Category: West Virginia

Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail

On By nationalparkswithtIn Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia1 Comment
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Harpers Ferry National Historical Park➤

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park sits at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. The park includes the historic center of Harpers Ferry, notable as a key 19th-century industrial area and as the scene of John Brown’s failed abolitionist uprising. It spans three states (West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland) and contains four national park units:

  • Harpers Ferry
  • Appalachian Trail
  • Chesapeake & Ohio Canal NHP
  • Potomac Heritage Trail

In 1783, Thomas Jefferson visited the area and declared, “The passage of the Potomac through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature.” Then, in 1801, the United States Armory began producing guns here.

In 1859, in protest of slavery, John Brown led a raid and captured the federal armory. He was defeated and hanged for inciting a slave uprising. Two years later, the Civil War started. Harpers Ferry sat on the boundary between the North and South and was important because of it’s manufacturing capabilities. The town changed hands eight times during the course of the war.

I visited Harpers Ferry with the National Park Travelers Club for NPTC Across America in August 2022. We started the day with a hike on the Virginius Island/AT Loop. Then we went to the visitor center for “The Story Behind the Scenery,” a ranger program. The ranger gave our group an overview of the history that made this place famous. Next we took the shuttle to Lower Town to see the historic buildings and to have lunch. After lunch, I explored the C&O Canal and Potomac Heritage Trails.

Potomac Heritage Trail➤

The Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail spans the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, connecting various trails and historic sites across Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. Covering 710 miles of existing and planned sections, it follows the natural, historical, and cultural features along the Potomac River corridor, the upper Ohio River watershed in Pennsylvania and western Maryland, and a portion of the Rappahannock River watershed in Virginia. Managed by the National Park Service, the trail holds significance as one of three National Trails that are official NPS units.

In contrast to other long-distance hiking trails like the Appalachian Trail, the Potomac Heritage Trail offers an informal route with numerous side trails and alternatives, some running parallel on each side of the river. Currently, many of these segments remain separate, connected to one another only by roads. The PHT intersects the Appalachian Trail near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and shares a route with the American Discovery Trail along the C&O Canal Towpath between Oldtown, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

I crossed the pedestrian bridge at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. For a short while, I strolled along the Potomac. That section of the trail shares the path with the Appalachian Trail and the C&O Towpath.

Harpers Ferry Posts>

Location: 171 Shoreline Dr, Harpers Ferry, WV
Designation: National Historical Park
Date designated/established: June 30, 1944
Date of my visit: August 27, 2022