Alerts & Current Conditions

 

Alerts

 

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 here: www.nps.gov/vafo/planyourvisit/weather.htm

Weather Details

 

What's Open and Closed at Valley Forge

What's Open:

• Roads, trails, grounds, and parking lots.

• The visitor center and museum exhibit. The Visitor Center at Valley Forge and The Encampment Store are open 7 days a week, 9 AM to 5 PM. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's days.

• Park Theater. The 19-minute orientation film Determined to Persevere: The Valley Forge Encampment is shown on the hour and the half-hour from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM daily. Learn more here, or ask a ranger at the visitor center for details. The park's visitor orientation film can also be viewed online here.

• Washington's Headquarters and Historic Valley Forge Station. Washington's Headquarters and the exhibit in the train station are open daily, 10 AM to 5 PM.

• Public restrooms in parking lots. Open restroom facilities include:

- Artillery Park parking lot
- Betzwood picnic area parking lot
- Varnum's picnic area parking lot
- Visitor Center lower parking lot
- Washington's Headquarters parking lot
- Wayne's Woods picnic area parking lot
- Wilson Road parking lot.

Please be aware that these restrooms may be closed periodically for cleaning.

• Wayne's Woods picnic area.

• Betzwood picnic area.

• Varnum's picnic area.

Outdoor areas are accessible during normal park hours, from 7 AM to 30 minutes past sunset every day.

What's Closed:

• Varnum's Quarters.

 

Tree removal will take place on both sides of Valley Creek on the north side of Rt 23 near the intersection with Valley Creek Road (Rt 252) and the Washington's Headquarters area.

Tree Removal Work on Rt 23 at Valley Creek near Washington's Headquarters

Aqua water utility is clearing trees on the north side of Rt 23 at Valley Creek to allow for a water main project to advance. The tree clearing work is expected to take about 1 week to complete. Trails will remain open during tree removal.

In Autumn 2024, Aqua will install 24-inch water main to replace an outdated water main that travels up and over Mount Misery in the park. In order to avoid damage to the exceptional value of Valley Creek, Aqua will use a directional drill to bore under Valley Creek and pull the pipe underneath the stream bed. This work requires a large area on either side of the stream to operate the necessary equipment.

Aqua completed numerous resource related investigations to mitigate impacts to rare, threatened, endangered species; special habitats; archaeology; and other sensitive park resources. Since a rare bat species (Northern Long-Eared Bat) has been identified in the area, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) requires that any trees that must be removed for the project are removed before May 15, 2024 to avoid negative conflicts with the species. USFWS is the agency that oversees the Endangered Species Act.

Following tree removal, the area will be seeded with a quick growing cover crop to limit erosion until the pipeline installation project starts in fall. Once the pipeline installation is completed, the area will be restored with a combination of native trees and seed.

Work is being completed within a legal Aqua Right of Way and under a park special use permit to protect park resources.

 

Valley Forge National Historical Park is located in Chester and Montgomery counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. Click the image to check the latest COVID-19 Community Levels on the CDC website.

Wearing a Mask at Valley Forge

As directed by the DOI Workforce Safety Plan, National Park Service masking guidance is based on the CDC's COVID-19 County Check tool for hospital admission levels, which helps communities decide what prevention steps to take. Park managers use this tool on a regular basis to make decisions about masking requirements in their parks. There are no masking requirements in place at Valley Forge National Historical Park.

According to the CDC, risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 has been greatly reduced by increased vaccination levels, increased population immunity, and the wide availability of treatments. Additional prevention strategies, including vaccination and testing, are effective ways to keep you and your loved ones safe.

 

Tips for Visiting the Park Safely

• Recreate Responsibly. Follow local area health orders, practice Leave No Trace principles, and avoid crowding and high-risk outdoor activities.

• Park in Designated Locations. Vehicles parked illegally will be ticketed, and vehicles that block emergency vehicle access (such as on roads or in front of gates) will be towed.

• Plan to Pack Out Your Trash. In-park trash and recycling receptacles are limited.