Dover, TN – Visitors to Fort Donelson National Battlefield seeking orientation and information on Sunday, January 14, and Monday, January 15, will find national park staff located at the park’s historic Dover Hotel, located at 101 Petty Street, Dover, Tennessee. Those needing specific directions may call rangers at 931-232-5706.
The Stewart County Visitor Center, location of temporary visitor orientation and information for Fort Donelson, remains ice covered after a Friday winter storm left more than four inches of accumulated ice and snow across the region of western and central Tennessee and Kentucky.
According to Fort Donelson Superintendent Brian McCutchen, “Reopening the County Visitor Center is secondary, with full priority of Stewart County being toward improving safety and accessibility on the county’s rural roads.”
In order to accommodate visitors, many visiting from more winter weather-prone areas during this time of year, the park will be operating the Dover Hotel, also known widely as the “Surrender House,” as a temporary visitor contact center.
According to McCutchen, the Dover Hotel is expected to open at 8 a.m. Monday and stay open until 4:30 p.m.
Much of the battlefield roads will remain closed until further notice, while conditions are addressed.
Lands and interpretive facilities of the Fort Heiman Unit, located in Calloway County, Kentucky, will remain closed. Roads of that unit are not owned or maintained by the National Park Service, and travel on the primitive roads would not be advised.
Though staff are diligently working to remove ice accumulation, as with any winter weather, extreme caution should be taken to avoid slick spots on roads and walkways.
Updates will be accessible by phone at 931-232-0827 or via local media and the national park’s Facebook page
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