Category: Bicycling U.S. Civil War Battlefields

These ten tips for biking Gettysburg are a reprint of an article that I wrote for John Bank’s Civil War Blog on October 26, 2018. Today, I am reposting the article, because Fall is an excellent time to bike Gettysburg, and this weekend promises unusually warm and sunny weather. I guarantee you, cyclists and hikers will be out enjoying the battlefield this weekend. So here we go, ten tips for biking Gettysburg…

Ten Tips for Biking Gettysburg

“There’s no better way to tour Gettysburg National Military Park than on a bike!” I hear that a lot. For people who love outdoor, experiential learning, it’s a no-brainer. … My name is Sue, and here’s a shot of my bike pedaling up the crest of Devil’s Den:

In the above photo, you can see Little Round Top on the right and the cannons of the 4th New York Independent Battery straight ahead. I am riding under the bough of an oak “witness tree,” so-called because the tree is old enough to have “witnessed” the Battle of Gettysburg. On a bike, your senses are bombarded with picture-perfect scenery, smells of grass, sounds of chatter (and silence), and even the salty taste of sweat. For history buffs, the battlefield is an outdoor classroom that provides an exciting opportunity to learn—on your timetable, your way. Like a kid.

Here are ten tips for biking Gettysburg—all examples of learning by doing:

#1. Ride through Rose Woods

Rose Woods is an ideal cycling experience, partly because this area is not on the official National Park Service (NPS) auto tour. That means no busses and less cars.  Find a good park map, because the ride through Rose Woods has lots of twists and turns, and at least one confusing intersection. Brace yourself for a hilly ride through a heavily wooded area lined with many regimental monuments. If you make it up the short but steep incline that ends at the 2nd Delaware Infantry Monument (below), you will enjoy a fast glide down to The Wheatfield.

For a historical introduction to the fighting here on July 2, 1863, I hope that you enjoy this video (4:24) of a ride through Rose Woods. It’s one of my first experiments using a GoPro video camera to record a ride along with historical commentary. (Yep, amateur).

#2. Try to spot monument symbols…

And connect them to the Army of the Potomac’s seven Union corps that fought at the Battle of Gettysburg:

• full moon (circle) = 1st Corps (Reynolds)
• trefoil (clover) = 2nd Corps (Hancock)
• diamond = 3rd Corps (Sickles)
• Maltese cross = 5th Corps (Sykes)
• simple cross = 6th corps (Sedgwick)
• crescent moon = 11th Corps (Howard)
• star = 12th corps (Slocum)

But why?! Because if you want to learn the battlefield military story, the monuments give helpful visual clues about what corps fought where. (Read about it here). For example, notice the clover on the top of the 2nd Delaware Infantry Monument in Rose Woods. (It’s not a coincidence that this monument is on Brooke Avenue, a park road named for Union Col. John R. Brooke, the brigade commander for the 2nd Delaware regiment).

#3. Collect “themed” photos on your ride

In other words, pick a topical area and then hunt for and photograph the monuments that fit that topic. Here are some examples (all of which are documented in my book, Bicycling Gettysburg National Military Park, March 2019):

• State Monuments (USA, CSA)
• Equestrian Monuments
• Bronze Statues of Individuals
• Corps Headquarters Monuments

Then try to figure out the meaning behind each monument’s placement and history. The George G. Meade (USA) and Robert E. Lee (CSA) Equestrian Monuments, for example, each face the other, just as their two armies squared off with each other on July 2-3, 1863, across a one-mile wide field.

#4. Find your favorite state monument

Find your favorite state monument (USA, CSA) – And don’t miss the ride down the entire length of West Confederate Avenue, because it’s on that straight-away that you will find the North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, Texas, and Alabama state monuments—in that order, from north to south. Union state monuments are on Cemetery Ridge and Cemetery and Culps Hills.

#5. Where does that cannon point?

The roughly 400 cannons at Gettysburg are positioned for historical accuracy. So, pick a cannon and peer down its barrel to where it points. In the next photograph, for example, you might want to research Confederate Brig. Gen. Ambrose R. Wright’s (Georgia Brigade) attack through the Codori farm to Union positions protected by this rifled cannon on July 2, 1863.

#6. Connect physical and natural structures to battlefield maps

If your maps identify Gettysburg barns, observation towers, ridges, roadways, and tall monuments, you can use these maps to get and stay oriented on the battlefield. That’s no small feat on 6,000 acres of park land. (Click here for a “how to” example. Or, for a more interactive approach, click here.)

