A park ranger’s must-dos at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Courtesy nps.gov
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, located on 3,682 acres of land in West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland, is a wonderland for history buffs and nature lovers. Situated at the intersection of the mighty Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, it was the site of abolitionist John Brown’s 1859 raid on the federal arsenal to initiate a revolt against slavery and where 13,000 Union troops surrendered to “Stonewall” Jackson during the Civil War. The park boasts more than 200 historic structures, 21 museums and exhibit spaces, and more than 1.1 million historical objects in its collection. Though the West Virginia town of the same name is home to fewer than 300 full-time residents, it welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Whether guests scout out the area after touring nearby battlefields or while hiking through the halfway point of the Appalachian Trail, Best says, “Almost everyone says they want to come back.”
History Alive
“If you’re interested in history on any level, Harpers Ferry is one of the best places. In one park you can see the course of American history, especially since American independence, touching on the Industrial Revolution, slavery, the Civil War, education, civil rights, and how all of this has affected the local environment.”
Must-See Exhibits
“The Lower Town area—basically everything along Shenandoah Street and the first block of Potomac Street—is part of the National Park Service. Almost all the historic buildings are open with a mix of exhibits. You can see a film about the area, some of the archaeology found here, and the museum on John Brown and his raid, along with his family Bible, rifle, and part of his jail cell. Other buildings are set up as they were in the 1850s. There’s a tavern, a dry goods store, and a Civil War provost marshal’s office.”
Top View
“Go out to the Point, the intersection of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, with the Blue Ridge Mountains rising around you. It’s right where John Brown crossed over the river to come into Harpers Ferry. You can see the ruins of the original bridge, where the railroads first came through in the 1830s, and where fighting occurred during the Civil War. You’re also standing on top of Robert Harper’s original Ferry Landing, the town’s base. It’s the unique intersection not just of the rivers, but of so much of the town’s history.”
Courtesy nps.org
Postcard Perfect
“Our most popular hike, for good reason, is the 4.2-mile Maryland Heights Trail. It’s at the southern end of Elk Ridge, the big mountain that looms over Harpers Ferry. It offers a classic postcard view. The trails are steep but nice and wide.”
This article appears in the Winter 2025 issue of Southbound.
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