Friday, August 12
History At Sunset: The Valley Pike: Thoroughfare to Frontier, Prosperity, and War
NPS Ranger Program – Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, Middletown

One of the most critical features in the settlement and economic growth of the Shenandoah Valley was the existence and improvement of the principal road that ran along its length.  Known successively as the Great Warrior Path, the Great Wagon Road, and the Valley Pike, this thoroughfare played a critical role throughout the entire history of the Valley, and of numerous campaigns during the four years of the Civil War.  Join Park Ranger Shannon Moeck as she explains the evolution of this road and its impact on history.

Meet at the main parking lot at Belle Grove (336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA). This program will visit several locations around the park, and thus will involve a car caravan system (visitors follow the ranger’s vehicle).