Living Near Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
By Mary McMath, Keller Williams Realty Atlanta North
October 24, 2026 · 2 min read
Kennesaw Mountain is the landmark you can see from much of Cobb County, and the park around it is one of the biggest reasons buyers look on the west side of Marietta and Kennesaw.
The park in numbers.
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Size | 2,923 acres |
| Interpretive hiking trails | 17.3 miles |
| Summit elevation | 1,808 feet |
| Climb from visitor center to summit | About 664 feet over 1.1 miles of trail |
| Visits in 2025 | 1,179,671 |
| First protected | February 18, 1917 |
The history. The park preserves the site of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, fought from June 18 to July 2, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign. The visitor center has a museum and a theater showing films about the battle.
Parking fees. The park charges at all 10 of its lots, and it doesn't take cash.
- Day pass: $5 per private vehicle, valid on the date of purchase
- Annual pass: $40, valid for one year from the month of purchase
- Free entrance days in 2026 include November 11, Veterans Day
If you live nearby and hike often, the $40 annual pass pays for itself after eight visits.
What it means for homeowners. The battlefield is protected federal land, so the woods on its edge won't be developed. With more than a million visits a year, though, roads near the main lots can be busy on weekends.
Take it from Mary: if you're looking at homes near the park, drive by on a Saturday morning as well as a weekday evening. You'll get the real picture of traffic and trail access.
A note on the numbers: every figure in this post is a good-faith estimate taken from the sources below as of the date it was posted. Figures aren't exact and can change, so please do your own research and confirm anything important with the official source before relying on it.
Sources
Photo: Thomson200 via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
More about Kennesaw
