Cabins in Valley Forge National Historic Site, Pennsylvania

Winter at Valley Forge. Winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Valley Forge, famous for its role in the U.S. Revolutionary War as a winter refuge in 1777-78, became the first state park in Pennsylvania in 1893 and later gifted as a national historical park on July 4, 1976 during the U.S. Bicentennial celebration. It was chosen by General George Washington for its proximity to British-held Philadelphia and various supply points, and the fact that it’s situated on a plateau which could be more easily defended than other locations in the area. If it were a city, it would have been the fourth largest by the time it was fully populated in 1778. Today, the U.S. National Historic Landmark includes Washington’s headquarters, log cabins remade with materials that would have been used during that fateful winter, memorial chapel, arch, observation tower, and walking tours. If history isn’t your thing, you can also hike, bike, canoe, kayak, and ride horses for an invigorating visit to this iconic refuge.