4 Things to do in Harpers Ferry

Ever since I moved to Maryland my coworkers have been telling me about this cute little town in West Virginia. Just 1hr 15 min from Washington D.C. The town is part of Harper’s Ferry Historical National Park and is the point of convergence between the Potomac River and Shenandoah River. There are plenty of activities to do around like tubing, hiking, fishing, swimming, rafting, zip line, and biking. Perfect for nature lovers.

Hiking

Begin the mid-point of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail there are several hiking trails in the park. We did the most popular, Maryland Heights Trail, which is the one with an amazing view. 

If you are going to do the same trail, arrive early because the parking by the trail entrance is limited (10-12 spaces), otherwise, you will have to park across the river in Lower Town and then walk to the trail.

As the name implies the trial is on the Maryland side of the park. You have two routes to choose, the blue trail (long one) and the red trail (short one). We hiked the red one which is 2.8 miles long and it takes about 2 hours round trip.

It is a beautiful hike through the woods, but be ready for a good hike. The trail is steep (elev. gain 1,600 ft) and you will be hiking uphill for about 40 minutes to an hour, depending on your pace. The overlook can be busy at times. So if you want to take cool pictures look to your left and you will see a little path, follow it and you will get to another viewpoint that almost nobody goes.

If you come on a hot summer day like I did bring plenty of water and another set of clothes so you can reward yourself with a nice cool dip in the river. I sweat so much that I could squeeze my shirt.

If you want to know more about other trials check The National Park Service website.

Tubing

I would say tubing is the main attraction of Harper’s Ferry at least during the warm months. Honestly, I saw more people floating down the river than walking in town. There are several aquatic activities that you can do like tubing, kayaking, and rafting.

We did the flat water tubing thinking that the white water was going to be too rough and we just wanted to be relaxed while going down the river. But after looking at the river that was not the case. For tubing there are two options:

• Flatwater in the Shenandoah River – go for this one if you want to have a very chill time down the river while admiring nature and having an ice-cold drink.
• Whitewater in the Potomac River – this more fun than the flat water. The river is wider, the current is stronger, and it has rocks where you can stop to take a break or hang out with friends.

There are three companies offering tubing and whitewater rafting: River Riders, River and Trail Outfitters, and Harper’s Ferry Adventures. We found Harper’s Ferry Adventure to be the cheapest one. If you have your own tube, you can bring it to save some money. They also rent floating coolers in case you want to bring some drinks to refreshen. Alcohol is not permitted.

Walk around Lower Town

Here is where most of the historic sites, restaurants, and shops are. It’s super cool, you to see people dress as soldiers and other people from the era. And is good to grab a bite after hiking or tubing too. If you are a sweets lover then stop by True Treats Historic Candy where you can find sweets from the first in history through the mid-1900s.

We had lunch at The Coffee Mill, the food was delicious and the staff super friendly. Oh, and do not forget to get one of their Cinnamon Buns for takeaway. They are to die for!

Some points of interest are The St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, John Brown’s Fort, and Jefferson Rock.
Parking in Harper’s Ferry is limited so I put below some options where you can park:

• Harper’s Ferry Station right in Lower Town. $10.
• Public parking on Shenandoah St., it is one mile from Lower Tow. $10.
• Washington St. – You park on the street anywhere you see the parking meters. It costs $2/hr and you pay using the mobile phone app, Parkmobile.

Camping

There are several campgrounds in the area: Harper’s Ferry Campground, Harper’s Ferry Adventure Center, and Harper’s Ferry/Civil War Battlefields KOA. We stayed on Harper’s Ferry Campground, site #37. To be honest for $36 p/n is the more expensive and not the best campground we have stayed. When we got to the site we were disappointed because there was trash around and needed some maintenance. Though the view of the river and mountains is fantastic.

Watching the sunrise on the “private” little floating dock is a must-do. The other tent sites with river views were well maintained but in my opinion too close to each other. Regarding the bathrooms, they have A/C, hot water, and are in excellent condition.

Helpful Tip: Bring earplugs because the trains pass several times at night and the rails are about 30 yards from the campground. The noise is super loud and even the ground shakes a bit.

If you have been to Harper’s Ferry or have any suggestions, let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear them.

Thanks for reading 

And keep exploring

j ⋀⋁ i e r ✧ ☽