This marker is along Potomac Street in the main district of Harpers Ferry and point out that one of…read morethe travelers was here to acquire supplies. The marker reads, "Meriwether Lewis arrived March 16, 1803. Oversaw building of collapsible iron framed, skin-clad boat and acquired supplies, tomahawks, and rifles. Left for Pennsylvania on April 18; returned July 7 to gather materials and left next day for Pittsburgh. Followed Ohio to Falls; met William Clark for trip to explore and study land, waterways, animal life, natural features and resources of West." The marker was erected in 2002 by the West Virginia Division of Archives and History. There is paid parking in Harpers Ferry but none right here [Review 1035 of 2025 - 190 in West Virginia - 24589 overall] .

It may be just a field but it is worth the visit for its history…read moreThis is one of the many sites that makes Harpers Ferry a fascinating place to visit. The town is historically significant as the site of John Brown's 1859 raid on the U.S. Armory. This single event increased the tensions over slavery and pushed the nation closer to the Civil War. The town was also an important location during the war itself, changing hands multiple times due to its armory, rivers, and railroads. The Armory site is between John Brown's Fort and the Train Station. It may seem like an empty field but it has posted informational signs that tell the story of the armory. Back in the late 1700s through mid-1800s, the Armory was a major industrial site. The signs tell where the building stood that made the US rifles and muskets large numbers. The buildings are gone but the land still holds the echoes of its history. It is located next to the river and there is a small path down to the river that gives some really nice views especially if trains are coming by the tracks above. Overall, the Armory site may not be a flashy or heavily built-up museum, but it represents a major place for America. If you like history -- especially early U.S. industrial history, Civil War era, or the story of abolition -- it's very much worth stopping by.

North of Berkeley Springs but before the Maryland border, this marker on the west side of the…read morehighway points out some of the earliest colonial history of this area. The marker reads, "Lovers' Leap. Beautiful panorama of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. It overlooks the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal which was started by George Washington and associates in order to improve communication with the West." Unfortunately, there does not appear to be any long term parking here and the brush towards the Potomac River appears to be private property. [Review 15548 overall, 1052 of 2021, number 46 in West Virginia.]

So gorgeous! The history of this battlefield is unlike any other. The preservation the NPS and…read moreothers have helped put into this park is incredible. I loved that they had the driving option available and you can connect it with an audible, especially on a hot day, it is such a large area I don't know how a person could walk it! It's $20 a vehicle, and so worth it.

Visiting Antietam was a wonderful experience and the battlefield is very well-preserved. There's a…read morewealth of information available here and we learned a large amount about the battle that we hadn't known. The NPS has done a great job here and we really enjoyed being able to visit.

Tony and I spent the night in Harper's Ferry WV. We were going to tour the Historical Park but…read moredecided to comeback at a later date to devote our time and a full day here. There is so much to see. It cost $20 for 1-3 consecutive days per vehicle. We did stop at the Shenandoah Pulp Factory Ruins to explore and investigate. Be sure to spray down with your Buggie Spray or be prepared to be dinner for the insect wildlife!!! It has a small pullover parking area for about 2 cars to share. There is some signage about it's history. Highly recommend if you're in the area. I'm definitely going back!!!

As early as 1747, a ferry ran between Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and Maryland Heights before any…read morebridge crossed the river here. This served as a crucial conduit for communication, trade, and transit between the interior of Maryland and the Shenandoah Valley. A timber-covered road bridge, one of the first highway bridges at this site, eventually took the place of the ferry in 1824. A vital conduit for wagons, pedestrians, and cattle traveling between the two banks of the river, this building before the railroad. The road bridge had a more subdued but crucial role in regional growth, despite being overshadowed by the spectacular engineering achievements of the railroad bridges and the Harpers Ferry Tunnel. It made civilian travel and trade more reliable, particularly as the train and canal networks grew. The original road bridge was eventually replaced or diverted as rail and highway networks evolved, and the remains gradually disappeared into the backdrop of the more imposing rail infrastructure. Some of those old bridge piers still remain. Welcome across the border between Virginia and Maryland! The bridge is pretty from below. Crossing it is rather boring. [Review 1036 of 2025 - 673 in Maryland - 24590 overall]

Also known as the Shepherdstown Pike Bridge, this bridge replaced the old 1020-foot long Wichert…read moreTruss Bridge in 2006. This is a 1096 feoot long, three-spam steel hunch plate girder design with two lanes of traffic and an eight-foot wide sidewalk. It carries route 34 between Maryland and West Virginia. Back as early as 1775, there was ferry service here between Shepherdstown WV and Sharpsburg MD. A number of bridges have come and been replaced. If you look carefully, you might see some of those stone pilings. The bridge is named in honor of the inventor of the steamship who made a successful public demonstration here on the Potomac on December 3 and 11, 1787. As bridges go, it does a fine job of carrying traffic over the river. It is lacking in aesthetic appeal. [Review 15614 overall - 66 in West Virginia - 1118 of 2021.]

I've been a student of the American Civil War for over 60 years. Recently, while visiting friends,…read moreI learned about the Monocacy National Battlefield where "The Battle That Saved Washington" was fought in July 1864. The Visitor Center is very nice with a electronic interpretive displays, as well as battlefield artifacts. There is a self-guided 4 mile (6 km) automobile tour of the battlefield and three walking loop trails. It was raining the day we visited, which curtailed exploring the Battlefield and its historical buildings. But I thoroughly enjoyed the the view of the Battlefield -- a rolling grassy field with dense forest around it -- and imagined what the battle may have looked like that day.

If you love history, specifically civil war history, make this a stop if you're in the area. Stop…read moreby the visitor's center first and pick up some guides & pamphlets to guide you on your journey through. Make sure you have a car, if not you'll be setting aside the whole day trying to walk it. Are you a jogger/cyclist? Love the outdoors? Then also make this a stop, maybe you'll learn something and pick up a few interests on your morning run. Do you fall into none of the previous categories? Well, maybe avoid it. Most of it just looks like big empty fields - it kind of is exactly that to the non-enthusiasts and imagination-deprived. The whole thing is free (including parking) for a budget friendly experience. My cons: 1). some portions lacked proper explanation as to what you were looking at. The "Grist Mill" location on the map did not have a mill. There was an office building with a "do not enter" sign and a small run down shack. Were either of those a mill? Sure didn't look like it. Did the mill just USED to stand here years ago? Who knows. As an actual history enthusiast I would've appreciated the ability to explore the historic buildings more. Several very old farmhouses related to the battle still stand and look in decent shape! Perhaps the budget does not allow, but it would be nice to place an employee at these places and allow people to tour. Also upon peering through the windows, it would seem a lot of history has been lost. The insides are barren and empty. Many times it felt like you'd get somewhere, step out and look at a field, then hop back in and go to the next place. This is coming from someone ACTUALLY interested. I'm not sure what the solution is, but I'm sure there's something they could do to make the experience a bit more compelling.