In three days of intense battle in July of 1863, Union and Confederate soldiers clashed along the hills and ridges of Gettysburg. Gettysburg National Military Park, part of the National Park Service, marks this historic battleground and is visited by millions each year. Several private facilities give tours of the historic site on horseback. You can also bring your own horse and use the park's trails.
Features
The park has a designated horse trail that generally follows the lower perimeter of the park and then cuts across the middle. The trail takes you past such landmarks as the North Carolina Memorial, the Virginia Memorial, Pitzer Woods, Warfield Ridge, the two Round Tops, the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard, Cemetery Ridge and Plum Run. The trail cuts across the battlefield near Plum Run, which gives riders expansive views from north to south. The trails are marked and you are not permitted to ride off the designated trail.
Types
Horseback tours of the park are divided into scenic trail rides or historical narration tours. Four facilities provide scenic trail rides through the park: Hickory Hollow Farm, Artillery Ridge, Cornerstone Farm Bed and Breakfast and Confederate Trails of Gettysburg. For a more in-depth history lesson, Artillery Ridge and Hickory Hollow Farm can provide professional or Park Service historical narrators to accompany riders along the route.
Time Frame and Cost
Tours fall into one-hour and two-hour segments, with two hours being the most common duration for a historic tour. Scenic trail rides last one hour. Artillery Ridge has private tours lasting longer than two hours. Confederate Trail Rides also has a sunset tour lasting one hour in the evening close to 6:45 p.m., which varies depending on the time of year. Rates for one-hour horseback tours vary from $35 to $45 per person an hour as of August, 2010. Rates are higher for longer tours or for historic narration tours. Group rates are available at Artillery Ridge.
Tours With Overnight Accommodations
Two horseback tour operators also have overnight accommodations on site. Artillery Ridge has a campground with log cabin rentals and sites for tents, campers and trailers.The site has a miniature battlefield diorama, a swimming pool, game room, paddleboats, bathhouses and a camp store. Cornerstone Farm, now a bed and breakfast, served as an encampment for Confederate troops during the battle, providing men and horses with a ready source of water from nearby streams. The house on the farm dates to the 1880s and several types of rooms and suites are available which all include breakfast.
Bringing Your Own Horse
Gettysburg has facilities available for those who would like to bring their own horse to ride on the park's trails. Trailer parking is available at McMillan Woods Youth Campground on West Confederate Avenue. There is a designated section of the parking area in the campground for vehicles and trailers. Artillery Ridge also stables for an extra fee, which doesn't include board.
Cautions
The National Park Service advises visitors to check clothing for deer ticks, since trails and brush can contain these parasites which have the potential to transmit Lyme disease. The Park Service also cautions visitors to be aware that poisonous plants and wildlife are present in the park.
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