I lovely place to visit is you are in this area. The grounds are extensive. You can drive around…read morethe perimeter and stop in designated parking areas, which makes it more manageable to explore all the different parts of the Arboretum in one visit. There is a lively garden near the main building, which was so peaceful to walk through. Wonderful groves of all different kinds of David trees and the bamboo forest should not be missed! It was magical to walk through the tall bamboo.

I was late to enjoying the ginkgo garden but it's still beautiful. The facility was clean and…read moreorganize.

I went on one of the monthly astronomy nights. The program was great and it was wonderful to see…read morethe stars at night I. This dark sky area. It was also exciting to look through the telescopes that many volunteers brought to share and see things like Jupiter and its moons, Venus in phase, and double stars! If you come for an astronomy nights, I recommend downloading an app about constellations and bringing a red light flashlight or using a red light app on your phone.

We stumbled upon this gem after visiting a nearby orchard. Just a gorgeous autumn afternoon to take…read morepictures. The Love sign is near the parking lot. We did not take advantage of the trails, but is definitely something to do in the future!

Here at Harpers Ferry Historical Park in West Virginia, this Maryland Heights Trail may be one of…read morethe best hikes in the park. Due to construction in late September 2025, to access the trailhead, I had to take an extended 20-minute shuttle ride from the Visitor Center to an alternative location to begin the hike. Walking the paved path for 1/4 of a mile, there'll be a sign mentioning to access the trail...you must cross the street and go around a barrier on the initial climb. Maryland Heights Trail is 4.6 miles roundtrip gaining 1200 feet in elevation, but the pathway is clearly defined and suitable for most hikers. There'll be a halfway junction where to continue on...you must veer to the right as the Maryland Heights Trail changes its name to The Overlook Cliff Trail for 1.4 more miles. Next, follow the "4/10th's of a mile sign" to the right again, for the remaining push to the lookout. From here the trail descends downhill with some pesky rocks to maneuver around before noticing a total clearing of the forest and the wide open observation viewpoint. Arriving at Maryland Heights Overlook, it's a 300-foot vertical cliff showcasing Harpers Ferry's Historic Town at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. I was fortunate enough to even catch a CSX train crossing the original Baltimore and Ohio railroad tracks. Overall, Harpers Ferry is nestled within a vintage West Virginia backdrop consumed among colorfully green forests and mountains. Btw, if you're interested, you can walk the cobblestone streets of the Lower Town District. It's a throwback in time to the 1800's. Exploring around offers documented narratives helping to preserve our nation's history with more opportunities to appreciate nature at the banks of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. In the end, hiking this Maryland Heights Trail at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park makes for a worthwhile visit.

Many a summers ago, we would spend the day enjoying the trail- learning about the various…read morehistorical aspects via all the signage (my favorites are the President Lincoln fun facts), trekking the steep rewarding paths, and finishing with a picnic at the overlook- Finally returning years later, much has changed- while the uphill trail still maintained it's level of intensity, a few unexpected challenges were also added..... 1. parking- the two lots next to the trailhead had been closed -leaving the options of a visitor center parking lot a little way form the trail near the center of town-requiring a shuttle service (all at cost 20$ per day) or about a mile down the road in a pull off for free- we opted for the free parking- this added a mile walk on the not so easy train tracks & heavy traffic road- definitely not the safest option- 2. Lack of updated trail signage- we found ourselves doing a few unnecessary loops as the signage we remember navigating to full loop -overlook loop- etc were missing or too run down to read We do love the challenge of this trail- we enjoy the gorgeous expansive overlooks along the way; but with the unexpected challenges we ended up just hiking to the overlook and back down for sake of time instead of committing to the entire trail, as usual (also just note despite its challenging nature- this is a very heavily walked trail- very crowded on weekends)

Often times, the national parks get the best territory and the states get leftovers. However, the…read moreShenandoah River State Park, down the mountain from well known Skyline Drive and its accompanying federal parkland, is by no means inferior. A rural drive leads to a visitor center, trails, an overlook, river access, and campgrounds. I had time for only a brief visit, but the views were majestic. It would be an excellent place to return for a hike. As with most of Virginia's state parks, there is a modest entrance fee, but I'm sure it's well worth it.

I travel and stay at a lot of parks during the course of the year, and I have only repeated a few…read moreof them. This location is incredible, rich with things to do, views to see, and adventures to have with enough time. The cabins are gorgeous, fair warning that there is no television, but honestly who cares?! I had great phone signal which almost never happens on these excursions, and I loved making a fire in my fireplace and sitting on the porch with coffee for sunrise, which I could see from Cabin 11. This cabin also was at the end and felt private, even though I could see my neighbors (who had set up Christmas lights! How fun!) There's also a wonderful hiking trail right by these cabins, 10 and 11, the Red Tail Ridge, that was semi-short (2.5 miles or so if desired to create a loop with Big Oak) and had views of the river and Shenandoah valley below!

LOVE Harper's Ferry. I'm a huge history buff. I used to come here as a child my dad would take us…read more So many memories . Parking is very busy mid day so come early, they also have a parking area then you can shuttle to the town, so check that out before coming. If you love the story of John Brown then this will bring everything to life. When we came the govt was shut down so I couldn't go to the wax museum :'(. I recommend bringing a picnic basket and eating on the grassy area near the river. You can also make a hike day out of everything and hike up the town past the beautiful Catholic Church at the top, hike back down, go over the bridge, and explore over there. Best place ever.

was not the best. There's too many bugs. The rude and she was talking to us like we little…read morechildren and we She ignored us when we were trying to ask some questions and she really was interrupting us when we educated this is not a good place to tour and I don't recommend