5 historic trails link multiple sites in the region, and 3 scenic trails are park units. Here’s a quick summary in case you are interested in exploring the trails in the region.

Historic trails

• Captain John Smith Chesapeake follows the voyage of the fascinating British colonial explorer.
• Lewis & Clark
  • Jefferson planned for the trip and trained Lewis at his library at Monticello in Virginia.
  • Lewis acquired Seaman in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and embarked down the Ohio River.
  • Lewis acquired guns at Harpers Ferry and later paddled past Wheeling West Virginia.
• Overmountain Victory tells how the Piedmont Patriots and others turned the war.
• Star-Spangled Banner see sights and learn the history of the War of 1812.
• Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route retrace the historic steps toward Yorktown.

Scenic trails

• Appalachian
  • In Virginia, the trail runs along the Blue Ridge Parkway and through Shenandoah NP.
  • The HQ is in Harpers Ferry West Virginia where it crosses the Potomac above.
  • In Maryland, the trail cuts north past Catoctin.
  • In Pennsylvania, the trail continues past the Carlisle School to the Delaware Water Gap.
• North Country cuts through the Allegheny National Forest in northwest Pennsylvania.
• Potomac Heritage
  • In Virginia, the trail runs the length of Northern Neck past Washington’s Birthplace, then past Fredericksburg and Prince William Forest, then through Alexandria, past Arlington, along the GW Parkway, up to Great Falls.
  • In Maryland, the trail runs from the Chesapeake Bay along the north side of the Potomac past Thomas Stone, Piscataway, and Fort Washington, loops all the way around DC, runs past Clara Barton, joins the C&O Canal towpath, passes Antietam and runs out to the farthest west corner of the state.
  • In Pennsylvania, the trail runs roughly between Fort Necessity and Allegheny Portage.