Valley Forge National Historical Park self-guided driving tour

Kickstart your tour of the enchanting Valley Forge National Historical Park begins at the nearby visitor center and one of the camp's central redoubts where you can also check out a collection of cabins where ordinary soldiers weathered the deepening cold.

From there, you'll head to the camp that was home to a preacher-turned-soldier with a flair for the dramatic: General Peter "Devil Pete" Muhlenberg. Then, head out to the Maine Memorial, where you'll learn about the surprisingly fragile bonds that held the colonies together during the revolution, and the National Memorial Arch, built to honor all the soldiers who persevered in the face of tremendous hardship during the long winter at Valley Forge.

Up next you'll find a statue of General "Mad Anthony" Wayne, one of Washington's less predictable commanders. You'll also get to see the quarters of General Henry Knox, a man who had no military training prior to the war but impressed Washington with his fighting spirit. As you continue towards the Delaware Memorial, you’ll hear about the ills besetting the camp, including waves of desertion which threatened to splinter the army entirely.

Next up on the agenda will be a stop at George Washington's headquarters and the George Washington Monument. This modest structure hides an immensely important history! Hear the truth about what made this man such an effective general.

After you pass Artillery Park, where Henry Knox stationed the camp's heavy weaponry, you'll hear about the unlikely allies who saved the camp from starvation just in the nick of time: the Oneida tribe. The last monument you’ll see along your tour is the Patriots of African Descent Monument, where you'll learn the seldom-told story of the first Black military regiment in the history of the United States.