From National Monuments
Camp Nelson National Monument
Know Before You Go
- Designation
- National Monument
- State
- KY
- Park address
- Nicholasville, KY
- Entrance fee
- No entrance feeNPS data as of 2026-08-25
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Nearby ParkQwest Places
- Mill Springs Battlefield National MonumentNational Monument · Approximately 51 miles away (straight line)
- Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical ParkNational Historical Park · Approximately 61 miles away (straight line)
- Big South Fork National River and Recreation AreaNational River · Approximately 87 miles away (straight line)
- William Howard Taft National Historic SiteNational Historic Site · Approximately 92 miles away (straight line)
- Mammoth Cave National ParkNational Park · Approximately 93 miles away (straight line)
- Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Kentucky, TennesseeNational Historical Park · Approximately 97 miles away (straight line)
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Notes
Designation Date: 10/26/2018
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.
