Fort Defiance Interpretive Center
Site Directions: Travel on I-24 to exit 8, Rossview Rd. Travel west onto TN-237W/Rossview Rd and turn right onto Warfield Blvd. Follow Warfield Blvd to US-79 and turn left onto US-79 (Wilma Rudolph Blvd.). After crossing the bridge over the Red River, the road changes names to Pettus Street, but make the second right onto Kraft Street. Follow Kraft St. to 2nd St and make a left onto 2nd St. Once on 2nd St, travel only 0.3 miles and turn left onto B St., then the first left onto Walker Street with a quick left onto Duncan Street.
Address: 120 Duncan Street, Clarksville, TN 37040
Lat-Long: 36.541858, -87.372607
Hours: Spring/Summer Operating Hours - Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday 1-5pm
Fall/Winter Operating Hours - Monday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sunday 1-5pm
Seasonality: Open Year Round
Fees: none
Site Description: Located on a bluff 200 feet above the confluence of the Red and Cumberland Rivers in Clarksville, Tennessee, the Fort Defiance site has been a hub of activity for more than two centuries. Originally inhabited by American Indians, white settlers began arriving in the late 18th Century. The area became a trading center and settlement. During the Civil War, the hilltop was chosen by Confederate troops as a site to construct a fort to defend the river approach to Clarksville. In February 1862, the fort was captured by Union forces, renamed and occupied for the remainder of the war. The site was a magnet for runaway and freed slaves, and many were employed in and around the fort. A visitor today will find Fort Defiance remarkable well preserved, the outer earthworks, powder magazine and gun platforms are still discernable.
Wildlife to Watch: Soaring raptors over the rivers can occur anytime of the year. Spring and fall is good for warblers and other migrating songbirds, while general woodland birding is good year-round.
For more information:
Fort Defiance web site
Submit your data to eBird and help us build a list of birds seen at this site
Be sure to check out our Safety Tips page for important information regarding viewing wildlife in these areas.
