COBB COUNTY, Ga. — It took a little while, but it will again cost a few dollars for you to visit Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Cobb County.
Beginning Friday morning, park visitors will need to go online to recreation.gov/pass and purchase either a $5 day pass or a $40 season pass to allow access to the open areas of the park. The park says there will be no passes available for sale on-site. If you do purchase a day ticket and would like to upgrade, they offer informational signs in each parking area with a QR Code embedded to access the Recreation.gov website. For current annual pass holders, the park is offering a two-week grace period as a reminder their passes will be needed to enter the park.
Rangers say you can still park at the other Mountain parking areas. Those include: The Visitor Center lot, the Old 41 (Overflow) lot, the Gilbert Road lot, the Burnt Hickory Road lot, the Cheatham Hill Road lot, the Cheatham Hill Drive/Illinois Monument lot, the Kolb Farm lot and the Horse Trailer lot.
Those running the park also want to make clear that Payment of an entrance fee does not guarantee a parking space. During busy periods, park visitors are encouraged to find a parking space before purchasing a daily pass online. Park staff will conduct compliance checks at parking areas at various times, checking for hard copy passes on dashboards for those with physical passes or for valid vehicle license plate numbers registered on Recreation.gov for visitors that have made online pass purchases.
The Park still has many areas closed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic including the Visitor Center, Mountain Road and the parking areas around the crest of the mountain. Other areas however are open and are accessible for visitors to enjoy, a return to full operations will continue to be phased in gradually and services may be limited. When visiting the park Rangers ask the public to follow local area health orders, practice Leave No Trace principles, avoid crowding and avoid high-risk outdoor activities.
Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on their website at www.nps.gov/kemo and social media channels. Updates about National Park Service operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. www.nps.gov