Adventure and Hiking in Harpers Ferry
The outdoor adventure and hiking in Harpers Ferry is one of the main reasons we chose it as our base camp for the week. The area has a lot of trails and the community is extremely receptive as the Appalachian Trail crosses right through town. We took advantage of this and dedicated a couple days to exploring the town and hiking.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS TRAIL
Our first hike was our most anticipated, and most difficult, of the entire trip. We had seen videos of the hike and knew about what to expect. We usually feel trail ratings are worse than we think but this one was definitely not!! When people say this trail is strenuous they mean it!! President Lincoln even turned back on this trail in 1863 while going up to review the troops…….but we didn’t!!! Proper hiking boots and trekking poles are a must for this hike and we were prepared.
The 2.1 mile one-way trip to the overlook started about 6:30 in the morning in Lower Town Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. From the parking area we walked 0.6 miles across the foot bridge to the Maryland side of the river where we found the actual trail head. At this point we had almost 1.5 miles of steep, uphill hiking but in the end we persevered!
At the top we we greeted by a large rocky outcropping overlooking the town of Harpers Ferry. It seemed like we could see for miles and the sun was just coming up over the Shenandoah Valley. We took time to enjoy the views and see a train cross before heading back down. I definitely would recommend this hike early in the day as we only saw one other person around the overlook. As we came down we passed several people so I’m sure it can get crowded at times.
JEFFERSON ROCK
On October 25, 1783 Thomas Jefferson climbed to a point high above Harpers Ferry where he was awestruck by the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley. The statements he made from the unique rock formation went down in history and the rock became named Jefferson Rock. Over the years nature took its toll on the formation along with destruction from visitors. Because of this sandstone pillars placed on the corners between 1855-1860 to ensure it could be preserved for future generations. Today the rock still stands with these pillars and is specifically protected by the United States Code of Federal Regulations.
Our hike to Jefferson Rock started on High Street up a rough rock stairway. At the top of the stairwell we were greeted by St. Peter’s Catholic Church complete with gorgeous stained glass windows all around. Passing the church we joined the Appalachian Trail continuing up more stairs……are you seeing a pattern here??? Immediately to the right was the ruins of the St. John Episcopal Church and to the front was Jefferson Rock in all its glory.
At the rock we saw the beauty Jefferson probably saw centuries ago and were just as awestruck. The views back down the mountain over the rivers was breathtaking. The bonus we got on our visit is seeing the cross of the church with the sunset behind us.
These hikes are just a couple of the highlights of Harpers Ferry. We did a few other hikes and still have several more we want to complete on future trips. My main recommendation for the area is to be sure you are prepared for the hike(s) you want to complete. The valley holds heat more than you think so water should always be on hand. Check out our video here from the Maryland Heights Trail hike. Take a moment to like the video and subscribe to the channel as it really helps us out! Until next time…….