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What Does It Take To Maintain Our Trails at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park?

The Crew Leader Training Class scheduled for April 23rd has been moved to April 30th – see additional details below.

What Does It Take To Maintain Our Trails?
The Kennesaw Mountain Trail Club, on behalf of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, will be conducting Trail Maintenance Training on Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm. This class is for anyone that wants to understand the basics of trail maintenance. If you have ever wondered how this maintenance gets done; this is for you. Note the class alone does not allow you to do maintenance, however you will leave with an understanding of what it takes to keep the trails in a condition that park visitors will enjoy. This class is required for those that want to become Trail Maintenance Crew Leaders, along with three On The Job Trainings that will be performed as part on the Trail Club’s second Saturday of every month Workday.
We will start promptly at 8:00 at the tool shed. From there we will go down to the training room at the Visitor Center for a couple of hours of classroom training and some hot coffee and donuts. After the training session, we will hike up Kennesaw; stopping at various points to discuss what we learned in the classroom.

For those who do not know where the tool shed is: Follow the road going up the mountain. Take the first right that says staff and volunteers, and park in the field to the right of the road. Go through the fence. The tool shed is the first door on the left.

Additional Notes
Those attending will be issued temporary volunteer passes that will be issued when you arrive. You will be parking in the field across from the Superintendent’s Office. Located on the right before you get to the fence, weather permitting. The paid $5 per day or annual pass will not work here.

What to Bring: Hiking Shoes

If you might be interested in this, you will need to Sign up at:
www.tinyurl.com/27ef2vphKMTC CREW LEADER TRNG (TRAIL SKILL WKSP) on April 30.

You can also email Mike Collett, Trails Director, KMTC, at Trails@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org for more information.

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Graffiti removed at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

by mcangeli
Graffiti removed at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

KENNESAW, GA- Over the weekend, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park staff worked to
remove graffiti and burn marks associated with the recent defacement of the park’s iconic Illinois
Monument and grave site of the unknown soldier.

“I am grateful for the expeditious actions of the park staff to clean the vandalized areas. While impacts to
the sites appear minimal, these illegal acts of vandalism hurt and degrade the experiences of visitors, and
repairs, if possible, can be time consuming and costly,” said Patrick Gamman, superintendent for
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

The vandalism was reported last Friday morning by park staff and volunteers. Damage included drawn
graffiti on the Illinois Monument, black carbon deposits on the grave site and charred remains of two
American flags, which did not belong to the park.

“We take vandalism incidents seriously in the park, and we encourage anyone with information to reach
out to us as the investigation continues,” Gamman said.

Anyone with information that could aid this investigation is asked to contact investigators through the
following means: NOTE: Use is restricted to investigative tips ONLY and should not be used to offer
general comments or opinions.

CALL or TEXT the Tip Line 888-653-0009
ONLINE form go.nps.gov/SubmitATip
EMAIL nps_isb@nps.gov
EMERGENCY dial 9-1-1

Original Press Release

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Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield To Increase Access for its Theater and Public Programs

by mcangeli

KENNESAW, GA– Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, in using a phased approach for
increased access, will reopen specific operations this week. Beginning July 1, 2020, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park will reopen access to:
• The park’s theater, located inside the Visitor Center.
• Face-to-face outdoor programs.


The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be
paramount. At Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, our operational approach
continues to be centered on examining each facility function and service to ensure those
operations comply with current public health guidance and are regularly monitored.
For more information, visit the park website (www.nps.gov/kemo), or call 770-427-4686 x231.
Details and updates will also be posted on the park’s social media channels.

For the FULL PRESS RELEASE

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Mountain Trailer Store Soon to be in Operation at Top of Kennesaw Mountain

by mcangeli

Kennesaw, GA– Beginning May 8 and operating weekends and holidays through the end of September, American’s National Parks Store, a partner of the National Park Service, will be selling convenience items at the parking lot at the top of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. America’s National Parks Store operates a sales trailer in the spring and summer months to provide items that might be needed or wanted by park visitors.

