Day trips from Nashville · Park
Fort Donelson National Battlefield
83 miles from downtown Nashville · about 1 hour 30 minutes
National Park Service, Dover, TN
Fort Donelson preserves the river fortification where Grant won the first major Union victory of the Civil War in February 1862 and earned the nickname Unconditional Surrender. It sits on the Cumberland at Dover, next to a national cemetery.
- Address
- 174 National Cemetery Drive, Dover, TN
- Fee
- Free
- Phone
- 931-232-5706
Permits, fees and access
Free, no entrance pass required.
One thing to know first
The river batteries are the best part and they are a short walk below the main loop, which people miss because the driving tour does not force you out of the car. Get out at the batteries.
Access rules, fees and closures verified August 15, 2026 against the agency that manages this place. They change, sometimes without notice. Check before you drive.
I keep this list because it is genuinely how people spend weekends here, and because almost every guide to it is out of date. If you are weighing a move to Middle Tennessee and want to know which part of it puts you closest to the things you actually like, ask me. No pitch.