Valley Forge National Historical Park, Valley Forge

Wow! Wow! Wow! It’s gnarly that 200+ years ago this valley was the scene of a very very important part of the country's history. Reading about what happened year and looking at pictures do not do this place justice because in real life the area is just so damn majestic. As a veteran it was really cool to experience this with my brother and doodle. Altogether we walked 3 miles in one of the shorter loops groomed for walkers. Make sure you listen to the audio that the park provides through a number you call into. Seeing the area and then listening to the context of what happened truly does make a difference.

Such a beautiful park! It’s great for all sorts of activities— fishing, biking, walking, picnicking and hiking. Can’t forget all the history and monuments/cabins you can see, which is very interesting. I like more of the nature/activity side of the park, so I’ve gone biking here on the paved areas and it’s always fun with all the hills and inclines, and more recently I’ve also been hiking and some of the trails are cool and offer a variety of nice nature sceneries and best of all, a good workout. If you go hiking on the Mt. Joy trail, make sure to wear bug spray and a good pair of hiking boots/trail runners since it gets rocky. Almost all of the trails I’ve been on are usually well maintained, only one I’ll mention is that parts of the Grand Parade trail in the meadows were a bit overgrown so make sure you have your trail map and be weary of ticks! Overall, awesome experience every time and definitely one of my favorite parks in the area since you’ll always find something to do.

We visited Valley Forge from Philadelphia, it's about an hour's drive. It's a very significant historic place and is a must visit if you are in in the area. We had reserved the trolley tour. It is a 90 minute tour that took us to all the important spots. We got down at a couple of spots, one was to walk around the soldiers huts area. We were greeted by a ranger who explained about the area and the significance of the huts. The second place where we got down to walk around was at George Washington's head quarters, and the train station. All along the tour, we had a guide explaining the history and importance of the various spots. It is a huge area of scenic meadows, trees and landscape used for soldiers encampment. You can also do the tour by yourself using a map or with audio guidance. Walking tour and biking tours are other options. Bike rentals are available. Final stop was the visitor center with a nice gift shop.

In many ways this location holds a place as one of the most important in American history. Over the winter of 1777-1778, the continental forces of the American revolution stayed here in terrible conditions as it prepared for what seemed to be an endless war. General Washington used this as his base for the foray across the Delaware to Trenton to engage the hessian forces stationed there. The park boasts a few dozen key areas that you can explore and monuments constructed to commemorate the rich history of that time. Aside from that the park has a varied amount of biking and hiking trails for beginner to moderate trips. The 6.6 mile loop that covers the historical aspects is a pleasant walk in mild weather and further exploration can be done at no cost to the adventurer. This should be the top of the list for those interested in the birth of a nation!

Great park with amazing views all year long! It’s got plenty of history and views all around. The park is filled with life most months and even in the winter has a lot to offer. My wife loves coming here to have a picnic or walk the trails with our son and our German Shepherd Aries. I will never get tired of this park and I hope we keep it’s history alive for years to come!