Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

Weather Frost Advisory issued November 8 at 9:37PM EST until November 9 at 10:00AM EST by NWS Louisville KY

* WHAT...Temperatures as low as 34 will result in frost formation.

* WHERE...Portions of south central Indiana and east central, north

central, northwest, and south central Kentucky.

* WHEN...Until 10 AM EST /9 AM CST/ Monday.

* IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive

outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.

What to do: Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.

Read the full alert · Until Nov 9, 2026, 3:00 PM

Overview

The US Army established Camp Nelson as a fortified supply depot in April 1863. Over the next 3 years, the site evolved into a massive recruitment and training center for United States Colored Troops and a refugee camp for their families. It served as a shelter for civilians fleeing war and for enslaved people hoping to secure their freedom and aid in the destruction of slavery.

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

  • Hiking
  • Front-Country Hiking
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Park Film
  • Museum Exhibits

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Hours

Camp Nelson National Monument: The grounds featuring nearly 5-miles of unpaved trails and dozens of wayside exhibits explaining the significance of Camp Nelson, are open 7-days a week from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Center is currently open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Getting there

Camp Nelson National Monument is located along US 27 about 20 miles south of Lexington, Kentucky, 6 miles south of Nicholasville on US 27, and 16 miles north of Danville, KY on US 27. The Park entrance is on the original Danville Pike, adjacent to US 27, one mile north of the Camp Nelson National Cemetery.

Visitor centers

Weather

Kentucky has a moderate climate, where summers are humid with highs typically in the upper 80s, and winter highs are in the low 40s. Of course, be aware of the possibility of storms or more extreme temperatures on occasion. The wettest months are March - July when about 4 inches of rain per month are expected, with other months of the year are usually drier.

Phone: (859) 881-5716

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

A stone obelisk in a grass field surrounded by luminary bags
Annual Luminaria at Graveyard No. 1 · NPS/AG
NPS Directional Sign at Camp Nelson National Monument
Explore Camp Nelson National Monument! · NPS/SP
Living historians portraying US soldiers in a grass field with a wagon.
160th Anniversary of the East Tennessee Campaign · NPS/BT
Open fields of green grass with trees during a colorful sunrise.
Camp Nelson National Monument's Pastoral Landscape · NPS/SP
A row of rough, wooden bunk beds in the soldiers' barrack house.
Interior of Soldiers' Barrack Building · NPS/ A. Goetz
A white, 2 story farm house with a Civil War cannon sitting in front of it
Perry House · NPS Photo

Pair it with