Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
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.
About under an hour from Washington and 1.5 hours from Baltimore by car.
Alerts
- ClosureBridge 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.
- CautionOngoing 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.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleFor a single, private vehicle. Excludes group tours and 7+ passenger vans. Entrance passes are valid for three consecutive days, beginning on date of purchase and are required in all park areas. Fees are payable at the Entrance Station near the park's visitor center, Bolivar Heights, Maryland Heights, Harpers Ferry Train Station, and River Access Parking Lot. | $20 | |
| MotorcycleAdmits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. Entrance passes are valid for 3 consecutive days, beginning on date of purchase and are required in all park areas. Fees are payable at the Entrance Station near the park's visitor center, Bolivar Heights, Maryland Heights, Harpers Ferry Train Station, and River Access Parking Lot. | $15 | |
| Per PersonPersons arriving on foot or on bicycle are required to pay the per-person fee. Entrance passes are valid for three consecutive days, beginning on date of purchase and are required in all park areas. Fees are payable at the Entrance Station near the park's visitor center, Bolivar Heights, Maryland Heights, Harpers Ferry Train Station, and River Access Parking Lot. | $10 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkValid for one year from month of purchase for Harpers Ferry NHP only. Admits pass-holder and passengers in a single, private vehicle (excluding groups) or immediate family if entering by other means. Nontransferable. Hard copies of the annual pass can be purchased at the Entrance Station near the park's visitor center. | $35 | |
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park visitors are required to have a park entrance pass. Three-day, annual and lifetime passes are available at the park entrance station.
Hours
| Parkwide Hours of Operation | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Park Grounds and Trails | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
Parkwide Hours of Operation: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's | Closed |
Park Grounds and Trails: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | Sunrise to Sunset |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's | Closed |
When to go
October draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Harpers Ferry NHP Visitor Center
The Visitor Center is located at the park's main entrance after passing through the entrance station (where you buy your entrance pass). You can park your vehicle here to take the shuttle bus to the historic Lower Town district of the park.
- Lower Town Information Center
The Lower Town Information Center is currently CLOSED. Maps and information are available at the nearby "Place in Time" exhibit, a few doors down the street towards the shuttle bus stop.
Explore
Things to do
- Hike Civil War Skirmish Lines at Harpers Ferry1-8 Hours
Did you know the park has over 20 miles of hiking trails? The trails vary from easy, riverside strolls to four-mile hikes across Civil War battlefields to eight-mile adventures on the tops of mountains.
Opens on the Park Service site - Step Back in Time at Jefferson Rock1-2 Hours
Jefferson Rock is a popular destination in Harpers Ferry. It is situated along the Appalachian Trail between the Lower Town and Camp Hill areas of the park.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit John Brown's Fort
A visit to John Brown's Fort is more than seeing the building where John Brown and several of his followers barricaded themselves in 1859.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Jefferson Rock
Hike along the Appalachian Trail in Harpers Ferry, WV to see the view Thomas Jefferson once described as "one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature."
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Proceed to the Ferry: John Brown's March Commemoration10/1605:00 PM · registration requiredMeet at the Harpers Ferry NHP Visitor Center
- The Story Behind the Scenery10/1711:00 AM · runs through Jan 2 · freeArsenal Square in historic Lower Town, Harpers Ferry
- At All Times Ready10/1711:00 AM · runs through Oct 18 · freeArsenal Square, historic Lower Town, Harpers Ferry
- Leaves and a Good Read10/2411:00 AM · freeVisitor Center at 171 Shoreline Drive, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
- Art in the Park11/0110:00 AM · free
- Veterans Day Ceremony: Soldiers at Harpers Ferry11/1411:00 AM · freeHistoric Storer College Campus (near Stephen T. Mather Training Center)
News
- Harpers Ferry National Historical Park to Mark John Brown’s Raid With October Programs ↗2026-09-17
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park will mark the 167th anniversary of John Brown’s 1859 raid on the U.S. Armory with three public programs in October exploring the people, events and consequences of the raid.
- Harpers Ferry Commemorates Pivotal 1862 Civil War Battle with Special Anniversary Events ↗2026-09-03
Step into the history as Harpers Ferry National Historical Park commemorates the 164th anniversary of the Battle of Harpers Ferry with four days of special programs from September 12–15, 2026.
- Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival Celebrate Two American Musical Icons ↗2026-07-23
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival invite the public to a dynamic, free outdoor concert on Friday, August 7, at 7:00 p.m., celebrating two iconic forces in American music.
- Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Invites Visitors to Discover a Crossroads That Changed the Civil War ↗2026-06-15
On Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the park will host “Harpers Ferry’s Impact on the Civil War,” a special day that connects visitors to the people and events that shaped the outcome of the Civil War and the…
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Local history books for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBald Eagle 18× · Red Fox 3× · Peregrine Falcon 1× · Eastern Screech-Owl 1× · Barred Owl 1× · Bobcat 1× · Eastern Fox Squirrel 1× · Osprey 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 106 birds, 27 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsBald Eagle · Black Vulture · Broad-winged Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Golden Eagle · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Black Duck · American Coot · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Common Goldeneye · Common Merganser · Common Teal · Double-crested Cormorant · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Green Heron · Wood Duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsEuropean Herring Gull · Killdeer · Laughing Gull · Ring-billed Gull · Spotted Sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesCommon Pigeon · Mourning Dove · Northern Bobwhite · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian Flycatcher · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Redstart · American Robin · Baltimore Oriole · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Black-and-white Warbler · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-headed Vireo · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Canvasback · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Common Grackle · Common Starling · Common Yellowthroat · Dark-eyed Junco · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Towhee · Eastern Wood Pewee · Field Sparrow · Fish Crow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Great Crested Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Mallard · Northern Cardinal · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Orchard Oriole · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Finch · Purple Martin · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Savannah Sparrow · Scarlet Tanager · Song Sparrow · Tree Swallow · Warbling Vireo · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-throated Vireo · common goldfinch
Small mammalsAllegheny Woodrat · Common Muskrat · Eastern Chipmunk · Eastern Cottontail · Eastern Gray Squirrel · Eastern Mole · House Mouse · Pine Vole · Southeastern Shrew · Southern Flying Squirrel · Southern Red-backed Vole · White-footed Deermouse · bee shrew · mole shrew · smokey shrew
PredatorsCommon Gray Fox · Cross Fox · Long-tailed Weasel · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Eastern Pipistrelle · Eastern Red Bat · Hoary Bat · Little Brown Bat · Northern Bat
Also on the checklistCommon Opossum
Activities
Activity guides for this park Hiking in the national parks
Weather & climate
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.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Harpers Ferry?
Entrance is $20 per private vehicle, $15 per motorcycle, and $10 per person on foot or bike. For a single, private vehicle.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Harpers Ferry?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Harpers Ferry-only annual pass is $35.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Harpers Ferry takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Harpers Ferry free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Harpers Ferry?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Harpers Ferry. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Harpers Ferry?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Harpers Ferry right now?
2 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Bridge to Maryland Heights & C&O Canal CLOSED; Ongoing work on Lower Town buildings.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Harpers Ferry?
537,876 recreation visits in 2025, number 109 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Harpers Ferry?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Harpers Ferry?
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.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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