Pea Ridge National Military Park

To be honest I was a little disappointed while visiting PRNMP. Having previously worked at a military park I could visually see that the park could use some maintenance, particularly the cannon. I was happy I stopped by, but I would highly recommend that you read-up on the battle and bring your own materials, such as battle maps, and any insight of what took place at each particular location in the park.

The reason I say this is that there are very few informational waysides that describe what took place at specific locations. This is why I would recommend having your own materials to help while touring the battlefield.

There were several cannon here and there, but the ones I saw could use some TLC. I would recommend anyone who loves history to stop by, just be prepared with materials. I believe the tour road is about seven miles. I also think the entrance fee is $20.00 but I'm not sure why the fee is so high. In my opinion there was very little to see - very few monuments or memorials. My experience left me with a feeling that all I did was drive along a road viewing open fields with a cannon here or there.

As far as getting to the park, I had no problems. I came from the south and I was able to find the park entrance easily. If you are coming from the north you might want to check the park's website since the road is closed just passed the park entrance. The park entrance is located on a side road just off the main road. Coming from the north may present some challenges.

While visiting the park in March the Elkhorn Tavern was closed to the public due to rehab work. The short movie in the visitor center was okay as it was telling a story of the battle. I'm sort of a meat and potatoes kind of person. Show me the who, what, when, how, and where. I think the park is failing in this aspect. Just my point of view while others may vary.

If you stop by the Prairie Grove State Battlefield, you will see what I'm talking about. Their short movie does exactly what I'm looking for.

The small museum contained displays and information about the battle. The raised relief maps were good since they showed the different phases...

This place is immaculately kept and informative. Our Pittsburgh 😉Ranger David, despite his flawed arrogance, was knowledgeable and friendly (he teased my husband's Dallas Cowboys shirt). As a professor of history, I enjoyed our spirited debate about Stonewall Jackson. We appreciated his committment to his job and how he engaged our 10 year old son, who was sworn in as a Junior Ranger at the end of our tour. The visitors center is comprehensive and easy enough for kids to learn about the entirety of the war. My son got a lot out if it. The lighted map display coordinated with the video was the most unique and informative display I've seen in a museum. The fields were well maintained and signage clearly visible. The Elkhorn Tavern area us a must see! You can drive the tour but if you truly want to know how these soldiers marched, walk the trails; which we did from time to time. The Butterfield mail route road (trail) is well worth the hike. It is rocky so be prepared with boots and it is extremely wooded, so take spray for all insects. We had three ticks on us afterwards. Also, the Trail of Tears info was highly interesting, but the trail was overgrown so we didn't venture out much past a 1/4 of a mile...

Pea Ridge Military Park in Arkansas; which connects the period of 1829 to a cabin witnessing the Trail of Tears (which had 780 miles of walking for the Native Americans who were forced out of Tennessee and into Oklahoma,) which would soon be converted into Elkhorn Tavern (hence why Pea Ridge Battleground is also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern) and would have watched carriages transporting cargo for the Overland mail delivery service (similar to 'Pony Express') which started in 1857 and would have run along the entire length of the battleground and still shows carriage pathways outside of the paved road area. It's a key battle which took place over 2 days in 1862 which paved the way for the Union to push the Confederates further south.

I suspect many of these cannons are not historical though the companies/arsenals that made them are still active to this day, so it's entirely possible they are still being...