Shiloh
Shiloh National Military Park was established in 1894 to preserve the scene of the first major battle in the Western theater of the Civil War. The two-day battle, April 6 and 7, 1862, involved about 65,000 Union and 44,000 Confederate troops. This battle resulted in nearly 24,000 killed, wounded, and missing. It proved to be a decisive victory for the federal forces when they advanced on and seized control of the Confederate railway system at Corinth, Mississippi. The battlefield

contains about 4,000 acres and has within its boundaries the Shiloh National Cemetery along with the well preserved prehistoric Indian mounds that are listed as a historic landmark. The park is located in Hardin County, on the west bank of the Tennessee River, and about nine miles south of Savannah, Tennessee.

 
Fort Donelson

 

Fort Donelson National Battlefield includes: Fort Donelson National Cemetery (established 1867), the final resting place for Union soldiers killed at Fort Donelson and other American veterans representing seven wars; visitor center; the Dover Hotel (Surrender House), the site where Confederate general Simon B. Buckner surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant; and Fort Donelson and its associated earthen rifle pits and river batteries.

 
Natchez Trace
This scenic highway may well be the most historic road in America. First appearing about 8,000 years ago as a buffalo trace, it became a favorite footpath and trade route for early Native Americans, and was also used by explorer Hernando de Soto and his men in 1540. By the late 18th century farmers from the Ohio River Valley began floating their goods down the Mississippi River to markets in New Orleans, and

after selling everything --including their flatboats -- would walk home on this trail laden with their earnings. These heavy pursed, peripatetic merchants were easy targets for swindlers and highway robbers who populated the thickly wooded,unpoliced trail. Many a farmer never returned home. Even Meriwether Lewis met his mortal fate on this treacherous roadway. Now managed by the National Parks Service this 500-mile road has fascinating Historical Markers that tell frightening tales of disease, crime and espionage at various points along its north-to-south path. From the road's highest point north, in Nashville to it's final stop in New Orleans, the road is filled with interesting tales.

 
Stones River
A fierce battle took place at Stones River between December 31, 1862 and January 2, 1863. General Bragg's Confederates withdrew after the battle, allowing General Rosecrans and the Union army to control middle Tennessee. Although the battle was tactically indecisive, it provided a much-needed boost to the North after the defeat at Fredericksburg. Lincoln later wrote to General Rosecrans, "I can never forget [...] you gave us a hard-earned victory, which had there been a defeat

instead, the nation could scarcely have lived over."
The 584-acre National Battlefield includes Stones River National Cemetery, established in 1865, with more than 6,000 Union graves; and the Hazen Brigade Monument, believed to be the oldest, intact Civil War monument still standing in its original location. Portions of Fortress Rosecrans, a large earthen fort constructed after the battle, still stand and are preserved and interpreted by the National Park Service. Much of the nearly 4,000-acre battlefield is in private hands.

 
Obed Wild & Scenic River

 

The Obed Wild and Scenic River is located in Morgan and Cumberland Counties in East Tennessee on the Cumberland Plateau. The park includes parts of the Obed River, Clear Creek, Daddys Creek and the Emory River. Over 45 miles of creeks and rivers are included in the wild and scenic river area. These waterways have cut rugged gorges with bluffs as high as 500 feet above the whitewater in the streams. Outdoor recreation such as whitewater boating, rock climbing, hiking and fishing are popular seasonal activities in the Obed.