Point Park and Lookout Mountain Battlefield pay homage to the Civil War Battle Above the Clouds. Staff File Photo by John Rawlston.In the Civil War, Chattanooga was considered the "Gateway to the Deep South" and the river and railroads made it an important strategic position. A series of battles took place around the region and the evidence of these conflicts can still be seen all over the area.
Chickamauga Battlefield
3370 LaFayette Road, Fort Oglethorpe
706-866-9241
* The 5,300-acre park includes more than 1,000 monuments that pay homage to the 120,000 soldiers who fought in the Battle of Chickamauga, just south of Chattanooga. The Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is the oldest and largest park of its kind in the nation.
Point Park and Lookout Mountain Battlefield
110 Point Park Road, Lookout Mountain, Tenn.
* The 3,000-acre Lookout Mountain Battlefield pays homage to a conflict known as the Battle Above the Clouds, which took place high on the mountain. The National Park provides great views of the city below and contains monuments, markers and miles of trails. The visitor center at Point Park displays a 30-foot painting of the battle.
Missionary Ridge
Crest Road, Chattanooga
* Three Union armies attacked Confederate forces on Missionary Ridge in November 1863. The ridge is dotted with markers, memorials and cannons.
Orchard Knob
Corner of North Orchard Knob Avenue and Vine Street, Chattanooga
* This hill in East Chattanooga was part of the Battle of Missionary Ridge and is a resting place for cannons, memorials and markers.
Chattooga Academy
North Main Street, LaFayette, Ga. 30728
706-375-7702
* Built in 1836, the Chattooga Academy building, which Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg used as a headquarters during the war, is the oldest standing brick school in Georgia.
Gordon-Lee Mansion
217 Cove Road, Chickamauga, Ga.
706-375-4728
* The plantation mansion is the only building used by Union and Confederate troops at the Battle of Chickamauga that was left standing. Tours available by appointment.
Tunnel Hill Heritage Center
215 Clisby Austin Road, Dalton, Ga. 30755
706-876-1571
* Built on the site of a skirmish during the war, the Heritage Center provides information on the battle and the nearby rail tunnel, which is one of the oldest south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Visitors can walk through the historic Western & Atlantic railroad tunnel. The Battle of Tunnel Hill re-enactment takes place each September.
Prater's Mill
5845 Georgia Highway 2, Dalton, Ga. 30721
706-694-6455
* Prater's is a historic grist mill built in 1855 and was the site of Confederate and Union camps during the Civil War.
Dalton Confederate Cemetery and Memorial Wall
Cuyler Street, Dalton
* Contains the graves of 421 Confederate and four "unknown" Union soldiers.
Resaca Confederate Cemetery
U.S. Highway 41 south at the Whitfield-Gordon County line
* After the Battle of Resaca, 450 Confederates were buried at this site. The annual Battle of Resaca Civil War Re-enactment is held nearby the third weekend each May.
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston Statue
Corner of Hamilton and Crawford streets in Dalton
* Outdoor statue of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, who led the Army of Tennessee during much of the Atlanta Campaign.