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Recreation Areas and Campground Database

Antietam National Battlefield

Monument at Sunset
Antietam National Battlefield

23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion into the North and led Abraham Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.

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Ten miles south of I-70 on Maryland Route 65

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Rohrbach Group Campground Campground
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Overview

THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC CAMPGROUND. SCOUTS AND CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS ONLY.

Antietam National Battlefield is the site of the bloodiest one day battle in American history. After twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862, 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion into the North and led to Abraham Lincoln's issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.

Rohrbach Campground is part of the Antietam National Battlefield. It is a walk-in, primitive camping area available to scouts and civic organization groups only (see "Know Before You Go," below, for individual camping options in the area). The campground has 10 sites, each of which is provided with a fire ring and picnic tables and space to accommodate a maximum of 30 people. The campground is typically open from March through November.

Recreation

Recreational activities in Antietam National Battlefield include hiking and attending a park ranger program or pre-arranging a ranger led activity. There are 15 miles of trails to explore with the Bloody Lane and Final Attack Trails being the most popular. Biking the battlefield tour road is another popular activity while visiting Antietam. Riders under the age of 16 are required to wear helmets.

Facilities

All sites are available for advance reservation only. There are no first-come, first-served sites. Each campsite offers a fire ring and picnic tables and space to accommodate a maximum of 30 people. Pit toilets and handwashing stations are available at the campground and indoor facilities are located at the Antietam National Cemetery and the visitor center. Bring your own potable water. Drinking water is not provided at the campground, and there is no access to the water spigot at the visitor center due to an ongoing construction project.

Natural Features

The battlefield, located in the Cumberland Valley of western Maryland, encompasses over 3,250 acres of farmland, pastures, woodlots and limestone forests. Antietam's diverse landscape provides a noteworthy habitat for wildlife observation. During a typical day at the battlefield, visitors are most likely to see woodchucks and white-tailed deer. The open fields provide great habitat for a range of birds such as Eastern Bluebirds, Horned Larks and Grasshopper Sparrows. Small stands of trees and wooded areas attract Pileated Woodpeckers, various owls and Red-Tailed Hawks.

Charges & Cancellations

A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change your reservation. Cancellations more than 48 hours in advance of arrival date incur a $10 cancellation fee. Within 48 hours of arrival, a $10 cancellation fee and the first night's fee are charged.


Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center Facility

This spring, Antietam National Battlefield will begin a $6.8 million project to rehabilitate and preserve the historic visitor center, which originally opened to the public in the winter of 1963. We expect to close the visitor center summer of 2021 and reopen it in late 2022. During the construction the park will install a temporary visitor center building. Currently the lobby, bookstore and restrooms are open.


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