The Shenandoah Valley is a place where natural beauty, charming towns, real Americana, and hallowed military ground abounds. The Valley was the source of many different campaigns throughout the Civil War. It connected the Eastern Theater to the Western Theater of the war and was the breadbasket of the South and the chosen invasion route to the North.
Ultimately total war was brought to this region of Virginia. The Shenandoah Valley is a vast region with over a dozen battlefields and countless Civil War sites. It’s impossible to see everything in a day. To make the most of your time and see the most battlefields and locations, we’ve divided the Valley into different tour regions, the Northern and Southern Shenandoah Valley regions.
In each region, you can tour various Civil War campaigns. Start in the Northern Valley with General “Stonewall” Jackson’s 1862 Valley Campaign and conclude with General Sheridan’s 1864 campaign. Explore the Southern Valley, where Breckenridge called out the V.M.I. Cadets during Sigel’s 1864 campaign and witness the climactic end of Jackson’s 1862 campaign.
The Valley offers breathtaking views and numerous battlefields. In the Northern Valley, the city of Winchester, which changed hands over seventy times during the war, is a treasure trove of historic architecture, including Stonewall Jackson’s headquarters. Winchester is an ideal base for exploring the Valley’s fascinating history.
(Do you have a special research interest or an aspect of the US Civil War that you’d like to explore with an expert guide? Learn all about our Tailor-Made American Civil War Battlefield Tours.)