#7. Ride down Culp’s Hill

After a 1-mile climb to the top of Culp’s Hill, who wouldn’t enjoy “flying” down to Stevens’ Knoll? Here’s a video clip of one ride down: Flying Down Culp’s Hill, Video (1:10)

#8. Make your own scavenger hunt

Before your trip, make a list of things that you want to find. Here are some examples to get your thinking juices flowing (you can enter GPS coordinates into the Google Maps search field):

• Witness Trees (click here for GPS coordinates for seventeen trees)
• Monument sculptures that include dogs (39.84222, -77.24256; 39.79703, -77.24511)
• Dinosaur footprint (39.78479, -77.24475)

You will find this dinosaur footprint on a stone bridge over Plum Run, South Confederate Avenue, on the south side of the road.

#9. Know the “secret” meaning of the park roads!

Did you know that most of Gettysburg’s park roads are named after Union officers, and that the shape of these roads roughly matches the officers’ most significant battle lines? Simply by reading park road signs, bicyclists can learn basic battlefield formations without the drudgery of rote memorization.

#10. Park you bicycle and visit Soldiers’ National Cemetery

Read the Gettysburg address on the bronze plaques of the Lincoln Address Memorial, visit the Honey Locust Witness Tree (39.81788,-77.23152), find the grave of Sgt. Amos Humiston (154th New York), or enjoy a quiet circular stroll among labeled species of native trees.

Ten Tips for Biking Gettysburg, Wrap-Up

Over the decades, I have toured the battlefield many dozens of times—on foot, by car, by bus—and since 2012, by bicycle across all four seasons. I learn something new everytime. I look forward to hearing about your learning adventures cycling Gettysburg National Military Park. Take a ride back in time … On A Bike.

When John Banks invited me to write an article for John Banks’ Civil War Blog, I jumped at the chance to share my “10 Gettysburg cycling tips for adventurous learners.“ It was published on October 26. I hope that you enjoy it. (If you are not familiar with John’s colorful and well-written Civil War history blog, you will find plenty of interesting stories and photographs on his website.)

Freedom!

As an introduction to my Gettysburg cycling tips, let me first say this…

Bicycling Gettysburg is a subject near and dear to my heart. And yet there’s a yearning that is difficult to explain. There’s a pull.

First, when I bicycle Gettysburg, there’s a natural pull to connect with hills, trees, rocks, and even pavement. I feel alive and free. I am free to ride, free to explore, and free to learn. But also, I feel free to smell like I’ve been playing in the dirt (and quietly proud about that).

In other words, I enjoy the physical expression of personal freedom. Muscles move, lungs move, and my eyes dart about looking for some new vantage point from which to understand the human story of Gettysburg 1863.

Second, though, when I am not bicycling Gettysburg, I wish otherwise. l feel a pull to leave New York and head south. I miss the Gettysburg landscape. I miss its countless opportunities to connect not only with the land but with our nation’s history. So, besides feeling personally free, I also think about what “freedom” means in a national context.

A New Birth of Freedom

November 19, 1863

Next month, we celebrate the 155th Anniversary of President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address at the dedication of Soldiers’ National Cemetery. In 272 words that packed a punch, President Lincoln expressed the meaning of the carnage of Gettysburg — the site of the bloodiest, most deadly conflict in the Western Hemisphere.

President Lincoln promised that this nation “shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

One Day after Election Day 2018

Today, one day after a national election, all of these things are in my mind — bicycling, freedom, Gettysburg, Lincoln, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, e pluribus unum. I want to hop on my bike and ride. Unfortunately, it will be a few years before I can move south to Gettysburg to indulge my impulses.

Gettysburg Cycling Tips … The Big Tease

Finally, what about those Gettysburg cycling tips? Click here: “10 Gettysburg cycling tips for adventurous learners.“

Below, please enjoy a reproduction of some of the photographs that you will find in my October 26 post. Follow this link to understand how each photograph connects to a practical tip for exploring Gettysburg National Military Park on a bicycle.

Please click here to visit John Banks’ Civil War Blog to read how easy it is for bicycling historians (and other outdoor adventurers) to learn-by-doing at Gettysburg National Military Park.

Have you ever thought about creating your own Gettysburg scavenger hunt? For bicycling? With over 1,300 monuments and markers in Gettysburg National Military Park, the battlefield is a rich wonderland of opportunities. Try these step-by-step instructions to plan your next history tour. And I’m going to make it easy for you. Read on to see how.

What is a Battlefield Scavenger Hunt?

Civil War Cycling is about touring U.S. national military parks by pedaling along park roadways. With that in mind, when we speak about “scavenger hunts,” we are talking about riding our bicycles on park roads in search of specific historical artifacts or structures.

scav·eng·er hunt /’skavənjər hənt/
noun: scavenger hunt; plural noun: scavenger hunts
a game, typically played in an extensive outdoor area, in which participants have to collect a number of miscellaneous objects. Source: Google

Bicycling historians “scavenge” the outdoors to find items on a “scavenger hunt” list. For me, the hunt is complete when I have snapped photographs of everything on my list.

