Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park

Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park is a national historical park run by the National Park Service in Virginia.

In the park service’s words

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.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Things to do

• Stamp Your Passport To Your National Parks (5 to 45 Minutes): Get four different cancellation stamps by visiting NPS and partner sites at Cedar Creek & Belle Grove NHP.
• 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.
• Tour the 1797 Manor House (45 to 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.
• 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.
• See Local History Exhibits & Civil War Artifacts (1 to 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. The museum exhibits and films in the theater tell of the war-torn Shenandoah Valley of 1864: battles fought by soldiers and hardships endur
• Visit the Battlefield Museum (30 to 60 Minutes): The Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation Museum and Visitor Center building houses its exhibits, book and gift shop, and visitor services.
• Follow Trenches on the 19th Corps Trails (30 to 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. The trails are on lands managed by Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation (CCBF) and Belle G
• Be a Cedar Creek & Belle Grove Junior Ranger (15 to 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.

Fees and hours

Entrance fee: No entrance fee.

Hours: Open 24 hours, every day. Public areas administered by the National Park Service, Morning Attack Trails, Claven Lane parking area, Vermont Monument property and parking area, and park headquarters, are open from sunrise to sunset.

Getting there

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park is along U.S. Route 11 in Middletown, Virginia. Take exit 302 off Interstate 81 to Middletown. The Visitor Center is at 7712 Main Street in Middletown Courts Plaza.

Drive times run from the airport to Zion Canyon Visitor Center, estimated with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads at normal speeds; allow extra for traffic, stops and construction.

Miles are straight-line distances.

Visitor centers

• NPS Visitor Center: Mon Closed; Tue Closed; Wed 9:00AM - 4:30PM; Thu 9:00AM - 4:30PM; Fri 9:00AM - 4:30PM; Sat 9:00AM - 4:30PM; Sun 9:00AM - 4:30PM. The Visitor Center is open during its standard hours, Wednesdays through Sundays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., from May 1 through October 31. It may be open fewer hours and days per week in winter.
• Belle Grove Welcome Center: Mon 10:00AM - 4:00PM; Tue 10:00AM - 4:00PM; Wed 10:00AM - 4:00PM; Thu 10:00AM - 4:00PM; Fri 10:00AM - 4:00PM; Sat 10:00AM - 4:00PM; Sun 1:00PM - 5:00PM. Guided tours occur daily from mid-March through October. Plantation grounds and trails are open sunrise to sunset year-round.
• CCBF Museum & Visitor Center: Mon 10:00AM - 1:00PM; Tue Closed; Wed Closed; Thu 10:00AM - 5:00PM; Fri 10:00AM - 5:00PM; Sat 10:00AM - 5:00PM; Sun 10:00AM - 4:00PM. Open Wednesdays through Sundays. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Strasburg Visitor & Information Center: Daily, 10:00AM - 4:00PM. The Strasburg Visitor Center at Hupp's Hill is open daily.

Weather

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.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Know before you go

Drones are banned at almost every park site, and you may not take rocks, plants or artifacts. Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet where they are allowed. Bring no firewood from home.

Nearby

The nearest national park is Shenandoah, about 33 miles away in a straight line.

Sources

• National Park Service Data API: Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park (public domain)
• Official website

Last checked 1 November 2026.