Take your group off the beaten path and do a hiking tour!
PLEASE NOTE: All Encampment Store operations (retail, tours and bike rentals) will be suspended in the event of a government shutdown. Should a shutdown occur, all operations will resume once Park buildings reopen to the public.
Looking for a more adventurous way to experience Valley Forge National Historical Park? Our tour guides will lead you off the beaten path to explore stories and sites not included in our other tours. Tour routes can be customized in terms of length, difficulty and content to fit your group’s needs. We can also provide a guide to lead your Scout Troop through the “Valley Forge Historical Trail”.
- Two hour tour / 1.5 – 3 miles / $150 per guide
- Three hour tour / 3 – 5 miles / $200 per guide
- Four hour tour / 5 – 9 miles / $250 per guide
Sample tours are below, but we are happy to customize programming based on your group’s needs:
Hiking Tour (2-hour)
Your guide will join your group on a 1 to 3-mile hike of Valley Forge Park’s Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, providing interpretation at each tour stop including:
Muhlenberg’s Brigade (20-30 minutes): The site where several regiments from predominantly Virginia stayed during the Valley Forge Encampment. Explore several reconstructed soldiers’ huts built to Washington’s specifications and learn about what life was like for members of the Army on the ground level. If time allows, groups may also explore the reconstructed redoubt to visualize the kind of fortifications the Army built during the Encampment. Please note, the area is grassy and walkways are gravel if visitors have limited mobility. The drop-off point to the huts is approximately 40 feet.
National Memorial Arch (10 minutes): Dedicated 1917, the National Memorial Arch was commissioned by Congress and commemorates the hard-won victories off the battlefield during the American Revolution. The Arch symbolizes the importance of overcoming obstacles like disease, supply crises, political discord, public division and the individual struggles everyone touched by war faces, not just during the Valley Forge Encampment but every day for 8 years, in garnering American independence.
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Washington’s Headquarters (30 minutes): The original building George and Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the rest of Washington’s “military family” stayed during the Valley Forge Winter Encampment. Visitors may walk through Headquarters March through November, off-season tours December-February may explore the grounds surrounding the building but the structure itself will be closed to visitation. The area also includes the Valley Forge train station with a small exhibit covering Washington at Valley Forge, the Carriage House that features artifacts from the forges “Valley Forge” was named for, and a replica of George Washington, the famous sculpture of Washington by the renowned French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon. Please note, a ramp is available to get down to the Headquarters’ building, but the structure itself is not wheelchair accessible. Materials are available with interior pictures of the house. The walk from the drop of point to the house is approximately 300 yards.
Grand Parade Ground (20 minutes): The site of where Baron Friedrich von Steuben began retraining Washington’s troops and formed the foundation of the United States’ Army.
Reservations are required at least one week in advance. For more information, or for availability and fees, please call 610-624-5010 or Contact us.
Hiking Tour (3-hour)
Your guide will join your group on a 5-mile hike of Valley Forge Park’s Joseph Plumb Martin trail, providing interpretation at each tour stop including:
Muhlenberg’s Brigade (20-30 minutes): The site where several regiments from predominantly Virginia stayed during the Valley Forge Encampment. Explore several reconstructed soldiers’ huts built to Washington’s specifications and learn about what life was like for members of the Army on the ground level. If time allows, groups may also explore the reconstructed redoubt to visualize the kind of fortifications the Army built during the Encampment. Please note, the area is grassy and walkways are gravel if visitors have limited mobility. The drop-off point to the huts is approximately 40 feet.
National Memorial Arch (10 minutes): Dedicated 1917, the National Memorial Arch was commissioned by Congress and commemorates the hard-won victories off the battlefield during the American Revolution. The Arch symbolizes the importance of overcoming obstacles like disease, supply crises, political discord, public division and the individual struggles everyone touched by war faces, not just during the Valley Forge Encampment but every day for 8 years, in garnering American independence.
Grand Parade Ground (20 minutes): The site of where Baron Friedrich von Steuben began retraining Washington’s troops and formed the foundation of the United States’ Army.
Hiking Tour (4-hour)
Your guide will join your group on a 7 to 9-mile hike of Valley Forge Park’s Joseph Plumb Martin Trail and Mt. Joy Trail (9-mile option), providing interpretation at each tour stop including:
Muhlenberg’s Brigade (20-30 minutes): The site where several regiments from predominantly Virginia stayed during the Valley Forge Encampment. Explore several reconstructed soldiers’ huts built to Washington’s specifications and learn about what life was like for members of the Army on the ground level. If time allows, groups may also explore the reconstructed redoubt to visualize the kind of fortifications the Army built during the Encampment. Please note, the area is grassy and walkways are gravel if visitors have limited mobility. The drop-off point to the huts is approximately 40 feet.
National Memorial Arch (10 minutes): Dedicated 1917, the National Memorial Arch was commissioned by Congress and commemorates the hard-won victories off the battlefield during the American Revolution. The Arch symbolizes the importance of overcoming obstacles like disease, supply crises, political discord, public division and the individual struggles everyone touched by war faces, not just during the Valley Forge Encampment but every day for 8 years, in garnering American independence.
Washington’s Headquarters (30 minutes): The original building George and Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the rest of Washington’s “military family” stayed during the Valley Forge Winter Encampment. Visitors may walk through Headquarters March through November, off-season tours December-February may explore the grounds surrounding the building but the structure itself will be closed to visitation. The area also includes the Valley Forge train station with a small exhibit covering Washington at Valley Forge, the Carriage House that features artifacts from the forges “Valley Forge” was named for, and a replica of George Washington, the famous sculpture of Washington by the renowned French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon.
Grand Parade Ground (20 minutes): The site of where Baron Friedrich von Steuben began retraining Washington’s troops and formed the foundation of the United States’ Army.
We ask reservations be made at least one week in advance of your preferred tour date. If you would like more information, please call (610) 624-5010 or email tours@encampmentstore.org.