Harpers Ferry: The Perfect D.C. Escape

The small town of Harpers Ferry sits nestled at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers and between some small mountains.  Located on the edge of West Virginia, the town is the perfect escape from D.C.

History of Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry is full of history, but it’s most known for John
Brown’s raid in 1859 where he led abolitionists in an armed attack against the U.S. military stationed there. Walking around the town, you can learn more about the raid and see the places where it took place. While in town, you can also take in a spectacular view of the confluence of the rivers from Jefferson

Hiking

While the views from town are nice, hiking around the town has even better views. There are many hiking options in the area, but one of the best seems to be the Maryland Heights trail. It is close to the main part of town with the start of the trailhead on the other side of the old rail bridge that connects the town with Maryland.

My then boyfriend and I recently hiked the Maryland Heights trail, doing both the walk to the overlook with a view of the town below and then other part of the trail that takes you up to the ridgeline and by some old remnants from the military troops stationed there during the Civil War. The trail is 4.5-6.5 miles round trip, depending on which sections you choose to do, and NPS says that it takes 3-4 hours, which is pretty true to the time it took us. The trail is certainly pretty steep and strenuous at times, but it’s certainly nothing like Old Rag. I would say it’s the perfect moderate day hike, and it’s certainly one of my favorite hikes outside of D.C.! For more of my favorite D.C. hikes, check out this
blog post.

Harpers Ferry Brewing

That’s right, Harpers Ferry now has its own brewery! We always love finishing a tiring hike at a brewery, and this one is perfect. It’s close to town and has an excellent beer selection. We tried several of their beers in a flight, and I really loved their unique “Confluence Caramel,” a cream ale. Their dark beers were awesome too! Like most breweries, they also had a food truck with perfect post-hiking noms like mac and cheese, barbecue, brats, etc. More than anything, we loved relaxing outside and taking in their stellar views of town and the river from a new vantage point – the Virginia side!

Parking

Harpers Ferry is very small and has limited parking. If you’re planning a visit, especially during warmer weather, I recommend parking at the visitor’s center and taking the shuttle into town. It runs from 9 a.m. until 5:45 or 6:45 p., according to this NPS site. When we visited, it was running every ten minutes. If you miss the bus, walking is also an option. The visitor’s center is 1.6 miles from the main part of town, but walking from town back to the visitor’s center would involve a fairly steep climb.

That being said, if you arrive later in the day, you might be able to find parking in town. The first time we visited was right before sunset during winter. We parked easily at the train station.

Train

Luckily for the many D.C. residents without cars, Harpers Ferry is accessible by train! The train station stops right in town, and from what I’ve heard, tickets can be pretty cheap, even under $10.

Harpers Ferry is an absolute gem, and I would 100% recommend it! I’m already looking forward to going back a third time!

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