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Metro-Atlanta National Park Sites to Celebrate Junior Ranger Day

by mcangeli

Junior Ranger Day is an annual event, held during National Park Week (April 17-25, 2021), designed to engage children of all ages in the treasures that are our national parks. On this special day, national park units across the country offer distinct programs to encourage participants to explore,
learn, and protect. In celebration of Junior Ranger Day, the metro-Atlanta national park units are
hosting special activities to highlight this event on April 24.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
For this years’ Jr. Ranger Day, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is proud to offer an interactive scavenger hunt that will take you all across the battlefield! The event will be available from Saturday, April 17 through Saturday, April 24. Materials include a scavenger hunt sheet and map, which can be picked up at the Visitor Center or emailed upon request (email kemo_education@nps.gov). There will also be corresponding clue videos that can be viewed on the parks’ Facebook and/or Youtube starting on 4/17. Participants who do their best to complete the hunt will receive an official Jr. Ranger Badge of Kennesaw Mountain as well as several other goodies!

Remember the Jr. Ranger pledge to ‘Explore, Learn, and Protect’, and we’ll see you at the Mountain!

For more information or to view the full press release click here

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Support Friends of Kennesaw Mountain NBP with a Smile

by mcangeli

Now you can support the Friends of KMNBP with a smile every time you shop on Amazon!

By shopping at Smile.amazon.com and selecting the Friends of KMNBP as your organization, every purchase you make on Amazon will benefit the National Battlefield Park and help to ensure its continued success.

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New Volunteer Opportunities

New Volunteer Opportunities

The Friends of KMNBP currently has several openings for volunteer opportunities. These are excellent ways to give back to the Park and help the Friends of KMNBP grow.

Membership Director – Recruit volunteers to staff membership information tents at the park during busy periods. Recruit volunteers to canvas businesses near the park and solicit their membership. Make your own hours. Contact Scott at box2105@mindspring.com

Membership Information Specialist – Staff our information tents at the park during busy periods and provide information about becoming a member. Make you own hours. Contact Scott at box2105@mindspring.com
Business Canvasser – Stop into businesses near the park and provide them with information on how to become a member. Make your own hours. Contact Scott at box2105@mindspring.com
Social Media Director – Update our facebook and Instagram every few days to showcase events at the park and reasons why being a member of our Friends group will help us achieve more. Contact Scott at box2105@mindspring.com
Board Member – Become a board member and help us make important decisions as we evolve and mature. Corporate level background is preferred. We meet face-to-face quarterly and conduct most business by email. Contact Scott at box2105@mindspring.com
Writer – We are creating a guide to the hiking trails at Kennesaw and need a writer who loves history and hiking to help us. The guide will be sold on line and in the gift shop as a fund raiser. Make your own hours. Contact Scott at box2105@mindspring.com
Transcriber – We are looking for volunteers to help us transcribe audio tapes collected on our veteran’s oral history project. Make your own hours. Contact Scott at box2105@mindspring.com

For more information, visit our Volunteer Opportunities page or contact Scott MacKay

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Kennesaw Mountain NBP – New Vehicle Entrance Fee

by mcangeli

EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 13TH, 2019:

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park will begin implementation of a new per vehicle Entrance Fee Program to support safety, maintenance and visitor enjoyment throughout the Park.

Entrance fee options are:
– Daily Pass: $5
– Annual Pass: $40
-America the Beautiful (Interagency) Pass: $80
-Senior Lifetime Pass (for individuals over the age of 62): $80
-Military Pass: free for active duty
-Access Pass (Disability): free with verification

Payment will be accepted online or in person at the Visitor Center. The only accepted forms of payment will be credit or debit card. Online payments are preferred. This is an entrance fee, not a parking fee; parking is not guaranteed.

A state- level park pass will not cover fees at a National Park site, and vice- versa.

Since the park’s inception in 1935, there has been no fee associated with entering the park.  The park opened a public comment period from August 22 – October 10, 2017 for a two phase project:  1) implement a vehicle entrance fee program; 2) implement a 7-day per week shuttle service to the top of Kennesaw Mountain.  Phase 2 involves closing the mountain road to private vehicles, and would begin once sufficient revenue is generated to sustain a two-shuttle bus operation.  Safety is paramount to the closure of the mountain road.  A public meeting was held on September 12, 2017 regarding these two issues.  The new fee program was published on the Federal Register in August 2018 and was completed in February 2019. Public response was 85% in support of the fee program.

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