Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

Park Closure Bridge to Maryland Heights & C&O Canal CLOSED

Due to safety concerns, the Goodloe Byron Memorial Footbridge to the C&O Canal NHP towpath is expected to remain closed this fall for safety repairs on the pedestrian bridge. This work is in addition to the staircase replacement. A shuttle with very limited space currently runs between Harpers Ferry NHP Visitor Center and C&O Canal Lock 34. This will impact access to Maryland Heights, the Appalachian NST, and the Potomac Heritage NST. We strongly advise considering other trails when possible.

Caution Ongoing work on Lower Town buildings

Facilities staff are doing repair work on several buildings in Lower Town. Please follow signs for alternate entrances and heed temporary closures.

Overview

At the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, on the ancestral home of the Tuscarora and Shawnee people, lies Harpers Ferry. Here you can explore John Brown's Raid against slavery. Find your connection to the struggle for freedom, education, and civil rights at Storer College. Discover miles of trail in the Blue Ridge and along Civil War battlefields.

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

  • Guided Tours
  • Hiking
  • Living History
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Shopping
  • Bookstore and Park Store

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Hours

Parkwide Hours of Operation: Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is open year-round with the exception of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Park museums/exhibits, the Visitor Center, and restroom facilities are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Park passes may be purchased at the entrance station Thursday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you would like to purchase a nationwide America the Beautiful pass, we encourage you to call 304-535-6299 before you come. Park shuttle bus hours are currently 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Park Grounds and Trails: Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is open year round with the exception of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Fees and passes

  • Entrance - Private Vehicle — $20.00
  • Entrance - Motorcycle — $15.00
  • Entrance - Per Person — $10.00
  • Annual Entrance - Park — $35.00

The America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees at federal recreation lands across all four agencies.

Getting there

Harpers Ferry NHP's Visitor Center is located off of US Route 340 in West Virginia. The park entrance is 8 miles east of Charles Town, WV and 20 miles southwest of Frederick, MD.

Visitor centers

  • Harpers Ferry NHP Visitor Center
  • Lower Town Information Center

Weather

Harpers Ferry experiences all four seasons - the cold and snow of winter, the rain and flowers of spring, the humidity and sunshine of summer, and the chill and leaf change of fall. We will strive to keep you up-to-date as Harpers Ferry's landscape changes with the seasons. To see the current weather or the forecasted weather for Harpers Ferry, please visit the National Weather Service site and set the zip code to 25425.

Phone: 3045356029

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

Aerial view of Lower Town Harpers Ferry
Aerial view of Lower Town Harpers Ferry · NPS Photo/Holden Mills
View from Jefferson Rock
View from Jefferson Rock · NPS Photo/Autumn Cook
Artillery at Murphy-Chambers Farm
Artillery at Murphy-Chambers Farm · NPS Photo/Autumn Cook
John Brown's Fort in Winter
John Brown's Fort in Winter · NPS Photo/Holden Mills

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