The TransAm Eastern Express - Westbound

Map Set #02 – Harpers Ferry WV to Hancock, MD 59.0 Miles / Cumulative Climbing: 1,185’

© Frank Moritz – Updated 6/12/2017 Maps & Profiles © Ride with GPS

CYCLING NARRATIVE:

Departing from Harper’s Ferry, walk or ride back across the Appalachian Trail foot bridge and return to the towpath of the C&O Canal on the Maryland shore

0.0 Resume riding west on the C&O towpath

2.2 Huckleberry Hill Campsite (water, toilet)

8.8 Towpath crosses Antietam Creek

BEGIN THE ANTIETAM SIDE-TRIP

9.0 T/R off of the towpath, cross the canal &

T/R onto Canal Road

9.1 T/L onto Harpers Ferry Road

11.7 Enter the town of Sharpsburg Route becomes Mechanic Street

12.0 T/R onto Chapline Street

12.1 T/L onto SR 65/Sharpsburg Pike

PART #1 HARPER’S FERRY TO

BIG SLACKWATER

ANTIETAM BATTLEFIELD

VISITOR CENTER

BIG SLACKWATER

NARRATIVE (cont.):

12.1 Continue on SR 65

13.0 T/R onto Dunker Church Road, then … T/R into Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center (Nat’l. Park Service)

13.2 T/R back onto Dunker Church Road as you leave the visitor center

14.2 T/L and ride straight across SR 65 onto Mondell Road

14.8 B/R at stop sign, onto Bowie Road

15.5 Continue straight at stop sign, as route becomes Taylor’s Landing Road, then …

T/L across a low bridge and T/R back onto the towpath heading west

RESUME RIDING ON THE TOWPATH

17.1 Big Woods Campground (water, toilet)

20.0 Big Slackwater trailhead and boat ramp

SHARPSBURG

TAYLOR’S LANDING

HARPER’S FERRY

ANTIETAM SIDE-TRIP

The online file for this day’s ride is at: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18380859

Harpers Ferry, WV – Hancock, MD (cont.)

PART #2 BIG SLACKWATER TO

FOUR LOCKS, MD

NARRATIVE (cont.):

20.0 Continue west on the towpath

22.7 McMahon’s Mill on the right

25.8 Opequon Jct. Campground (toilet, water)

33.2 Towpath crosses under I-81 Enter the town of Williamsport

34.4 Towpath crosses Conococheague Creek (National Park Service C&O Canal Visitor Center is here)

43.5 Four Locks Ranger Station

This series of locks allows the canal to take a shortcut across Prather’s Neck, rather than following a 4-mile bend in the Potomac river.

I-81

FOUR LOCKS

TAYLOR’S LANDING

WILLIAMSPORT

BIG SLACKWATER

PRATHER’S NECK

Harpers Ferry, WV – Hancock, MD (cont.)

PART #3 FOUR LOCKS TO HANCOCK, MD

NARRATIVE (cont.):

43.5 Continue west on the towpath

47.1 Fort Frederick State Park entrance (campground nearby)

49.4 T/R off of the towpath, then continue north on Ernstville Road, and …

49.5 T/L onto the paved Western Maryland Rail-Trail, which parallels the towpath for the next 18 miles

51.1 Trail crosses Licking Creek (campground)

57.3 Blue Goose Fruit Market & Bakery is on the north side of the trail

57.8 Trail Crosses Tonoloway Creek

59.0 Town of Hancock (jct. of the trail with Canal Street)

HANCOCK

RIDE ONTO WESTERN MARYLAND RAIL-TRAIL

FOUR LOCKS

FORT FREDERICK STATE PARK

Harpers Ferry, WV – Hancock, MD (cont.)

SERVICE DIRECTORY FOR MAP SET #02

12.0 SHARPSBURG, MD –

Battleview Market, Restaurant and Deli (301-432- 2676), 5331 Sharpsburg Pike/SR 65, on the route. Burkholder's Baked Goods (301-432-2292), 106 High Street. Nutter’s Ice Cream (301- 432-5809), 100 E. Main Street. The Inn at Antietam (301-432-6601), 220 E. Main Street. The Historic Jacob Rohrbach Inn (301-432-5079), 138 W. Main Street.

34.0 WILLIAMSPORT, MD –

C&O Canal Williamsport Visitor Center (301-582-0813), right on the canal. (toilets, water). Desert Rose Café (301-223-6400), 42 N. Conococheague Street. Tony’s Pizza (301-22306266), 10 E. Salisbury Street. Sheetz Convenience Store (301-223-6582), 38 E. Potomac Street. Several fast food options 1 mile off-route on Potomac Street at the I-81 exit. Red Roof Inn (301-582-3500), 310 E. Potomac Street, at the I-81 Exit. Candle Light Inn (301-223-7376 / 240-217-7376), 14 N. Conococheague Street.

47.0 FORT FREDERICK STATE PARK, MD –

MD Dept. of Natural Resources (301-842-2155), 11100 Fort Frederick Rd, Big Pool, MD. Museum and visitor center, campground, no showers. 29 unimproved sites w/ picnic tables.

59.0 HANCOCK, MD –

C&O Bicycle --and bunkhouse (301-678-6665), 9 South Pennsylvania Avenue. Happy Hills Campground (301-678-7760), 12617 Seavolt Road. Full-service campground with

swimming pool, showers, laundry. 6 miles west of Hancock, via the Western Maryland Rail-Trail. Weaver’s Restaurant & Bakery (301-678-6346), 77 West Main Street. Blue Goose Fruit Market & Bakery (301-678-5050), 557 East Main Street Park n’ Dine (301-678-5242), 189 East Main Street. Potomac River Grill (301-678-6100), 4 Blue Hill. 1828 Trail Inn (301-678-7227), 10 West Main Street. Riverrun B&B (301-678-6150), 7 Taney Street. America’s Best Value Inn (301-678-6108), 2 Blue Hill. Super 8 Motel (301-678-6101), 118 Limestone Road.

Library Internet & Wi-Fi Hot Spot Info War Memorial Library 220 Park Road, Hancock, MD 301-678-5300 11:00am-7:00pm Tues. - Fri. 11:00am-3:00pm Sat. Closed Mon. & Sun.

US Post Office – Hancock, MD 210 N. Penn. Avenue 21750 301-678-6116 Week Days 08:30AM – 4:30PM Saturday 08:30AM – Noon

Frederick Memorial Hospital 240-566-3300 400 West Seventh Street Frederick, Maryland 21701 (20 miles NE of Harper’s Ferry) War Memorial Hospital 304-258-1234 1 Healthy Way Berkeley Springs, WV (6 miles south of Hancock)