Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-10-23. Check linked official notices before travel.

Antietam National Battlefield preserves the Civil War landscape around Sharpsburg, Maryland. Start at the visitor center, then use the driving tour and selected walking trails to understand the battle. This is a historic battlefield and place of remembrance; its roads and facilities do not make it a general-purpose recreation park.

Key places on the battlefield

• Dunker Church: Begin with this landmark near the visitor center, connected to the fighting on September 17, 1862.
• Bloody Lane: Follow the landscape toward the Sunken Road to understand the positions and approaches involved in the battle.
• Burnside Bridge: View the stone crossing over Antietam Creek as part of the battlefield tour.
• Antietam National Cemetery: Add time for remembrance, while following its separate visitor rules.

Know before touring Antietam

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Use the official entrance-fee information for current prices and pass details.

Walk carefully across the rural landscape

Trails cross uneven ground and may have groundhog holes, poison ivy, nettles, or stinging insects. Wear suitable walking shoes and stay on the marked routes. Use extra care at road crossings, including modern Burnside Bridge Road on the Sherrick Farm route.

Swimming, launching or retrieving boats, tubing, and fishing are prohibited within 500 feet of Burnside Bridge. Do not mistake the creek crossing for a swimming stop.

Respect the battlefield and cemetery

Do not enter planted fields, pastures, barns, or closed farm areas. Relic hunting and metal detectors are prohibited. Leave artifacts and natural features where they are.

Leash pets and clean up after them. Pets cannot enter the visitor center, historic buildings, or Antietam National Cemetery. Picnicking is prohibited in the national cemetery, Mumma Cemetery, Dunker Church, the Observation Tower, on Burnside Bridge, and on any monument. Use appropriate areas rather than monuments for meals or recreation.

Camping and special activities

Rohrbach Campground serves scouts and other organized youth groups by advance reservation. Family and individual camping are not available at the battlefield. Start with the park's reservation and permit instructions for group arrangements, organized events, and activities needing approval.

Find the visitor center and tour route

Use 5831 Dunker Church Road, Sharpsburg, Maryland 21782, for the visitor center. The P.O. Box listed for park mail is not an entrance. There is no public transportation to the battlefield.

Pick up the battlefield map at the center before driving the approximately 8.5-mile self-guided route. You can also walk selected trails or cycle on paved tour roads. Cyclists younger than 16 must wear an approved helmet. Download the NPS App tour before arriving if you want audio interpretation.

Nearby parks

• Gathland State Park: This day-use park is reached at 900 Arnoldstown Road, Jefferson, east of the battlefield in the South Mountain area.
• Harpers Ferry National Historical Park: For its main parking and shuttle, use the visitor center at 171 Shoreline Drive off US 340, rather than navigating directly into Lower Town.

Combine the tour with a walk

• A short introduction: The quarter-mile Antietam Remembered loop has a paved walkway near the visitor center and Dunker Church.
• A longer battlefield route: The 1.6-mile Bloody Lane loop passes the Mumma and Roulette farm landscapes toward the Sunken Road.
• Interpretation: Watch the orientation film, browse the exhibits, and ask about ranger programs before heading onto the tour roads.

Facilities and accessible visits

The visitor center has museum exhibits, a store, a film, restrooms, and staff who can help select a route. The museum and observation room have elevator access, and the theater provides captioning and audio description.

A driving tour can reduce walking, but historic structures and outdoor paths vary. Dunker Church is viewable from its doorway rather than fully accessible inside. Read the park's accessibility details or call about specific needs before choosing stops.

About Antietam National Battlefield

The battle and its consequences

The battle took place on September 17, 1862. It ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion of the North and preceded Lincoln's preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. The battlefield was established in 1890 to commemorate the fighting and its losses.

A working landscape with natural habitats

Farmland, pasture, woodlots, and limestone forests form the setting. The National Park Service monitors forest vegetation and birds alongside its work to maintain the historic landscape. Observe these habitats from public routes rather than entering agricultural land.

Contact the battlefield

The National Park Service manages Antietam. Call 301-432-5124 for visitor information. Check the official battlefield page for current notices. Send mail to P.O. Box 158, Sharpsburg, Maryland 21782.