Established by Act of Congress on August 30, 1890, this Civil War site marks the end of General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North in September 1862. The battle claimed more than 23,000 men killed, wounded, and missing in one single day, September 17,1862, and led to Lincoln's issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is a 2,158-mile (3,480.6 km) foot path along the ridge crests and across the major valleys of the Appalachian Mountains from Katahdin in the central Maine wilderness to Springer Mountain in a designated wilderness area in north Georgia.

Three agencies administer Assateague, a windswept barrier island that offers many opportunities for seashore recreation and nature study. Ocean swimming, camping, bayside canoeing, crabbing, clamming, hunting, surf-fishing and off-road vehicle use are all popular.

Assateague is where Wild Ponies travel the beach near Ocean City and Chincoteague and a family vacation spot for the wild pony swim, bird watching, fishing, camping, and other outdoor recreation at the National Park and Wildlife Refuge.

In the 1930's, after years of making charcoal to fuel an iron furnace, mountain farming, and harvesting of trees for timber, land was purchased to be transformed into a productive recreation area; helping to put people back to work during the great depression.

The C&O Canal follows the route of the Potomac River for 184.5 miles from Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, MD. The canal operated from 1828-1924 as a transportation route, primarily hauling coal from western Maryland to the port of Georgetown in Washington, D.C.

The National Park Service invites you to travel back to the 1870s on a mule-drawn canal boat journey into history. Hear the stories of those who lived and worked along the C&O Canal. Follow in the footsteps of the mules who made the canal work. Ride through a 19th century lift lock. One-hour round-trip excursions are available in Georgetown and at Great Falls, MD.

Please call ahead to ensure ticket availability and boat schedule. The boat and visitor center are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Visitor center hours: 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Clara Barton National Historic Site commemorates the life of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. The house in Glen Echo served as her home, headquarters for the American Red Cross and a warehouse for disaster relief supplies.

This late 18th century star-shaped fort is world famous as the birthplace of the American national anthem. The guardian of Baltimore's harbor, it was the valiant defense of Fort McHenry by American forces during a British attack on September 13-14, 1814, that inspired 35 year old, poet-lawyer, Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner."

In December 1809, Fort Warburton was completed. It guarded the entrance to the Capital City until August 27, 1814, when it was destroyed by its own garrison. In order to prevent the capture of equipment and munitions that could have been used against the American forces.

The park is run by the National Park Service and is located a couple of miles NW of Washington DC on the banks of the Potomac. This website attempts to capture and present some of the fun and magic of the park as well as being an up-to-date source of information on the many activitiesthat take place.
Tel: 301.492-6282

Located just 12 miles from Washington, D.C., this woodland park offers urban dwellers access to many forms of outdoor recreation, including camping all year.

Hampton Hall was one of the largest and most ornate Georgian mansions built in America during the later part of the 18th century. Hampton National Historic Site preserves a significant remainder of a 24,000+ acre agricultural , industrial and commercial "empire" begun in 1745, and maintained at least in part, by the Ridgely family for more than 200 years. Focal point of the site is the 33 room mansion, built between 1783 and 1790.

Known as the Battle That Saved Washington, the battle of Monocacy on July 9, 1864 between 18,000 Confederate forces under General Jubal Early, and 5,800 Union forces under General Lew Wallace, marked the last campaign of the Confederacy to carry the war into the north.

The tranquil view from Mount Vernon of the Maryland shore of the Potomac is preserved as a pilot project in the use of easements to protect parklands from obtrusive urban expansion. The project began in 1952 to preserve the river view as in was during George Washington's day. Piscataway Park stretches for 6 miles from Piscataway Creek to Marshall Hall on the Potomac River.

The idea behind this trail is to connect the tidewater regions along the Potomac River to the Laurel highlands of Pennsylvania. Areas currently open to the public are the C&O Canal towpath and the Mount Vernon Trail. The trail is also a unit of the National Trails System.

The plantation of Haberdeventure was the home of Thomas Stone, one of Maryland's four signers of the Declaration of Independence.