Frederick, Maryland
Hike Information
There are two series hikes which Pack 271 is working on completing. Each of them have a number of segments, have individual patches for segments completed, and a trail medal for completing the entire set. These are official B.S.A. patches and medals, and thus may be worn on Cub Scout, Webelos, Boy Scout, Venture, and Adult Scout uniforms. Earn it now and wear it forever.
Below is information on the Gettysburg Heritage Hikes. For information on the C & O Canal Towpath bike hikes, CLICK HERE. To return to the general Hikes page, CLICK HERE. 
Gettysburg Heritage Trails
This set of five trails is administered by the York-Adams Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. It is comprised of five hikes, including two short walks, two three mile hikes, and one hike of better than nine miles. These are all foot hikes, and do not work as bike hikes. (The National Park Service forbids bikes in the Cemetery or on any unpaved trails, and several of the hikes go the wrong way on one-way roads, on foot-paths through the woods, or through the Cemetery.)
If you do not have it, the Gettysburg Heritage Trail Guide, jointly published by the National Park Service and the Boy Scouts of America, is essential. The booklet is available through the Eastern National website, or at the Gettysburg Visitors' Center. In addition to historic information to share and go over with the Scouts while on the hikes, it also has the order form in the back to send off for the patches when the hikes have been properly completed.
Below is a table of the five segments of the hike, the patches earned, and their lengths:
| Hike | Description | Length | Patch | 271 Done It? |
| Map Room & Cemetery | Attend the Map Room presentation in the main Visitor's Center, then walk across the street into the cemetery where the Gettysburg Address was delivered, and see the unknown soldiers' fields. Very moving. (This is easy to do by yourself or with your den, if you missed it.) | ~1/2 mi | Central Lincoln patch | Yes |
| Eisenhower Farm | Tour the Eisenhower Farm and estate. | ~1/2 mi | Five Stars patch | Yes |
| Historic Walk | This is a walk through downtown Gettysburg to view some of the sites of special significance to the battle in the town. | ~3 mi | Historic Walk patch (on top) | Yes |
| Johnny Reb Trail | Hike the Johnny Reb Trail across the battlefield. | ~3 mi | Johnny Reb patch (gray, on right) | Yes |
| Billy Yank Trail |
This nine-mile hike starts out from the Cyclorama (next to the Visitor's Center,) and goes out to Little Round Top and Big Round Top along the Union lines and Cemetery Ridge, and returns along the Confederacy lines on Seminary Ridge, ending the hike by walking Pickett's Charge. Along the way, you stop at Devil's Den, the Observation Tower, and other interesting points. The hike is mostly flat, but does have some pretty good hills in it. If nine miles all at once is too much to consider, you can park a car at Little Round Top, and hike from the Cyclorama to there, for a hike of about 3 1/2 miles. You can also park a car at the observation tower, for a hike of about 6 1/2 miles, or three miles from Little Round Top. |
~9 mi | Billy Yank patch (blue, on left) | Yes |
| Pack 271 Boys who have completed all five segments and earned the Gettysburg Heritage Trail Medal while still Cub Scouts: Jacob Scherer Trad Groover Chase LeClair | ||||
| Pack 271 Iron Men, who have completed the nine-mile Billy Yank Trail all at once: 2006 Trad Groover Brent Harwood Chase LeClair 2010 Alexander Chizmar
Nathanial Chizmar
Matthew Thomas
Craig Lauret
Evan Frank
Drew Voell
Ben Meman
Chad LeClair
Chase LeClair-Den Chief | ||||
| Note: To earn a patch, you must personally complete the hike that goes with the patch. | ||||