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National Park · Eastern Panhandle

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Where the Shenandoah meets the Potomac and three states meet at once, with the Appalachian Trail running straight through town and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquartered a block off Washington Street. Maryland Heights across the Potomac gives the classic overlook of the town and both rivers; Loudoun Heights and Jefferson Rock add more. Also the northern anchor for tubing, rafting and flatwater on both rivers.

3 · States visible~24 mi · AT in WVMaryland Heights · Best overlook

Know before you go

  • Maryland Heights is a steep 4 to 5 mile round trip to the overlook above the confluence
  • Parking in town fills early — use the visitor center shuttle
  • The C&O Canal Towpath runs along the Maryland bank for flat riding
  • ATC headquarters keeps the thru-hiker photo archive and is free to visit

What you can do here

Hiking

Year-round

Backpacking

Apr–Nov

Tubing

Jun–Aug

Outdoor Photography

Year-round

Recreational Kayaking

Apr–Oct

Flatwater Paddling

Apr–Oct

Trail Running

Mar–Nov
AdvertiseThis space is available

Guides, gear and lodging near Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Place-level placement for operators within range of this trailhead, put-in or crag.

List your business here

Who looks after it

Friends of the Cacapon River Nonprofit River access, kayaking, fishing, cleanups, recreation and watershed protection on one of the East's finest gentle rivers. Visit Appalachian Trail Conservancy Nonprofit Particularly important around Harpers Ferry and the Eastern Panhandle, where the ATC is headquartered. Visit Potomac Appalachian Trail Club Nonprofit Important for trails, shelters and cabins in West Virginia's eastern region. Visit FarOut Guides Platform Long-distance trail guides with waypoint data, used for the Appalachian Trail through the Eastern Panhandle. Visit Cacapon & Lost Rivers Land Trust Nonprofit Land conservation in the Cacapon and Lost River watersheds of the Eastern Panhandle. Visit Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Federal Where the Appalachian Trail crosses the Potomac — hiking, history and the psychological midpoint of the AT. Visit Berkeley Springs–Morgan County Tourism Government The country's oldest spa town, Cacapon Resort State Park and Sleepy Creek WMA. Visit Hardy County Tourism Government South Branch Valley, Lost River State Park and the Trough — paddling, fishing and eagle watching. Visit

Nearby in the Eastern Panhandle

State Park · Eastern Panhandle

Cacapon Resort State Park

6,000 acres on Cacapon Mountain near Berkeley Springs, with a lodge, a Robert Trent Jones golf course, a lake beach and a trail system climbing to the 2,300-foot ridge.

6,000 ac park2,300 ft cacapon mountain
River · Eastern Panhandle

Cacapon River

One of the finest gentle canoe rivers in the East — clear, shallow, warm and slow, winding through farmland and forest with reliable smallmouth fishing and easy multi-day trips.

Class I–II difficultySmallmouth fishery
Wildlife Area · Eastern Panhandle

Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area

Nearly 23,000 acres on Sleepy Creek Mountain — the largest WMA in the Eastern Panhandle, with a 205-acre lake, primitive camping, hunting, and a long ridge trail system.

22,928 ac wma205 ac sleepy creek lake
State Park · Eastern Panhandle

Berkeley Springs State Park

The oldest spa in the country — warm mineral springs flowing at a constant 74°F that George Washington visited as a young surveyor.

74°F spring temperature1776 town chartered
River · Eastern Panhandle

Shenandoah & Potomac Rivers

The Shenandoah's Staircase rapids above Harpers Ferry give Class I–III whitewater in a resort-town setting, while the Potomac below the confluence spreads wide and slow for tubing and flatwater.

Class I–III staircaseWarm summer water
National Forest · Eastern Panhandle

Trout Pond Recreation Area

Home to the only natural lake in West Virginia — a small sinkhole pond in the George Washington National Forest section of Hardy County, alongside the larger man-made Rockcliff Lake, a campground and trails into the Lost River State Forest country..

Only natural lake in wvSinkhole origin

Almost Heaven Swings