Exploring Harpers Ferry National Historic Park in West Virginia

Last April, my partner and I went to West Virginia for the first time. We didn’t spend much time there (we just ended up having to drive there on our way to Virginia and its Shenandoah National Park), but on the way back, I absolutely wanted us to take a detour to visit Harpers Ferry.

Located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, Harpers Ferry is a small town classified as a national historic site, but is also a place known for its many hiking trails (the headquarters of the famous Appalachian Trail is located there). I love places where history and nature combine, so I was really looking forward to visiting Harpers Ferry!

As it is difficult to park in the historic Lower Town, we first went to the Visitor Center, located a bit farther away. At this location, it is possible to park your car and take a shuttle to get to town. But when we arrived, we realized it was also possible to get to Harpers Ferry by following a hiking trail of about 3 kilometres (1.7 miles), so we decided we would do a bit of hiking.

A bit of history

The history of Harpers Ferry is diverse and complex. Located on the ancestral territory of the Tuscarora and Shawnee peoples, the small town takes its name from a man named Robert Harper who operated a ferry across the Potomac in the 18th century. Harpers Ferry is linked to several events in American history, and is best known for abolitionist John Brown’s raid on the Harpers Ferry Armory in an effort to start a slave rebellion across the South.

During the Civil War, Harpers Ferry also changed hands several times due to its strategic location. Many of the buildings in its lower town were destroyed during the war and by subsequent floods, but have since been rebuilt and preserved by the U.S. National Park Service.

Lower Town Trail

I knew we wouldn’t have enough time in Harpers Ferry to visit all of its historic buildings. So arriving via the Lower Town trail seemed like the perfect way to take advantage of our short visit to this town by getting there on foot, see the highlights and appreciate its natural and historical wealth.

This trail starts from the Visitor Center parking lot and descends toward the Shenandoah River. I was immediately delighted that this trail seemed a little steeper than I expected. The trail descends quite steeply into a wooded area (in some places, you have to go down a long stone staircase) and it passes near a pretty waterfall.

The enchantment was, however, only short-lived, since the trail subsequently becomes flats and runs along Shoreline Drive for more than a kilometre. Not a super exciting section, but at least we could see the beautiful Shenandoah River between the trees.

After passing under a bridge (US-340), we left the side of the road to follow a trail bringing us closer to the river. We then found ourselves following a railroad, and then we began to see more and more signs of Harpers Ferry’s past, including the ruins of old underground canals and the foundations of old mills and factories. We were walking on Virginius Island, which used to be a thriving industrial place in the first half of the nineteenth century.

Then we passed under the railway, and on the other side, we suddenly had the impression of walking into another era.

Historic Lower Town

Walking through Harpers Ferry’s historic Lower Town almost feels like walking through an open-air museum. The old buildings look like they came straight out of the 19th century. Several of these buildings have been restored to give a glimpse of what life might have been like at that time.

As I said, our time in Harpers Ferry was rather limited, so I knew we wouldn’t have time to visit all its museums, so we stuck to walking through its streets.

We also went to The Point, where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers meet. Since we were there in spring, the waters of both rivers were swollen, and particularly impressive with the Blue Ridge hills in the background. From there, we were looking at three states (West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland).

It is near this place that there is a pedestrian bridge leading to the other side of the Potomac River, a bridge which is part of the famous Appalachian Trail. Many tourists cross it to go hike to Maryland Heights, a strenuous hike but one that apparently leads to a magnificent view of Harpers Ferry.

Unfortunately for us, we knew we wouldn’t have enough time to cover the more than 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) of this trail. We crossed the bridge just for the sake of mentioning that we had walked all the way to Maryland, then retraced our steps toward Harpers Ferry and West Virginia. We’ll come back one day to do the hike to Maryland Heights!

Returning via the Appalachian Trail

To return to the Visitor Center, we decided to take a different path and follow a small portion of the Appalachian Trail. At Harpers Ferry, from the pedestrian bridge, the Appalachian Trail goes through Lower Town (passing by the popular John Brown’s Fort), then from High Street it climbs up a series of old stone stairs, towards St. Peters Church.

I really enjoyed this picture-perfect climb (the old stone stairs are so photogenic) but at the same time, it was a steep climb. I think my partner regretted a little that we didn’t return via the flatter and easier trail we arrived by. But for my part, I was much too happy to follow the white markers of the Appalachian Trail again, as we had done a few days earlier, at Hawksbill Mountain.

After the steep climb, the trail passes some ruins, and then near a rock called Jefferson Rock. At this location, Thomas Jefferson is said to have stood there in 1783 and marveled at the scenery, describing it as “perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature” and as “worth a voyage across the Atlantic”.

And I can understand Jefferson’s awe. My heart was a little heavy to leave behind the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, and this magnificent view of the Blue Ridge. I guess I was already feeling nostalgic as this was the last stop of our road trip.

We eventually had to leave the Appalachian Trail, and head back down to the river and the Lower Town Trail. This took us back to the Visitor Center, from where we set off on our way home.

This short stop in Harpers Ferry wasn’t long enough, but I know I only got a taste of everything that this historic town has to offer. I will come back to explore it in more depth, and follow more trails!