About Valley Forge National Historical Park
Valley Forge is the place where George Washington and the Continental Army took refuge during the winter of 1777-1778. Today the park protects 3,500 acres of meadows, woodlands, historic landscapes, and monuments commemorating the resolve of the Revolutionary War generation and honoring the power of people to pull together, overcome adversity, and find renewal through transformation.
Plan a Visit
Core visitor information on this page is sourced from the National Park Service. NPD proximity sections use NPS reference coordinates and straight-line distance. Local source bundle updated Sep 27, 2026. View the official NPS page.
Weather & Conditions
Winters at Valley Forge are cold and damp with a cool spring and fall and a hot and humid summer. Sturdy hiking shoes are recommended for outdoor recreation during the snowy winter season. Find more detailed weather information on the Weather page.
NPS Reference Location
Park state / territory membership: Pennsylvania. This map uses the National Park Service reference coordinate. It may represent an administrative or reference point rather than a park entrance, trailhead, visitor center, or the nearest access point. Use the official NPS directions below when planning travel.
Operating Hours
The park grounds including roads, parking lots, trails, and monuments are open from 7am to dark (30 minutes after sunset) year round. Park grounds remain open on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
Activities
Current Alerts
Sections of the Grand Parade Trail will be temporarily closed during herbicide spraying in the Grand Parade meadow beginning Wed, Sep. 23, weather permitting. Herbicide application is part of the larger ongoing Grand Parade Restoration project to treat invasive plants in the meadows. Learn more about herbicide spraying, this closure, and the project on the Meadow Management webpage linked below.
The Isaac Potts House (Washington's Headquarters at Valley Forge) is temporarily closed for a restoration project. The Washington's Headquarters area, including the Valley Forge Train Station and exhibits, Commander-In-Chief's Guard Huts, and George Washington statue, remains open and accessible during regular operating hours. Learn more about the restoration project at the link below.
The parking lot near the Maurice Stephens house, located on Rt 23 opposite from the Washington Memorial Chapel, is closed during construction and renovation work on the house. Visitors are encouraged to park in the Chapel lot for Grand Parade trail access
County Line Road is closed during the week, from Monday through Friday. The closure will apply to all vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic. Please find an alternate route.
Getting There
The park is conveniently located off of U.S. Route 422. The main entrance to the park is at the intersection of State Route 23 and North Gulph Road. From the Pennsylvania Turnpike, take Exit 326. From Interstate I-76, take Route 422 West to Route 23 West/Valley Forge. From State Route 252, take State Route 23 East.
View Official DirectionsContact & Address
The NPS-listed address may be an administrative office, visitor center, mailing/contact location, or other park facility rather than a park entrance.
Topics & Themes
Things To Do
Take a Trolley Tour
Trolley tours are offered on a seasonal basis. Check the schedule for current tour status. Trolley tours depart from the…
Be a Valley Forge Junior Ranger
Complete in the in-park Valley Forge Junior Ranger program by picking up a copy of the Junior Ranger Activity Booklet…
Explore the Valley Forge Encampment Museum Exhibit
Explore the sights, sounds, and stories of the Valley Forge encampment in the brand-new museum exhibit located at the Visitor…
Be a Valley Forge B.A.R.K. Ranger
Learn the four B.A.R.K. principles, complete pages in the activity book, and show your work to a ranger at the…
Explore the Washington's Wartime Family Exhibit
Explore the motivations and decisions of General George Washington and learn about the people that made up Washington's military family during the…
Rent a Bicycle
For those who want to explore Valley Forge on two wheels, The Encampment Store offers seasonal bike rentals, weather permitting.…
More Things to Do
Additional activities and experiences from the National Park Service.
Watch the Park Orientation Film
The 19-minute park orientation film Determined to Persevere: The Valley Forge Encampment is shown daily on the hour and the half-hour in the…
Watch the Short Films
Four short films play regularly in the museum exhibit located in the Visitor Center at Valley Forge.
Listen to the Audio Tour
The Audio Tour is available for purchase as an audio CD, a downloadable MP3 file, or for streaming using a smartphone or…
Dial in to the Cell Phone Guide
The Cell Phone Guide provides recorded audio information about the history, people, landscapes, and buildings of Valley Forge National Historical Park and…
Be a Virtual Junior Ranger
You can become a Valley Forge Virtual Junior Ranger even if you can't visit the park! This program features six online activities that…
Explore the Iron Making in Colonial America Museum Exhibit
The museum exhibit Forging a Nation: Iron Making in Colonial America features artifacts from the 18th century iron industry and puts the…
Bike the Joseph Plumb Martin Loop
Biking the paved 5-mile loop of the Joseph Plumb Martin trail is a great way to get some exercise and experience Valley…
Walk or Run the Joseph Plumb Martin Trail
Walking or running on the paved Joseph Plumb Martin trail is a great way to get some exercise and experience Valley Forge!
Drive the Encampment Tour Route
Drive the 10-mile Encampment Tour route and stop at nine key locations within the park. An excellent overview of the history, significance,…
Visitor Centers
Visitor Center at Valley Forge
The Visitor Center at Valley Forge is open daily, 9 AM to 5 PM. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's days. First opened in…
Nearby National Park Service Sites
These sites are ordered by straight-line distance between NPS reference coordinates. This is useful for comparison, but it is not road mileage. Trails, parkways, rivers, and distributed units may extend far from their reference point.
Nearby Cities for Trip Planning
These cities are ordered by straight-line distance from the NPS reference coordinate. They are comparison starting points, not official park gateways or road-distance estimates. Trails and other distributed units may extend far beyond this reference point.
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