Appalachian Trail – Virginia/West Virginia Section 1: Harpers Ferry to Keys Gap (Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, WV/VA)

Appalachian Trail, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, October 2024 Having returned to the Washington, DC area last fall, my opportunities to get out hiking have unfortunately declined. But I have been able to resume my quest to achieve a long-term goal of completing all the nearby Appalachian Trail (AT) sections (see MD Sections 1, 2, …

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Loudoun Heights Trail (Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, WV)

- Civil War Series - In September 1862, Confederate General “Stonewall” Jackson used Loudoun Heights as a staging ground for the bombardment of the picturesque—but also strategic—town of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Today, remnants of the Civil War have mostly disappeared from the ridgetop, but spectacular views of Harper’s Ferry and the confluence of the …

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Visitor Center to Lower Town Trail Loop (Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, WV)

- Civil War Series - The importance of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia in influencing the course of American history is hard to overstate. This picturesque town, situated at the confluence of two rivers in a majestic valley, played host to a 19th century federal armory, Civil War battles, several distinguished civil rights advocates, and abolitionist …

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Murphy-Chambers Farm Loop (Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park, WV)

- Civil War Series - Three years after John Brown’s ill-fated raid at Harper’s Ferry, violence again struck this strategically-located town, situated at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers in present-day West Virginia. The year was 1862, and Confederate General Robert E. Lee had directed famed General T.J. “Stonewall” Jackson to seize Harper’s …

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