Harpers Ferry is a place I visit quite often. Not only because it’s a beautiful town itself but also because of some amazing hikes and outdoor adventure vibes. It’s also very rich in history, has some good shopping, and is super close to a casino if you’re feeling lucky. So if you’re on the east coast, specifically DC, MD, VA, or even North Carolina this is definitely a great place to check out for a long weekend. Here are some of the best things to do in Harpers Ferry. Enjoy!
Explore The Town Itself
Starting at the bottom of Harpers Ferry and then walking up its huge hill while exploring all the little shops is a great way to get all the wonderful mountain town vibes.
Stop at The Rabbit Hole restaurant for lunch and sit on their patio for a wonderful view of the surrounding mountains.
After lunch, stop in and shop at The Vintage Lady for some local art and antiques.
Then you might as well go back down using The Potomac Staircase to grab ice cream at Creamy Creations. After ice cream, you can backtrack up the staircase to venture further into the town. Visiting the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and scoping out places for dinner. I recommend The Anvil, but there’s also Kelley Farm Kitchen and Snallygasters Cafe and Wine Bar. Just be sure to check their hours beforehand.
Get in Some Harpers Ferry Hikes
Maryland Heights Hike
A relatively short hike with a spectacular view of Harpers Ferry, the Maryland Heights Hike is a must-do when in town. I’ve missed capturing the sunrise here, but it’s definitely one of my photography goals. Maybe next trip.
At a little over 5 miles and not overly challenging, it’s also a really popular hike. So don’t expect to be soaking up the views by yourself.
Jefferson Rock Hike
You can do this right before you hike up the town hill or return after lunch halfway up the hill as previously mentioned.
This is a short but intense hike with a few nice sites along the way. Once you reach the top of the steps, you’ll catch a nice view of the rivers, then an old historic church, then the ruins of an even older church.
Then cap off the hike with some sweet views at Jefferson Rock.
Appalachian Trail South
Continue past Jefferson Rock for however long your heart desires because you’ll be on Appalachian Trail south.
Hike a mile out, 2 miles, 10 miles out. Whatever you want. It doesn’t end until Springer Mountain down in Georgia.
There is a cool bridge, called the Shenandoah River Bridge about 1.5 miles out. You can hike that, then turn around to continue your visit to the town.
Or…
Appalachian Trail North
Or go the other direction and hike the Appalachian Trail going north back through the lower part of Harpers Ferry and hike across the river via the Winchester and Potomac Railroad Bridge.
Once across the bridge you’ll be hiking along the Potomac River and seeing the power of the White Horse Rapids. This section is quite beautiful, leading you along the C&O Canal before eventually going up into the mountains.
Which leads directly into the next little mini-section below.
Harpers Ferry To Weverton Cliffs Hike
Once you start going away from the river, the climbs start. But the view from Weverton Cliffs is well worth it! Hiking Upward lists the total mileage (Harpers Ferry to Weverton Cliffs) at about 9 miles. So it’s a pretty solid hike in itself.
Cool Weekend Harpers Ferry Hiking Trip
If you really want an excellent weekend trip with some solid mileage, about 20 miles total. You can do the hike that started it all for me. My love for the little historic Harpers Ferry.
Park at Gathland State Park in their parking lot on Arnoldstown Road. Hop on the Appalachian Trail from the parking lot and hike about 10 miles into Harpers Ferry, stay at the in-town Quality Inn or any other of the many B&Bs or hostels.
Then hike back the next day, or whenever you’re ready. I’ve hiked this a few times, as an out and back.
On that first trip, I stayed at the now-closed Teahorse Hostel, which was quite an experience. Sleeping spaces were broken up into male and female, and there was a good amount of people staying the night.
I got to drink tequila at a nearby bar with a few Texans staying the night. Then we met some locals and got a tour of the town. We ended up in the wax museum and got to catch a concert in a basement nearby. It may or may not have happened in that order.
Plus we got an unofficial tour of the ghost/haunted side of Harper’s Ferry. It was pretty creepy. It would definitely be worth checking out a legit one.
That was an amazing experience.
Soak in all the history
Harpers Ferry is super rich in history; having the first successful railroad, John Brown’s attack on slavery, and much more!
You can visit John Brown’s Fort and the Armory Fire Engine in Arsenal Square. Then visit the John Brown Wax Museum to learn more about the militant abolitionist.
If you haven’t already ventured up to Jefferson Rock, you can do so now and also visit the Ruins of St. John’s Episcopal Church & the beautiful St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church.
If you haven’t gotten all of your steps in, take a walk along the Armory Canal to soak up more wildlife, nature views, and history.
Get some water time in
Book an official trip with River & Trail Outfitters or River Riders Family Adventure Resort. Be sure to also check out River Riders Zipline Canopy Tour, Aerial Adventure Park, and other fun activities.
Or check out a local swimming hole, Potomac Wayside Park.
Win some money (hopefully)
No trip to Harpers Ferry would be complete without also visiting the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in Charles Town WV.
JK, of course, you don’t have to visit the casino to make the trip worth it. I’ve done it a few times, but more often than not I run out of my gambling money within the first hour so I typically don’t stay very long.
The post Things to Do In Harpers Ferry – A Great Weekend Getaway appeared first on Doug Ash Photography.
