Good to know
- Tickets
- Free to visit; no entrance fee.
- Time needed
- 1 to 3 hours for the visitor center and a walk on the trails.
- Best time
- Spring and fall for pleasant walking. Grounds are open dawn to dusk year-round.
- Getting there
- Nicholasville is about 15 minutes away. Blue Grass Airport in Lexington is about 40 minutes away by car.
Where to stay nearby
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Camp Nelson National Monument questions
What happened at Camp Nelson?
It was a Union supply base that became a major recruiting center for Black soldiers. Thousands of enslaved men enlisted here, gaining freedom for themselves and, from 1865, their families.
Is Camp Nelson open every day?
The grounds and trails are open daily from dawn to dusk. The visitor center is open Wednesday to Sunday; check nps.gov for current hours.
Is Camp Nelson National Cemetery part of the monument?
The national cemetery sits next door and is run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Many US Colored Troops soldiers are buried there, and it is worth a respectful visit.
