Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park
Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley has a long and rich heritage that still inspires today. Native Americans first shaped the land, followed by colonists and settlers. The fertile valley became an important wheat-growing region in the 1800s. It also witnessed dramatic Civil War campaigns, including the Battle of Cedar Creek, a decisive Federal victory that helped bring the war to an end.
About 1 hours from Washington by car.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
There are no fees to enter the Visitor Center, to visit public areas administered by the NPS, or to attend any ranger-led program. Contact our partners directly for admission fees to their visitor facilities.
Hours
| NPS-administered Public Areas | Daily · All Day |
Visitor centers
- NPS Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Start your visit at the National Park Service's Visitor Center in Middletown, Virginia. Pick up maps and a Junior Ranger activity book. Plan your visit with a park ranger or volunteer.
- Belle Grove Welcome Center ↗Passport stamp
Visitors to Belle Grove Plantation enter at the Beverly B. Shoemaker Welcome Center. Welcome Center hours include the museum shop and grounds of Belle Grove Plantation. Tickets to tour the Manor House are for sale in the museum shop.
- CCBF Museum & Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation (CCBF) Museum and Visitor Center overlooks picturesque views of Belle Grove Plantation, Cedar Creek Battlefield, and Allegheny Mountain sunsets. Plan your battlefield visit at the welcome desk.
- Strasburg Visitor & Information Center ↗Passport stamp
Strasburg Visitor and Information Center is private land managed as a park by the Town of Strasburg. The Strasburg Museum at Hupp's Hill, inside the visitor center, displays local history exhibits.
Explore
Things to do
- Stamp Your Passport To Your National Parks5-45 Minutes
Get four different cancellation stamps by visiting NPS and partner sites at Cedar Creek & Belle Grove NHP.
Opens on the Park Service site - Go to a Ranger-led Program
The National Park Service offers ranger-led programs throughout the year. Topics may include the peopling and rich cultural history of the Shenandoah Valley, including the Civil War and Battle of Cedar Creek.
Opens on the Park Service site - Tour the 1797 Manor House45-60 Minutes
Belle Grove offers guests tours of the region's premier authentic antebellum plantation. Tours last 45 minutes to one hour. Tickets for tours do not require advanced reservations.
Opens on the Park Service site - Join a Star Party
Gaze at the heavens with the National Park Service and the Shenandoah Astronomical Society (SAS). Telescopes are provided, or you may bring your own. SAS members can teach you how to use it. Bring camp chairs or blankets.
Opens on the Park Service site - See Local History Exhibits & Civil War Artifacts1-2 Hours
The Strasburg Museum at Hupp's Hill, inside the Strasburg Visitor and Information Center, displays local history exhibits alongside battlefield artifacts from the Kehoe collection.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit the Battlefield Museum30-60 Minutes
The Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation Museum and Visitor Center building houses its exhibits, book and gift shop, and visitor services.
Opens on the Park Service site
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- Follow Trenches on the 19th Corps Trails30-120 Minutes
Woodland trails follow a line of trenches built by the US 19th Corps in the fall of 1864. They connect the 128th New York Monument with Belle Grove Plantation. Remnants of trenches and earthworks are still visible along the trails.
Opens on the Park Service site - Be a Cedar Creek & Belle Grove Junior Ranger15-60 Minutes
The Junior Ranger program helps kids explore, learn about, and protect Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. Anyone can become a Junior Ranger by completing activities during a visit to the park.
Opens on the Park Service site - Tour Cedar Creek Battlefield1-3 Hours
Follow the Battle of Cedar Creek on a self-guided driving tour, from where the Confederate soldiers surprised the sleeping Federal camps in the foggy dawn of October 19, 1864 to the final counterattack late that afternoon.
Opens on the Park Service site - Walk the Morning Attack Trails30-60 Minutes
The three trails combined are 1.7 miles long. All three are on national park land. Pick up a free trail guide at the trail entrances or at the Visitor Center. The guide follows numbered stops marked on the trails.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Belle Grove1-2 Hours
Belle Grove’s expert volunteer docents and staff lead guided tours of the 1797 Manor House. Guided tours typically last between 45 minutes and one hour. Self-guided brochures of the grounds and outdoor signs interpret the property.
Opens on the Park Service site - Discover the Valley's African American History
Talks and presentations uncover emerging discoveries and stories of enslaved and free African Americans. These stories help us uncover a rich and inclusive cultural history of the Shenandoah Valley.
Opens on the Park Service site
Events
- History Hangout10/1411:30 AM · runs through Oct 31 · freeMeet on the front lawn of Belle Grove Plantation, 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA.
- Melodies Along the Turnpike10/1502:00 PM · freeMeet at the Historic Turnpike Crossing on US-11, south of Water Plant Road.
- From Yorktown to Cedar Creek10/1602:00 PM · freeMeet at Belle Grove Plantation, 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA
- Cedar Creek Battlefield Tour10/1709:00 AM · freeMeet at the NPS Visitor Center, 7712 Main Street, Middletown, VA.
- Divided Loyalties10/1705:00 PM · freeMeet at the NPS Visitor Center, 7712 Main Street, Middletown, VA.
- 19th Corps Trenches10/1810:30 AM · freeMeet at the 128th New York Monument on US Route 11 in Middletown, VA.
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- 12:00 PM · freeMeet on the front lawn of the Pritchard House of the Kernstown Battlefield, 610 Battle Park Drive in Winchester, VA.
- Kneading in Silence10/2503:15 PM · freeEnter under the front porch of Belle Grove Plantation to meet in the winter kitchen, 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA.
- 03:15 PM · freeMeet at Belle Grove Plantation, 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Forest Service trails nearby
These trails are outside the park on National Forest land, within 15 miles of Cedar Creek & Belle Grove. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured from the park's reference point to the nearer end of the trail.
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Activities
Weather & climate
Summers in Virginia are often very hot with high heat indexes. Check the weather in advance of your trip, and plan accordingly. Dress for the heat and for sun protection. Pack lots of water. The Shenandoah Valley experiences temperate spring and fall seasons and winters with snowfall and cold temperatures.
Questions people ask
Does Cedar Creek & Belle Grove charge an entrance fee?
No. Cedar Creek & Belle Grove is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is Cedar Creek & Belle Grove open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Is there cell service at Cedar Creek & Belle Grove?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Cedar Creek & Belle Grove?
Summers in Virginia are often very hot with high heat indexes. Check the weather in advance of your trip, and plan accordingly.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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