Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, National historical park in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park is a national park in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, covering farmland, historic buildings, and Civil War battlefield ground. Belle Grove Plantation, a late 18th-century manor house, sits at the center of the park, surrounded by fields that are still farmed today.
The land saw the Battle of Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864, one of the last major clashes in the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War. A Union victory that day helped secure control of the valley and lifted morale in the North during the final months of the war.
Belle Grove Plantation is a late 18th-century house built in the Federal style, open to visitors with exhibits about both the plantation owners and the people who were enslaved there. Walking through the rooms gives a clear sense of how two very different lives played out within the same walls.
A marked driving route with nine stops leads through the main points of interest, from battle positions to historic earthworks, and can be completed at your own pace. Some areas involve unpaved paths, so wearing sturdy footwear and visiting on a dry day makes the experience easier.
More than half of the park remains under private ownership, with the National Park Service working alongside the landowners rather than taking full control of the land. Because of this arrangement, a large portion of the historic ground is still actively farmed, much as it was before the battle took place.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
