs for Kennesaw Mountain.
0.8 mi
0.8 mi - Kennesaw Mountain Drive Reach the parking lot at the end of Kennesaw Mountain Drive. On the left will be a view. Then head up the steps on the left to continue the hike.
0.96 mi
0.96 mi - Kennesaw Mountain Summit View
Details
length1.9 miles
difficulty4.1 Easy
duration1 hour
features Dog Friendly  History  Summit  Views 
trail typeThere And Back Again
blazeRed
elevation gain580 ft.
state Georgia 
park/forestKennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
visitor infoVisitor Center
900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive
Kennesaw, GA 30152
770-427-4686
hoursSigns on Trail: 7am - 8:30pm
Website: 6:30am - 6:30/8:30pm (Standard/DST)
I called but didn't get a straight answer
Visitor Center: 9am - 5pm
parking feeNone
trailhead coordinates 33.982444, -84.57804 (Degree Decimal, DegDec)
N 33°58.95, W 84°34.68 (Degree Minutes, MinDec)
N 33°58'57'', N 33°58'57'' (Degree Minutes Seconds, DMS)
Trailhead Directions
33.982444, -84.57804 (Degree Decimal, DegDec)
N 33°58.95, W 84°34.68 most GPS units use this one
N 33°58'57'', N 33°58'57'' (Degree Minutes Seconds, DMS)
Google Map It
Google Map and Coordinates are for the Visitor Center. The overflow lot is at 1200 Old 41 Hwy NW, Kennesaw, GA 30152 (33.985133, -84.582839).
Parking Capacity
86 spots at the Visitor Center main parking lot. 200+ spots at the overflow lot.
Notes
Maps can be found in the Visitor Center and at the park website at https://www.nps.gov/kemo.
The park claims to be the most visited Civil War battlefield in the country, and as such, can be very crowded, especially on weekends.
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Reviews / Comments
Average Review Rating
4 (1)
hikethesouth-5 years ago
Good But Crowded
This is an excellent short local hike that will get your blood pumping, but it's crowded so skip if you prefer solitude. Well maintained easy to follow trail. Do the full Mountain Loop (red) if you want something longer.
Easy | Hiked Summer 2019
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