Valley Forge National Historical Park

Valley Forge National Historical Park is a historic site in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where the Continental Army encamped during the Revolutionary War. The site includes huts from the war period, monuments, open fields, and wooded areas along the Schuylkill River.

General George Washington brought the Continental Army here in December 1777 after British forces occupied Philadelphia. The soldiers remained until June 1778 and prepared for continued fighting.

The national cemetery within the grounds remains an active memorial for veterans and honors service from the Civil War through the present. Visitors can enter the chapel and see how the windows depict scenes from the war for independence.

The visitor center offers maps and basic orientation for exploring paths that wind through different sections of the grounds. Some structures are open seasonally, so checking ahead helps determine which areas are accessible.

The grounds hold a small portion of the original forest that stood here at the time of the encampment, offering a rare glimpse of the original landscape. Visitors can walk inside the reconstructed huts and see how tight the space was where soldiers spent the winter.

Location: Pennsylvania

Inception: 1976

Operator: National Park Service

Website: https://nps.gov/vafo

GPS coordinates: 40.09694,-75.43889

Latest update: December 17, 2025 11:13