Gettysburg National Military Park today celebrated the reopening of Little Round Top with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Monday.
The Little Round Top area of the Gettysburg battlefield, which saw extensive fighting on the afternoon of July 2, 1863, had been closed to the public for almost two years for extensive rehabilitation efforts to improve parking areas, accessibility, and safety and address erosion and vegetation issues. Little Round Top reopened to the public later Monday afternoon.
The project enhances access to a more extensive, safe, and accessible trail system that allows visitors to experience the area’s monuments, cannons, and other areas of interest. Gathering areas across the summit will better accommodate the many large groups arriving by bus. Eroded soils have been stabilized and re-vegetated. New interpretive waysides throughout the area tell the story of those who suffered, died, and memorialized the battlefield. In addition, satellite parking has been expanded and formalized in the area with access to the trail system. new trail on the summit of Little Round Top. Funding for the project represents a mix of federal funds and generous donations. The total cost of the project was $12.9 million, of which $5.2 million came from donations from the Gettysburg Foundation, National Park Foundation, and American Battlefield Trust.
“Gettysburg veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Joshua Chamberlain noted that ‘In great deeds, something abides. On great fields, something stays,’ and there are few landscapes for which that power of place is more tangible than Little Round Top.” said American Battlefield Trust President David Duncan. “Now revitalized and enhanced, it stands ready to welcome this and future generations, a place where they can feel a meaningful connection to the past.” “Modernizing and improving visitor access to Little Round Top protects this hallowed ground and ensures that future generations can explore this place where history was made and better understand how the battle of Gettysburg shaped our nation,” said National Park Foundation president and CEO Will Shafroth. “I am grateful for the generosity of John L. Nau, III and the partnership of the American Battlefield Trust for making it possible.” Park staff thank the many members of the local Gettysburg community who helped keep park visitors up to date with pertinent information about the project and their continued patience throughout the process. We look forward to welcoming visitors back to this iconic battlefield site and joining us as stewards to help us protect and interpret the site for generations to come.
Cannons and new trails on Little Round Top in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Full details of the project, including photo albums, videos, time-lapse videos, and frequently asked questions, can all be found on the park’s website at nps.gov/gett.