Things to Do in Harpers Ferry

Why it is unlike anywhere else in the state

Harpers Ferry sits at the confluence of the Potomac and the Shenandoah, wedged between cliffs, at the point where West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia meet. The Appalachian Trail runs straight through it and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath runs along the far bank.

It is also the most historically concentrated place in West Virginia — John Brown's raid, an armoury, repeated Civil War occupation, and Storer College. Unusually, the outdoor and the historical are the same thing here: the trails go up to Civil War fortifications, and the best viewpoints were chosen originally for artillery.

Lower Town first

Start on foot in Lower Town. It is a National Historical Park, the buildings are original, and the interpretation is good. Note that several exhibit buildings have been closed, so check what is open the week you visit.

From there, the short walk up the 1810 stone steps past St Peter's to Jefferson Rock is the single best return on effort in the Eastern Panhandle. The steps are irregular historic stonework, so it is not accessible, and climbing on the rock itself is prohibited.

Then go up

Maryland Heights is the famous view — the aerial-looking shot down onto the town and the confluence. It is a real hike: 4.5 miles round trip and 1,154 feet of gain on the shortest official route. Loudoun Heights and Split Rock Overlook are longer, higher, quieter and arguably better.

Check bridge status before planning either. The footbridge across the Potomac has been subject to closure and official statements have conflicted, which affects how you reach the Maryland side.

Get on the water

This is the most commercially developed river recreation in West Virginia and there are two very different trips. The Shenandoah flatwater float from Millville Dam runs about 2.5 miles in one and a half to three hours, self-guided with coolers allowed, minimum age 4 and 30 pounds. It is a genuinely relaxing family day.

The Potomac whitewater float is five miles from Bakerton Road to the Potomac Wayside, through the water gap and the White Horse rapids, with a minimum age of ten to twelve and around five feet of height, life jackets mandatory and a safety briefing before launch. Season runs May through September. Both trips cross into Maryland and Virginia water.

Rafting, canoeing and kayaking all run from the same operators, and there is good flatwater upstream on the Shenandoah for anyone bringing their own boat.

Beyond the town

The towpath gives dead-flat walking and riding for as far as you want in either direction, and the Paw Paw Tunnel further upstream is worth the drive. Antietam is close. Shepherdstown, the oldest town in West Virginia, is twenty minutes away and has the best restaurants in the region.

Berkeley Springs, about an hour west, has the mineral springs and Cacapon Resort State Park, where a mountain road climbs to a four-state view — closed in winter, when it becomes a four-mile walk.

Practical notes

Parking in Lower Town is limited and the Park Service runs a shuttle from the visitor center; use it on a weekend. The town is very busy on fine weekends from spring through autumn and much calmer midweek.

It is walkable, and the walking is the point. Wear something you can climb stone steps in.

Questions

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