Devil's Den Historical Walk - Gettysburg, PA
N 39° 47.489 W 077° 14.512
18S E 308045 N 4407018
Although the walk is only about .25 miles or so, the walk down Crawford Road to Sickles Road and then up to and through Devil's den is probably the most scenic and exciting walks in the Park which is why it should he highlighted.
Waymark Code: WMHM96
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 07/22/2013
Views: 12
The war raged on for three days here at Gettysburg so different part os the Park are known as the first day, the second day and the third day. This slice of the park is a second day. The entire place is a self-guided tour unless you elect to hire a guide service or park ranger. This particular walk is recommended because the kids love it, it is highly historical, very strenuous and good for you and afford the most beautiful view of the second day battlefield, namely Devil's Den, the Slaughter Pen, Houck's Ridge, Plum Run, Little Round Top and the Triangular Field. The park service a the welcome center will provide you with free maps and helpful hints about where to go and what to bring with you when you hike about this unforgiving landscape/battlefield.
The trail leads up to a flight of steep, stone stairs which wrap and twist visitors about the huge rocks, above Devil's Den, around the bend, over a bridge, up the road and down Sickles Road. This is one of the few places where you have to walk and hike about due to the inaccessibility due to the geography.
Of course on the walk you will discover all manner of interpretive, monument, memorials and markers, even a ghost story or two. But truly examining the landscape one might fully understand why 
Devil's Den. was such an important and hotly contested piece of real-estate on July 2, 1863. The rocks were an excellent place for sharpshooters and snipers to hide while picking off Union troops planted east, up at Little Round Top. Confederate troops could rest, regroup, hide and make their final assault to take the hill, which ultimately failed.
You'll pass the Devil's Den Barricade (WA35) and read the interpretive and most like have your picture taken at that point of interest, as gruesome as the reality of it is. Most likely you'll be lucky and your heart will be racing and your pulse quickened at the initial climb to care about the misery that was once here at the barricade.
As you continue past the barricade, you'll come at at a bend and a series of monuments. The best one is the 4th New York Independent Battery Monument (MN128-F) flanked by four 10-pounder Parrott rifles (you'll learn about them as well) next to the enlarged shoulder where non-walkers (I spit on them! Bah!) gaze at the landscape wishing they could hack the hike from the safety of their car.
The trail goes in and out of the scrub brush and clover so as to allow visitors to access every monument, flank marker, stone wall and wooden fence. The walk continues down Sickles Road to a few more monuments and then you can come back and do it all again to get back to the car. Be sure to bring water, a change of shirt if you come in the summer and a good camera with lots of batteries because this you do not want to forget. have fun!