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The Battle of Gettysburg ocurred on July 1-3 1863. The bloodiest single battle of the American Civil War, the defeat sustained by the Confederacy and the Union victory despite immense casualties has become known as a major turning point in the war. Significant sites on the battlefield began to be preserved almost immediately after the 1863 battle. The park came under federal ownership in 1895. Administered by the National Park Service (NPS) since 1933, the park now incorporates a significant portion of land across which the battle, its aftermath and the commemoration occurred.
5,989 acres in size
The park is situated in south central Pennsylvania east of Appalachian Mountains. The park is fifteen miles east of South Mountain, which rises to 2,000 feet above sea level. The topography of the park is rolling hills and valleys with elevations averaging between 500 to 580 feet above sea level.
Mature and maturing woodlands and woodlots, agricultural fields, pasturelands and intermittent streams cause Gettysburg National Military Park to resemble a mosaic of different landscapes. This diverse ecology provides habitat to 187 bird, 34 mammal, 17 reptile and 15 amphibian species documented to date. Floral inventories have recorded 553 species of vascular plants, of which 410 are native.
