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WEST VIRGINIA
Hike Through History
Natural beauty and the scars of war combine in Harpers Ferry
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By David Volk
HARPERS FERRY NATIONAL HISTORICAL Park may be best known for the battle intended to start a slave revolt in the years before the Civil War, but there’s more to this West Virginia park than John Brown’s infamous, ill-fated raid, says National
Park Service Public Affairs Specialist Autumn Cook .
For starters, there are the views. Located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, the outlook known as The
Point provides sweeping views of both rivers, old bridge piers and the waters flowing through a gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although the main portion of the park is in West Virginia, it encompasses parts of Maryland and Virginia, as well.
CONTINUED WEST VIRGINIA | HARPERS FERRY
John Brown Fort
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View of Harpers Ferry from Maryland Heights
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
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WEST VIRGINIA | HARPERS FERRY
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The park’s 22 miles of trails also make it popular with hikers. Options range from the moderate 3-mile MurphyChambers Farm Trail with views of the Shenandoah River, Civil War cannons and the foundation of John Brown’s fort, to the challenging 6.5-mile Maryland Heights Trail featuring a Civil War naval battery and stone fort . Legend has it that Abraham Lincoln started walking Maryland Heights, but quickly gave up.
Cook also cites the park’s biodiversity. There are approximately 120 bird species , and she’s seen peregrine falcons, mink, river otters and turtles.
Although it had been a commercial hub since the 1750s, Harpers Ferry came to national prominence after abolitionist Brown raided the armory there in hopes of getting weapons to encourage a slave revolt. Brown was captured quickly, but historians say his actions helped push the country toward the Civil War.
History buffs will find plenty to explore in the area. In addition to Brown’s fort, there are numerous landmarks, including the Meriwether Lewis exhibit chronicling his time preparing provisions for his transcontinental expedition and the Black Voices Museum . And there are five Civil War battlefields within 60 miles of Harpers Ferry .
If you have time to visit only one site, Cook suggests Bolivar Heights , which offers grand views of much of the park.
▶ nps.gov/hafe Lower town view from Shenandoah Street
Bolivar Heights
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
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