October 11, 2012 --- Nathan and I had always wanted to go biking at Valley Forge since we moved to Pennsylvania. Due to Nathan's busy schedule, we had put it off for so long until autumn came. We didn't really plan ahead of time. Valley Forge is just an hour away, and we saw that the weather was nice after on-and-off raining weeks, so we grabbed our fold-able bikes, put them in the car, and drove straight to the park.
Valley Forge National Historical Park is located about 20 miles east of Philadelphia. It was the site of the Continental Army's winter encampment during the 1777-1778 when the British army marched north to capture Philadelphia, the patriot capital. Gen. Gorge Washington recruited soldiers from different races and encamped at Valley Forge to be ready to fight in the war.
Entry to Valley Forge is free of charge. The Visitor Center has a ranger providing a map and information about the park. There are many free ranger-led tours provided in the park without reservation. There is also an interesting exhibit in the Visitor Center.
Nathan and I just planned to bike around the park following the map we got from the Visitor Center. It was such a gorgeous day, and we had so much fun biking around there. The park is kind of hilly, so we had to walk our bikes when it got too steep. We spotted many deer while biking, and they seemed pretty used to humans. There were many local people jogging or walking with dogs that evening. It took us about 2-3 hours to see the whole park on our bikes, but it should take less than an hour to go by car.
Visitor Center
Muhlenburg Brigade
National Memorial Arch
Wayne's Woods
Artillery Park and Historic Trace (Road)
Von Steuben Statue
Washington's Headquarters
Washington Memorial Chapel
back to Visitor Center...
