Harpers Ferry NHP

Park Overview

Harpers Ferry is a small town located in the lower Shenandoah Valley in West Virginia. It sits right at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, and is also where Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia meet. The National Park Service owns and maintains land in all 3 states. The towns claim to fame was John Brown’s failed attempt at raiding the armory during the Civil War. It was also known as a manufacturing town and major transportation hub prior to the Civil War.

Harpers Ferry was instated as a National Monument in 1944 and then was renamed a National Historical Park by Congress in 1963. National Historical Parks generally bigger physically and are more complex than monuments or historic sites.

Getting to Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry is about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Washington DC, and a little over 3 hours from other major cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. I suggest using BWI, Dulles, or Reagan if flying in to the East coast.

Fees & Cancellation Stamp

Fees

If you wish to enter the gates and park at the main Visitor Center, it will cost you $20 per vehicle, and $10 per person if walking or biking in. A scenario in which you’d walk to the Visitor Center is if you park in the town and walk up (approximately 1.5 miles).

Cancellation Stamp

You can get the cancellation stamp for your passport at a few places: the main visitor center, at the book shop in town, or at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy building (ATC).

Time required in Harpers Ferry

I would plan for one full day at Harpers Ferry. If you would like to add on a white water rafting trip, do multiple hikes in the area, or bike a significant portion of the C&O Canal, then add as many days as you will need to enjoy those activities.

NPS Buildings to tour at Harpers Ferry

I listed the most popular buildings below, but the NPS Website lists all of them. The other buildings include but are not limited to a dry goods store, a ready-made clothing store, a provost marhsal office, and a confectionery.

John Brown’s Fort – where John Brown and his followers barricaded themselves
John Brown Wax Museum – $7 for entry
Industry Museum – famous industries of Harpers Ferry from the 19th century
Restoration Museum – shows an archaeological dig
Storer College – Historically black college that operated from 1867-1955

Getting around Harpers Ferry

The National Park Service offers a shuttle from the main visitor center to the lower town every day the park is open, year-round. It runs every 10-15 minutes between the hours of 9am-7pm from April to November, and 9am-5:30pm from November to March.

I would not rely on finding free parking. There is very limited free parking in Harpers Ferry that is hard to find since most spots are resident only. There is a parking lot in the lower town that is operated by the park service. This is not the entrance station, meaning you must display your already-purchased entrance ticket or annual pass on your dash to avoid being ticketed. This is a moderately sized parking lot that fills up quickly. If you are arriving after 9am, plan on parking at the visitor center and shuttling or walking to town.

Hiking around Harpers Ferry

Maryland Heights

There are two ways you can do Maryland Heights, the normal trail to the overlook and back (4.6 miles/1,100 feet elevation gain), or you can do the extended version (6.6 miles/1,540 feet elevation gain) which takes you up the mountain and through remnants of the main fort. Doing the extended loop gives you more mileage and more history, but not more overlooks. If you just want the overlook, the main trail is all you need!

Loudon Heights

Loudon Heights is the sister hike to Maryland Heights – the overlook being across the river in Virginia. The trail is roughly 6 miles long with 1,430 feet of elevation gain. You must start the hike in Harpers Ferry and cross over the 340 bridge, as there is no parking closer to the “trailhead.” The view of the river is pretty, but Maryland Heights is better in my opinion. On the other hand, Loudon Heights will be way less crowded.

Weverton Cliffs

Weverton Cliffs is my favorite overlook in the tri-state area. It is a spur off the Appalachian Trail about 5 miles north of Harpers Ferry. You could hike out and back from town (~10 miles), or you could drive about 15 minutes to the trailhead, making the hike a little under 2 miles/567 feet of elevation gain.

Bolivar Heights

Bolivar Heights is more of a walking trail, which is about 0.5 miles from the visitor center. I took the NPS shuttle bus, but you can walk or drive your own vehicle. It is the site that saw the largest surrender during the Civil War, so there are a few signs explaining the battle. It’s been awhile, but I also believe I went there for a ranger talk, so be sure to check out that schedule if you’re going during a season where they offer ranger programs.

Appalachian Trail

Only 4 miles of the AT are officially in West Virginia. Although, it does weave in and out of WV for about 20 miles in Monroe County. Even though not much of the trail is in WV, the official trail headquarters is stationed in Harpers Ferry, which is known as the “mental halfway point.” The actual halfway point is about 80 miles north in Pennsylvania at Pine Grove Furnace State Park.

C&O Canal

The entire C&O Canal is 184.5 miles and stretches from Cumberland, MD to Washington DC. It stays entirely on the Maryland side, but there is a pedestrian foot-bridge that takes you from Harpers Ferry over to the canal. From there, you are free to walk or bike as far as you’d like! Fun fact: a few of those canal miles are also part of the Appalachian Trail!

Things to do in Harpers Ferry

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

If you are into the history or idea of the Appalachian Trail in any capacity, make sure to visit the ATC! When thru-hikers stop in they get their picture taken with the sign, and all those pictures are saved in binders that are on display in the ATC. They are a wealth of information about the trail and Harpers Ferry itself. It’s pretty cool that the whole trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and the headquarters are right in Harpers Ferry.

Jefferson Rock

Jefferson Rock sits right on the Appalachian Trail, but is just a short walk up a paved path from the main street in Harpers Ferry. You get beautiful views of the two rivers, the bridge, and the water gap. It is where Thomas Jefferson stood and made his famous statement: “This scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic.”

River Outfitters

There are two main outfitters that service tourists to Harpers Ferry and the surrounding areas. River Riders and River & Trail. River Riders is on the West Virginia side, while River & Trail is on the Maryland side. They mostly offer the same activities, with a few differences.

The main difference between the two (from a local’s perspective) is that River Riders is known for their aerial park/ziplining. River & Trail is known for their Brunswick Family Campground operations. River Riders offers SUPs and e-bikes, but River & Trail offers more shuttles and their kayak tours are to wineries and breweries. Both are known equally for their rafting and tubing trips.

Best places to eat in Harpers Ferry

I am still working on eating my way through Harpers Ferry!

One of my favorite places to eat is The Coffee Mill. I have eaten there several times and only recently have been forcing myself to eat other places so I’m more familiar with what to recommend. Their burgers are *chefs kiss*

I have also eaten at the Battle Grounds Bakery and Coffee and it was delicious. Some of the reviews online aren’t great but I had no issues. I got a dirty chai and their veggie sandwich, which was packed full of delicious, fresh veggies. I highly recommend!

I’ve gotten ice cream from Creamy Creations and The Coffee Mill, I recommend both!

The Rabbit Hole was good, but a little overpriced for what it was, in my opinion.

Nearby Attractions

Harpers Ferry Brewing Company (5 minutes)
Smoketown Brewing Station (10 minutes)
Abolitionist Ale Works (10 minutes)
Hollywood Casino (10 minutes)
Shepherdstown, WV (15 minutes)
Bavarian Inn & Resort (15 minutes)
Big Cork Vineyards (15 minutes)
Antietam National Battlefield (20 minutes)
Nutters ice cream (20 minutes)
Red Heifer Winery (45 minutes)

Last updated: April 5, 2023

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