Nearby National Park Sites
Antietam National Battlefield is located about 16 miles and 35 minutes away from Harpers Ferry, Antietam was the bloodiest one day battle in American History. 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion into the North and led to Abraham Lincoln's issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
Appalachian National Scenic Trail passes through Harpers Ferry. It is a 2,185 mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, today the trail is managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies, and thousands of volunteers.
Catoctin Mountain Park is located about 40 miles and 51 minutes away from Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. At Catoctin, second growth forests provided new opportunities. President Franklin D. Roosevelt created programs to give people a chance to rebuild their lives from the Great Depression. The Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps gave this land a second opportunity and through re-growth, a new role as a recreation area.
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park is located about 42 miles and 55 minutes away from Harpers Ferry. From backcountry to breadbasket to battlefield and beyond, the Shenandoah Valley invites you to learn about its rich heritage. From Native Americans who first shaped the land to pioneers from this frontier, this fertile area became one of the most important wheat producing regions of the entire South. The Valley also witnessed some of the most dramatic events of the Civil War, including the Battle of Cedar Creek, a decisive October 19, 1864 Union victory.
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Park passes through Harpers Ferry along the base of Maryland Heights. Preserving American's early transportation history, the C&O Canal began as a dream of passage to Western wealth. Operating for nearly 100 years the canal was a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River, as coal, lumber, and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. Today it endures as a 184.5 mile pathway for discovering historical, natural, and recreational treasures!
Monocacy National Battlefield is located about 23 miles and 30 minutes away from Harpers Ferry. Monocacy was the Civil War battle that saved Washington, D.C. In the summer of 1864, General Jubal Early led Confederate forces towards Washington, D.C. and threatened to capture the capital city. On July 9, Union troops under General Lew Wallace met Early's forces on the banks of the Monocacy. At Monocacy National Battlefield, visitors can experience this and other stories of the past in a landscape that has changed little since the 19th century.
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail passes through Harpers Ferry. Linking the Potomac and upper Ohio river basins, the Potomac Heritage Trail network follows the paths explored by George Washington. You can follow the same routes today -- on foot, bicycle, horse, and by boat -- exploring contrasting landscapes between the Chesapeake Bay and the Allegheny Highlands.
