Valley Forge National Historical Park Joins National Find Your Park Movement

Valley Forge Hut Brigade volunteer demonstrates how to prepare a log for a hut during Junior Ranger Day.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: April 2, 2015

Contact: Stephanie Loeb, 610-783-1013

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA –Valley Forge National Historical Park joins parks, programs and partners across the country to encourage everyone to find their park and share their stories online at FindYourPark.com. Launched yesterday by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, Find Your Park is a public awareness and education campaign celebrating the milestone centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016 and setting the stage for its second century of service.

Find Your Park invites the public to see that a national park can be more than a place -- it can be a feeling, a state of mind, or a sense of American pride. Beyond vast landscapes, the campaign highlights historical, urban, and cultural parks, as well as the National Park Service programs that protect, preserve and share nature, culture, and history in communities nationwide.

"Find Your Park" is also the theme for this year's National Park Week, April 18 –26. Enjoy Valley Forge's historic and natural landscape and explore 26 miles of trails that tell the story of America's history.The park will host three special events and programs for all ages during the week.

Sunday, April 19: The 10^th Annual Valley Forge Revolutionary 5-mile Run ®
Find Your Parkat Valley Forge during the 10^th Annual Valley Forge Revolutionary 5-mile Run ®presented by The Valley forge Tourism and Convention Board. Proceeds of this USATF sanctioned race directly benefit the park and its trails and programs. More than $207,000 has been raised by the run over the last nine years. This challenging race winds through Valley Forge and also includes a 3-mile walk, a 1.776 km Young Patriots Fun Run, and a community expo, all beginning at 8 a.m. The Revolutionary Run is a fun way for the entire family to get out and get active. For more information and to register or sign up to volunteer, visit revolutionaryrun.org.

Tuesday, April 21: Guided Bird Walk
Join The Friends of Valley Forge on a bird watching tour. Enjoy the cool spring morning air and spot birds returning to the park on their spring migration. This 1.5-mile guided walk meets in the Artillery Park parking lot at 8:00 a.m., and lasts approximately 2 hours, so make sure to bring water and good walking shoes. The walk is mostly on paved trails but does include short sections of gravel and grass. You also may want to bring binoculars, a hat, bug spray and sun protection. Additional information is available at friendsofvalleyforge.org.

Saturday, April 25: National Junior Ranger Day
Children of all ages are invited to explore, learn about, and protect the resources in our national parks. National Junior Ranger Day is designed to give children the opportunity to connect with the park in new and engaging ways, such as playing "Oh Deer!" a deer life cycle simulation game , carrying 18th century water yokes, and joining Valley Forge's Continental Army. Programs will be ongoing from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with a graduation ceremony at 2:30 p.m. in front of the Visitor Center, where new Junior Rangers will take the Junior Ranger Oath and receive their official Junior Ranger Badges. This event is free and advanced registration is not required. Programs will take place throughout the park;allow yourself plenty of time to visit each station.

Valley Forge Superintendent Kate Hammond said "National Park Week is a great time to reconnect to the parks in your own backyard. As the National Park Service starts to celebrate our first 100 years we invite everyone to Find Your Park at Valley Forge and make it part of your family." .

Visit www.NationalParkWeek.org to learn more about how you can join parks, programs, and partners in celebrating National Park Week across the country.

www.nps.gov

About Valley Forge National Historical Park. Valley Forge was the site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of George Washington's Continental Army. The park commemorates the sacrifices and perseverance of the Revolutionary War generation and honors the ability of citizens to pull together and overcome adversity during extraordinary times. For more information about the park, please visit our website at www.nps.gov/vafo or call 610-783-1099. Follow Valley Forge on social media: Facebook.com/ValleyForgeNHP, Twitter @ValleyForgeNHP, and Instagram @ValleyForgePark and share your photos and experiences.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 407 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.