Go to a Ranger-led Program

Rangers lead tours of the Cedar Creek Battlefield, as well as other talks and walks.

NPS

The National Park Service (NPS) offers ranger-led programs throughout the year. Topics may include the geography, peopling, and history of the Shenandoah Valley, including the Civil War and Battle of Cedar Creek. 

The park calendar lists scheduled NPS programs and events. Check with our partners for other activities at their properties or outside the park boundary. 

Outdoor programs may be cancelled or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Contact us ahead of your visit. 

Ranger Program Descriptions

History Hangout

Ranger Talk, 30 minutes

Hangout with a ranger! Join a conversation about the region's long record of human settlement while enjoying a panoramic view of the Shenandoah Valley. Learn why this landscape was important during the Civil War and how the community preserves it as a national park. Meet near the picnic area on Belle Grove’s front lawn.

Cedar Creek Battlefield Tour 

Ranger-led Driving Tour, 2 hours

Drive Cedar Creek Battlefield to retrace events of October 19, 1864. Follow the ranger’s car to five or six key battlefield landmarks. Specialty battlefield tours may be periodically scheduled. Topics include Sheridan's counterattack, cavalry at Cedar Creek, and a monuments tour of the battlefield. 

19th Corps Trenches

Ranger-led Walk, 1 hour 30 minutes 

A woodland walk along Civil War trenches preserved by Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation and Belle Grove Plantation. A Confederate surprise attack overran the US 19th Corps here in the early morning of October 19, 1864. 

Battlefield & Ballot Box 

Ranger-led Walk, 1 hour

Learn how US soldiers participated in the 1864 state and presidential elections by voting from the front lines in the Shenandoah Valley. 

Black History Programs

Ranger Talk, 30 minutes

Meet at Belle Grove. Glimpse the life of Judah, the enslaved cook at the plantation. Hear the story of Abba and Frank Thornton, who bore a 35-member family. They saw some of those family members reach freedom. Learn how professional archaeology projects have revealed important unrecorded information about the plantation's enslaved quarters. 

Farm, Family, Freedom

Ranger-led Walk, 1 hour 

Join a park ranger to visit an 1800s farm. See the Shenandoah Valley from its early settlements through the Civil War and Reconstruction through the eyes of families who lived there

For the Cause of Liberty

Ranger Talk, 30 minutes 

Isaac Hite, Jr., historical owner of Belle Grove Plantation, fought in the War of Independence. How did he, his family members, and neighbors come to rebel against their king? A ranger discusses both Isaac Hite's and the Shenandoah Valley's role in the American Revolution.   

Historic Middletown

Ranger-led Walk, 1 hour 30 minutes

Learn how the Valley Turnpike affected the lives of townsfolk before, during, and after the Civil War. The Middletown Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Star Party 

Ranger-led Activity, 2 hours 

Gaze at the night sky with the National Park Service and the Shenandoah Astronomical Society. Telescopes will be provided for night sky viewing. 

Partner Tours

Plantation House Tours

Belle Grove Plantation offers regular guided tours of the 1797 Manor House. Visit bellegrove.org for more information. 

Other Tours

Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation and Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation offer tours of area battlefields or other historic places. Visit them online for more information.

Details

Activity

Guided Tours

Pets Allowed

Yes

Activity Fee

No

Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.

Reservations

No

Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Time of Day

Day, Dusk

Accessibility Information

The Visitor Contact Station, where some programs start, is wheelchair accessible. Physical accessibility of trails and sites around the park varies. Parking is very limited in some places. 

Check with our partners for programs and events at their properties or outside the park boundary.