Murfreesboro promotes Stones River National Battlefield as a top area attraction, and it does indeed draw visitors from all over the country, though many who live in Murfreesboro may have never fully explored that parcel of land.

The site of a vicious Civil War battle that raged from Dec. 31, 1862, to Jan. 2, 1863, the National Park Service now preserves the battlefield area and a military cemetery as well as operates a visitors center near the battlefield’s entrance.

Stones River National Battlefield—a 570-plus-acre swath of land located on Old Nashville Highway, near the train tracks, about three miles outside of downtown Murfreesboro—offers seven miles of trails on a combination of paved, gravel, wood chip and dirt terrain. Some, like the half-mile Cotton Field Trail, are paved and accessible. Others, like the 3.2-mile Boundary Trail, offer a more challenging hiking experience through the woods and rocks that helped decide the outcome of the Battle of Stones River, according to the NPS.

A museum in the visitors center displays telegraphs, guns, shells, tents, drums, surgical instruments, newspaper articles and other relics of the Civil War era, telling stories of the Battle of Stones River from both Confederate and Union perspectives. Park visitors can also view a short film detailing the battle.

On a recent day, a Park Service employee asks a group entering the visitors center where they are from; Montana, they reply.

From the visitors center, various trails travel the land, including a loop around the battlefield, where so many perished in the mid-1800s.

Out on this Battlefield Trail, walkers can see and hear the cars on the highway in the distance but mainly hear only the birds and the bugs.

An exploration of the battlefield can make a great educational opportunity for those interested in Civil War history, with informational plaques and markers scattered throughout the site detailing the Battle of Stones River, ultimately an important Union victory.

This Battlefield Trail is a flat, paved trek, which can be a plus for those pushing strollers or wheelchairs or bicyclists; it is easy and accessible. Other hikers and frequent National Park visitors may desire a more secluded, off-road experience.

The shade is limited here too, with much of this trail out in the open. Though some trails connect the paved inner Battlefield Loop with the outer, more rugged Boundary Trail Loop, cutting through the shady forest.

What with the various offshoots, connectors, trail merges and service roads around the property, many visitors have had difficulty determining exactly which trail they were on, even while referencing a map. Some better signage on the paths could reduce confusion, though getting totally lost shouldn’t be an issue, as open as the battlefield is, with roads nearby.

Many participants in the annual Special Kids Race have become somewhat familiar with the  trails, and other runners will utilize the paths throughout the year. A local high school cross country team was running the trails at the battlefield on a recent September afternoon.

Pedestrians and bicyclists may use park roads and trails from sunrise to sunset every day of the year.

And the battlefield visitors center is open every day, other than Thanksgiving and Christmas; check the website for seasonal hours, though.

Those who prefer to journey by automobile can embark upon a driving tour of the battlefield by car also.

Reportedly the park sees lots of wildlife sightings, with visitors noting turkeys, deer, birds, butterflies, squirrel and other creatures.

A sidewalk leading from McFadden Lane within the battlefield to the nearby General Bragg Trailhead connects the Stones River National Battlefield lands to the City of Murfreesboro’s Greenway system and its sprawling trails alongside the Stones River, allowing pedestrian access to much of the town.

The park also includes the Stones River National Cemetery, located across Old Nashville Highway from the main chunk of preserved land and many of its trails and the visitors center.

“The C-shaped Boundary Trail runs along the western border of Stones River National Battlefield. If you combine this with a park road and a short trail that runs from the Hazen Brigade Monument to the Stones River National Cemetery, you can form a nice loop around the entire park,” Steven L. Markos, who operates National Park Planner, said of this 3.5-mile journey. “You have a chance to learn something and get some exercise at the same time. Including the visit to the cemetery, the hike should take about two hours.”

Of the 76,400 men involved in the Battle of Stones River, a confirmed 1,294 Confederates died and 1,677 Union soldiers lost their lives in the battle, with many more missing and thousands wounded.

Many of the Union soldiers are buried at the Stones River National Cemetery. In fact, 6,850 members of the U.S. military are buried there, including casualties from the Battle of Stones River as well as those from the battles of Murfreesboro, Franklin, Shelbyville, Tullahoma and Cowan, along with others who served for the U.S.A.

Remains of many of the Confederate dead rest within a mass grave known as Confederate Circle within the Evergreen Cemetery, located off of Greenland Drive in Murfreesboro.

Learn more about the Stones River National Battlefield at nps.gov/stri or pay the land a visit at 3501 Old Nashville Hwy., Murfreesboro, TN and take a walk through American history.