Last updated: July 18, 2024
Thing to Do
Rent a Bicycle
The Encampment Store
The Encampment Store offers seasonal bike rentals for those who want to explore Valley Forge on two wheels, weather permitting. Rentals are not offered during the winter months. Please call 610-551-7870 with questions about rentals, or visit the Bike Rental Shop located in the lower visitor center parking lot during operating hours (check the season dates and rental hours below.)
Bike rental includes a helmet and bike lock.
2024 Bike Rental Season
April 6 to April 20, 2024: Weekends Only (no bike rentals on Sunday April, 21 due to the Revolutionary Run)
April 27 to May 27, 2024: Weekends and Memorial Day (Monday, May 27)
May 30 to September 2, 2024: Thursdays thru Mondays (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
September 7 to October 27: Weekends and Indigenous Peoples' Day/Columbus Day (Monday, October 14)
For more information, please call the rental desk directly at (610) 551-7870. If you are unable to get through, please contact the gift shop at (610) 624-5010. Please note that bike rentals are weather dependent. Bike rentals must remain within park boundaries.
Rental Hours
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM for rentals, final returns accepted until 5:00 PM.
Rental Prices
(Fees do not include sales tax)
Adult Pedal Bikes: $15 for one hour / $30 for 2 hours / $40 for 3 hours / $50 all day
Electric E-Bikes: $20 for one hour / $40 for 2 hours / $50 for 3 hours / $60 all day
Child Bikes and Trailers: $10 for one hour / $15 for 2 hours / $20 for 3 hours / $30 all day
*Limited bikes available for all-day rental, first-come, first-served
Details
Duration
2-8 Hours
You can rent bikes for 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, or all day (8 hours maximum).
Rentals begin at 9 AM and end at 3 PM. Final returns must be completed by 5 PM.
Activity
Biking
Rent bicycles for adults and children. Breezer bicycles, Performance bicycles, and bike trailers are available. See above for details and pricing.
Age(s)
All ages and skill levels welcome!
The smallest rental bike is 20” and recommended for children between the ages of 6 and 10, or measuring at least 42” tall. Attachable trailers are meant for children 2 years of age or older, and can hold up to 80lbs.
Pets Allowed
No
Activity Fee
Yes
Rental Prices
(Fees do not include sales tax)
Adult Pedal Bikes: $15 for one hour / $30 for 2 hours / $40 for 3 hours / $50 all day
Electric E-Bikes: $20 for one hour / $40 for 2 hours / $50 for 3 hours / $60 all day
Child Bikes and Trailers: $10 for one hour / $15 for 2 hours / $20 for 3 hours / $30 all day
*Limited bikes available for all-day rental, first-come, first-served
Location
Bike Rental Shop
The building is located in the lower visitor center parking lot to the left of the restrooms.
Reservations
No
Reservations are not required for bicycle rentals, but may be helpful. Call 610-551-7870 to make a reservation.
Reservations are required for private bicycle tours. See above for details.
Please note, you will be asked to provide payment information when making a reservation; if a cancellation is made after the desired rental time, the 2-hour rental fee will be charged.
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
2024 Bike Rental Season
April 6 to April 20, 2024: Weekends Only (no bike rentals on Sunday April, 21 due to the Revolutionary Run)
April 27 to May 27, 2024: Weekends and Memorial Day (Monday, May 27)
May 30 to September 2, 2024: Thursdays thru Mondays (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
September 7 to October 27: Weekends and Indigenous Peoples' Day/Columbus Day (Monday, October 14)
Time of Day
Day
Regular Hours
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, final returns at 5:00 PM.
Accessibility Information
The most popular route for riding bicycles is the paved Joseph Plumb Martin trail. The trail is wide and most sections are fairly flat, but there are also some steeper grades that may not be accessible for some users.
NPS Photo
Private Bicycle Tours
The Encampment Store’s fun and knowledgeable tour guides will lead your group on a bicycle tour past beautiful forests and meadows (and a couple small hills!) while sharing the history of the Valley Forge Encampment.
Private guides are available with advanced reservations for any day that the bike rental is open (guides can also be available any day for groups that bring their own bikes). Reservations must be placed at least one week prior to your desired tour date. Tours depart from the bike rental stand. Visit the Encampment Store website to make reservations.
2-hour Bike Tour (5-miles)
Your guide will join your group on a 5-mile bike ride of Valley Forge Park, providing interpretation at each tour stop including:
Muhlenberg’s Brigade (20-30 minutes): The site where several regiments from predominantly Virginia stayed during the Valley Forge Encampment. Explore several reconstructed soldiers’ huts built to Washington’s specifications and learn about what life was like for members of the Army on the ground level. If time allows, groups may also explore the reconstructed redoubt to visualize the kind of fortifications the Army built during the Encampment. Please note, the area is grassy and walkways are gravel if visitors have limited mobility. The drop-off point to the huts is approximately 40 feet.
National Memorial Arch (10 minutes): Dedicated 1917, the National Memorial Arch was commissioned by Congress and commemorates the hard-won victories off the battlefield during the American Revolution. The Arch symbolizes the importance of overcoming obstacles like disease, supply crises, political discord, public division and the individual struggles everyone touched by war faces, not just during the Valley Forge Encampment but every day for 8 years, in garnering American independence.
Grand Parade Ground (20 minutes): The site of where Baron Friedrich von Steuben began retraining Washington’s troops and formed the foundation of the United States’ Army.
3-hour Bike Tour (7-miles)
The three-hour bike tour covers everything in the 2-hour tour, but also includes a stop at the following:
Washington’s Headquarters (30 minutes): The original building George and Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the rest of Washington’s “military family” stayed during the Valley Forge Winter Encampment. Visitors may walk through Headquarters March through November, off-season tours December-February may explore the grounds surrounding the building but the structure itself will be closed to visitation. The area also includes the Valley Forge train station with a small exhibit covering Washington at Valley Forge, the Carriage House that features artifacts from the forges “Valley Forge” was named for, and a replica of George Washington, the famous sculpture of Washington by the renowned French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon.
Private Bicycle Tour Rates
Two Hour Tour:
-
2-hour (5-mile): $165 + rental fees
Three Hour Tour:
-
3-hour (7-mile): $225 + rental fees
For more details or questions, please contact The Encampment Store at (610) 624-5010.