For us, Harper’s Ferry was a true instance of serendipity. We landed in Washington DC, at Dulles Airport, with nothing but a weekend to kill and a rental car reservation. Even after grabbing a coffee at the airport, my best guess for our travel was that we would head to Baltimore. But then I remembered a Thomas Jefferson quote – “This scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic.” The quote was about Harper’s Ferry. We got the rental car and headed northwest.
A cursory online search indicated that there was a famous rock associated with Jefferson’s quote, so I entered that into the GPS and we hit the road. After an hour driving through wine country, we reached Harper’s Ferry, at the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. It’s not as famous as Four Corners, but three states meet right at this junction- West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland.
Outside of Jefferson’s quote, the only other detail I knew about Harper’s Ferry was from high school history- the town was the site of a famous revolt, where John Brown seized a federal armory in an attempt to wage a war to end slavery. I always like exploring history and looked forward to seeing what we’d learn along the way.
Our GPS led us to a national park entrance that held a few surprises. For one, we were on the Appalachian Trail! I had no idea that the trail passed directly through the town of Harper’s Ferry. A small visitor center building offered maps, and we saw that we had to take a bus to downtown Harper’s Ferry to get to Jefferson Rock.
The short bus ride left us in the middle of a small historic town. The buildings were all obviously quite old, with only museums, small shops, and restaurants. It was a pleasant surprise- I had no idea how much of its historic character Harper’s Ferry retains to this day, and we loved wandering the streets and exploring.
The steps up to Jefferson Rock go straight through the middle of town, and they’re officially part of the Appalachian Trail. We walked up to the top and took in the view – as Jefferson promised, the view of both the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers is splendid, as was the view of the mountains with their trees in fall colors. We ended up going up to the summit twice to soak in the spectacular view.
The town had plenty of highlights. Near the current location of John Brown’s fort (it has been moved several times, including to Chicago briefly!) we watched historical reenactors play out elements of John Brown’s raid. We’d also be remiss not to spotlight a candy shop specializing in old timey candy varieties, as well as Sea Hippie Art, where a craftsman makes blown glass art in real time in front of an audience.
We learned a lot about the town, as well. The location was a major strategic point in the Civil War, trading hands many times over the course of the war. Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis & Clark fame, spent a lot of time in the town preparing for his westward journey. As it ends up, the town had more to offer than John Brown and Thomas Jefferson!
Our day in Harper’s Ferry was so magical that it was almost a no-brainer to return the following day. Day 2, we spent more time walking around the gorgeous nature trails. We took the paths immediately off the visitor center and found ourselves encountering both history (a Civil War battlefield) and nature (sprawling views of the Shenandoah).
We left Harper’s Ferry quite satisfied with a full experience. I only found out later that the best views are all on the Maryland side of the path, and we missed out on some of the greatest scenic vistas in the country. We will have to return, and probably soon!
The moral of the story? If you have the flexibility, follow that whim and explore a new place you barely know anything about. Worst case scenario, you move on quickly, and best case scenario, you have a remarkable experience you’ll cherish for life.
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