News Release
You are viewing ARCHIVED content published online before January 20, 2025.
Please note that this content is NOT UPDATED, and links may not work. For current information,
visit https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/index.htm.
Subscribe
 |
What is RSS
|
Contact: Autumn Cook, 304-702-5684
Trail will be open on weekends only until work is complete
HARPERS FERRY, W.Va – Starting Monday, Sept. 9, 2019, the Maryland Heights Trail in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park will be closed on weekdays for the removal of diseased trees, which have the potential to become hazardous. Tree work will occur Monday through Friday until Oct. 11. The trail will be open on weekends, but the small parking area near the trailhead will be closed daily until work is complete. The Maryland Heights Trail is always closed from sunset to sunrise.
The trees to be removed are mostly ash and oak species. The ash trees have been infected with emerald ash borer beetles, invasive insects that kill ash trees within two to three years of infestation. The oak trees have been damaged by gypsy moth caterpillars.*
During this closure, visitors are encouraged to explore other trails in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The Loudoun Heights Trail is similar in intensity and offers views of Lower Town from the mountain opposite Maryland Heights. The Murphy-Chambers Farm Trail features fields, wooded ravines and views of the Shenandoah River.
For information about planning a visit to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, call 304-535-6298 or visit www.nps.gov/hafe.
*Correction, 9/19/19: An earlier version of this release stated oak trees were damaged by sudden oak death. Sudden oak death is not the cause.
-NPS-
About Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is one of more than 400 national parks cared for by the National Park Service. The 3,500 acre park preserves, protects, and interprets the nationally significant history of Harpers Ferry which includes the topics of natural heritage, industry, transportation, John Brown’s Raid, the Civil War, and African American history. Located in West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland, the park features over 20 miles of hiking trails. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/hafe.
Last updated: September 19, 2019