The mid-Atlantic’s best day hikes on the AT! If you’re looking for fun and adventure on the Appalachian Trail, look no further. You hold in your hands an exciting guide to 43 trails in West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. They have been tested and approved for families with young kids, veteran hikers, and everyone in between. There are mellow hikes, steep hikes, and hikes through forests. Visit well-known sites, such as Harpers Ferry, the Delaware Water Gap, Bear Mountain State Park, and the Hudson Highlands. Along the way, experience abundant overlooks, Civil War memorials, state parks, waterfalls, and more! Matt Willen provides detailed information on the best day hikes along this 450-mile stretch of trail. Many of the hikes make use of the AT’s vast network of side trails to create loop- and balloon-configuration trips, as well as out-and-back excursions. Each profile includes GPS-based trailhead coordinates, trail maps, and elevation profiles, as well as pertinent information on the natural history of the hike and recommendations for other activities in the area. Ratings for scenery, trail condition, accessibility for children, difficulty, and solitude ensure that you choose the right trails for your specific needs and interests. This carefully curated collection of short segments offers a new approach to enjoying the granddaddy of America’s trails! Matt Willen is a writer, explorer, and photographer. He spends much of his time exploring little-known and remote places around the globe, most recently in areas above 50°N and below 50°S latitude. Matt is also the author of 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Harrisburg and Best Tent Camping: Pennsylvania (both published by Menasha Ridge Press). He divides his time seasonally between Pennsylvania, where he can often be found trekking and skiing around the woods, and Nova Scotia, where he spends much of his time exploring the Atlantic coast by sea kayak. When he isn’t out in the field, he enjoys playing his guitar and mandolin, taking photographs, reading and writing, and cooking interesting dishes. He has two teenage boys, whose company he enjoys most of all. Harpers Ferry SCENERY: ★★★★★ TRAIL CONDITION: ★★★★★ CHILDREN: ★★★★★ DIFFICULTY: ★ SOLITUDE: ★ GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES: N39° 19.523' W77° 44.431' DISTANCE & CONFIGURATION: 2.1-mile loop HIKING TIME: 1 hour to all day HIGHLIGHTS: Historic Harpers Ferry, Jefferson Rock, confluence of Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers ELEVATION: 527' at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy office; 245' at the Potomac River ACCESS: Open 24/7; no fees or permits required. Parking is very limited in Harpers Ferry; the A.T.C. recommends parking on Washington Street downhill from its office. MAPS: National Park Service Harpers Ferry National Historical Park ; town map available at Appalachian Trail Conservancy office in Harpers Ferry; USGS Harpers Ferry FACILITIES: Restrooms, food and drink available at the numerous museums and establishments in town CONTACT: Appalachian Trail Conservancy, 304-535-6331, appalachiantrail.org COMMENTS: This is a great hike for the whole family. Plan on spending a fair amount of time visiting the Lower Town. Overview Beginning at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (A.T.C.) Visitor Center, this hike makes a loop through the historic Lower Town of Harpers Ferry, which encompasses the point of land at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. The whole town is in effect a museum, with many of the buildings containing exhibits. Route Details Harpers Ferry is best known as the site of John Brown’s Raid in 1859. Along with 21 armed men, John Brown led a revolt intended to initiate a rebellion against slavery. The men captured and occupied the federal armory’s fire engine and guard house, now referred to as John Brown’s Fort, near the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Ultimately, they were captured by a group of marines led by Colonel Robert E. Lee, and Brown was hanged. The event, however, was prescient in that it in many respects foretold the Civil War, which began two years later. Begin this hike at the A.T.C. Visitor Center at the corner of Washington Street and Storer College Place in Harpers Ferry. From the visitor center, follow blue blazes southbound along Storer College Place. The road ends at Fillmore Street. Make a left onto Fillmore Street and then a quick right onto the footpath through the Storer College campus. The path is blazed as it passes through the campus. Storer College, a historically black college, began as a school for freed slaves. Now the buildings are used by the National Park Service. The large building on the right as you enter the campus is the Stephen T. Mather Training Center for the National Park Service. Continue across the campus following the blue blazes, down a set of steps, and through a small parking lot, where the path exits from the southwest corner and becomes a dirt track in woods. Just below the p