Dover, Tennessee— Visitor access to the main entrance of Fort Donelson National Battlefield may be delayed early Wednesday for a few hours to allow a national park crew to fell a large tree adjacent to the park entry column, historic earthworks, and the main entrance road.
“As park grounds open at sunrise, it is not unusual to have early morning walkers or hikers at the parking area of the visitor center before 7 am. For both safety, and to ensure that a visitor is not held-up for an undetermined amount of time inside of the park, the entrance at US-79 will be barricaded off the night before the removal,” according to David Hamby, Chief of Heritage Preservation and Maintenance.
The park crew will be coming in early so as to minimize potential opening delays. “Once the tree is down, any debris cleared from the roadway, and assurance that all safety concerns have been mitigated, we will remove the barriers for visitor access and enjoyment,” Hamby added.
If delayed by inclimate weather, the tree removal will be scheduled for the following day.