Examples

1. Seven USA state monuments at Gettysburg National Military Park (GNMP)
2. Eleven CSA state monuments at GNMP
3. Eight equestrian monuments at GNMP
4. Eighteen (plus two) bronze statues of individuals at GNMP or nearby cemeteries

Why Plan a Gettysburg Scavenger Hunt?

Gettysburg National Military Park has 1,300+ monuments and about 400 refurbished cannon spread over 6,000+ acres and about thirty-one miles of park roads. Clearly, that is way too much to see in a single day’s ride. I have no idea how long it would take to visit every monument or marker, and I have logged dozens of full-day rides.

Even so, these massive numbers do not make a Gettysburg scavenger hunt necessary. You could, for example, enjoy freely exploring the park and stopping to read historic waysides and monument inscriptions in a random, possibly whimsical, manner. Admittedly, when I take three-day bicycling trips to Gettysburg, my last day is always dedicated to that sort of impulsive, free-form ride.

Why plan a battlefield scavenger hunt?

First, because it is an effective way to learn history.

If you begin your ride with a plan to visit a particular set of monuments that share a common theme, your learning experience is strengthened. In other words, scavenger hunts offer a coherent and thematic — as opposed to a random, disjointed — learning opportunity.

Second, because it gives a solid sense of accomplishment.

If you are bicycling a U.S. national military park in order to learn more about American history, a ride that is focused on a particular historical theme or goal provides a greater sense of accomplishment than if the ride had no defined historical objective.

For example, in my first attempt to identify, map, find, and photograph all corps headquarter monuments at Gettysburg, I probably found only about half of them. There are many reasons for a less-than-perfect “score” on my Gettysburg scavenger hunt — including the monuments’ small sizes, their odd locations, and even bad weather and a drained camera battery. But that’s not the point; instead, the point is that I felt a strong sense of accomplishment when I was able to complete that hunt on another ride.

Third, because it is fun.

Scavenger hunts provide bicyclists an opportunity to combine hobbies like bicycling, history, cartography, and photography into one outdoor learning adventure.

What Makes for a Great Battlefield Scavenger Hunt?

The key to planning a Gettysburg bicycle route that visits a meaningful set of sites is to scale-down your expectations of what can be accomplished on a single day’s ride.

In a nutshell, there are four criteria for a great battlefield scavenger hunt:

1. The list contains historically interesting physical items that you can photograph.
2. It is logistically possible to find all items on the list in one ride or set of smaller rides.
3. You or someone else has researched the (paper) location of each item on the map.
4. During your ride, you have a way to “check off” each item that you find.

6 Steps to Create a Gettysburg Scavenger Hunt

I said that I’d make this easy for you, and I will! Please follow these step-by-step instructions:

Step 1 – Visit Web Link

Visit Civil War Cycling’s “Gettysburg Scavenger Hunts – Explore Like a Kid” page. Skim the evergreen, multi-page table of scavenger hunts available for your use. Pick one that interests you.

Step 2 – Click on “Hunt”

Next, click on one of the “Hunt” links on the page from Step 1. If you have never bicycled Gettysburg, I recommend that you select one of the following hunts:

1. USA State Monuments
2. CSA State Monuments
3. Equestrian Monuments

Then read the short introduction at the top of the article.

Step 3 – Read and Think

For a single hunt, study the following on the “Hunt” page that you selected in Step 2:

1. Table description of each monument
2. Map pin for each monument
3. Photo of each monument

And then most importantly, do the mental work of jumping from table to map to photograph — in whatever order makes sense to you — as you memorize the attributes of each monument:

1. Name (from the table)
2. Location (map pin)
3. Appearance (photo)

Step 4 – Make a Simple Map

Download a PDF map of Gettysburg National Military Park. A paper version is also available in the kiosks at the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center.

Refer to Civil War Cycling’s pins on Google Maps, and then mark their location on your paper map. Let it be messy. After all, your “trophy” for the hunt is a set of photos.

Step 5 – Design a Bicycle Route

This next step probably requires the most thought, but most bicycling tourists enjoy it:

Design a circular route that visits each location that you marked on your map from Step 4. If you’d like to skip ahead, it is very likely that one of Civil War Cycling’s pre-made bicycle routes will work for you.

In future posts, I will offer detailed guidance with the finer points of bicycling Gettysburg National Military Park safely and efficiently. However, if you will be riding before those posts are available, please consider reading these articles first:

• “My Top 3 Safety Mistakes While Bicycling Gettysburg“
• “The Ultimate Guide for Packing and Carrying Food to Bicycle a U.S. Military Park“
• “3 Considerations for Selecting the Best Bicycle for Touring Battlefields“
• “The Ultimate Guide to Selecting a Bicycle-Friendly Hotel“

Step 6 – Ride

Finally, please enjoy your ride! Hunt with your camera, and check-off what you find (in case you need to repeat your Gettysburg scavenger hunt on another ride).