The Animals at Valley Forge

Valley Forge is a national historic park that encompasses 3,500 acres and is visited by over 1.2 million people each year. All those visitors do not seem to disturb the wildlife any. While driving along the 9 miles of looping roadway, Karla, James and I were fortunate to spot a few animals.


This little Red Fox wandered out of the woods near Mount Misery and paid no mind to us. I stopped the car and waited for him to continue on and he walked right past my car door. Red Foxes are relatively common in my area, but they are usually rather shy and keep a low profile. They do like a fresh Canadian Goose chick for dinner so now is the time to see them as they try futility to keep the goose population in check.


Excuse me sir? Which way is it to the dining room? Having seen a fox take out a little goosling, its not a sight for the squeamish.


You can hardly go anywhere in Pennsylvania and not see a Whitetail Deer. We saw several herds of the them, the largest with at least of dozen browsing beasts. Here we see some munching the lawn near the site of the Revolutionary War encampment hospital - Of the 12,000 soldiers that marched into Valley Forge in December 1777, nearly 2,500 died of disease there.

The stone monuments mark the sites of the various brigades that camped in Valley Forge. Of all the hundreds of dead buried in the park, there is only one known grave and that is of Lieutenant John Waterman of Rhode Island who died on April 23, 1778.


Sir! I think it's time to beat a hasty retreat!


Valley Forge lies on the Schuylkill River - it was chosen for the encampment as it strategically lies between the city of Philadelphia, which had been captured by the British Army in September 1777, and the city of York, PA (near Gettysburg) where the Second Continental Congress had been forced to flee.

The river is along the migratory path of the Canadian Goose and the open fields of Valley Forge, along with the river, attract the birds to stay awhile.

Its only fitting that the little ones learn how to march, army style. Right Face! Forward March!


About Face! Forward March!


Having flown for many miles and now in the process of raising a flock of little ones, these birds are ravenously hungry. Here we see one wolf down a french fry. I know we shouldn't have fed them - at least not without first providing ketchup or vinegar for them to flavor their "chips".


Doctor James Dolittle is busy talking to the White Chin-strap Ducks while on his way over to pat the Moose on the head.

I have some pictures of Karla and James looking at the George Washington Memorial Arch that I will share once Karla gets to look them over and pick some out for you.