Valley Forge, PA

[Eagle732]

Anyone have information on youth group camping near Valley Forge National Historical Park?

[ASM162]

Eagle 732,

Try this link:

 

http://www.vftroop73.org/

 

The campground is for Scout Troops only. We have camped there, as it is in close proximity to the National Park.

[Leprechaun]

There is a Scout gathering in February. Scout Troops from all over go there. We are heading down from Ma..

[NEPAScouter]

As other responders have noted, the Valley Forge Encampment is an annual February Scouting event held at, well, Valley Forge.

 

A Scouting Magazine link on its history: http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0311/a-test.html

 

To get an idea of what the registration process involves, here is the Cradle of Liberty website link for the 2010 Encampment.

http://colbsa.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=32263

According to that link, if your unit is interested in camping at the event, you must send at most 2 youth and 2 adults to their "cold weather training" seminar in January of the year you're going, unless you've taken the training in the past 2 years.

 

Sign up for the mailing list for 2011's Encampment here: http://colbsa.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=37385

 

Hope this helps, Eagle732!

[RememberSchiff]

Just to clarify,

The Valley Forge Pilgrimage, a Saturday historical walkabout event, is at Valley Forge National Park.

The winter camping for that weekend, "The Valley Forge Encampment" is NOT at Valley Forge National Park but nearby. Scouts are then bussed to/from Saturday's Pilgrimage event.

 

As to the original question, the Cradle of Liberty Council should have camping info. An overnighter on the Battleship New Jersey could be a possibility. Troop 50 in very nearby Devon rents their campsite and cabin

http://www.devon50.org/rentjarvis/rentjarvis.htm

 

Another $0.02

(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

[JerseyScout]

I second this site:

http://www.vftroop73.org/

 

We've camped there a few times. The most recent time (last April) someone had to fly an emergency chopper in during the middle of the night. The siren went off at the fire station and I think every kid in the troop hit the roof of their tent.

 

Another great activity out that way is taking the Valley Forge Rail Trail, part of the larger Schuylkill River Trail (http://www.schuylkillriver.org/biking.aspx). If you can get dropped off in Philadelphia at the art museum, you can bike down Kelly Drive, down to the Manyunk Canal Towpath, then follow the trail right into the National Park. I realized last time we did this that it might even be possible to bike all the way to the Troop 73 camping area, which would be in the area of a 25 mile bike.