Tag: national-park

The Railroad and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Many people have heard of the small scenic town of Harpers Ferry in the U.S. state of West Virginia.  Originally established as an independent town where the Shenandoah River flows into the Potomac River, it is today a suburb of Washington D.C. at the easternmost point meeting with the U.S. states of Virginia on the south side of the Potomac River and Maryland on the north side.  It is a town full of history with old structures like John Brown’s Fort.  The town is also surrounded by mountains to include Maryland Heights that holds the ruins of an old fort and where you get great views of the town and the rivers.

As you walk around the historic town and hike the trails, there is one thing you notice.  What do you notice?

You cannot visit the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park without noticing the railroad.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad first came to the town in 1833 and was the site of the first railroad junction in the United States of America as the Winchester and Potomac Railroad ran from Harpers Ferry to the town of Charles Town.  Through the years, the trains have been rerouted through the town.  A section of the original track route is near the old train station.

Today, many railroad fans come to see Chessie Seaboard Transportation Trains (CSX) and Amtrak pass through the famous Harpers Ferry Tunnel on the Maryland side of the Potomac River.  The old train station that was built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad remains an active train station today serving Amtrak passengers.

Wherever you go in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, the sounds of the railroad sounds loud as ever.  With every passing train, it awakens the history of this historic town.

Hawks Nest State Park, Ansted, West Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Some of you may have heard of a place called Hawks Nest State Park in the U.S. state of West Virginia.  What is Hawks Nest State Park?

Some of you are saying, “Well, it is a nest that was created by a hawk, and the great people of West Virginia made a state park out of it.”

How the park got the name is unknown at this point, and there may be a hawks nest here, but when you come here, you get a hawk’s view into the New River Gorge.  You stand at the overlook and lookout over the gorge and see an amazing view.  A visit to Hawks Nest State Park is a place you will want to see again and again.

Some of you are saying, “That is nice.  I have heard great things about the state of West Virginia, and I am aware of the natural beauty of this state.  I am pretty sure that there is a lot of beauty here, but because this park has no railroad, I will not be making my nest here.”

Why visit Hawks Nest State Park?

As you arrive and walk to the overlook and look down into the New River Gorge, you see the great gorge with the New River flowing through the bottom.  You see a dam of which, sadly, was a site of the worst industrial disaster in the state’s history during the construction of a water tunnel.  As you look into the New River Gorge, you see a railroad line.  The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway built the railroad through the gorge to mainly transport coal from the coal mines to the ports of Norfolk in the U.S. state of Virginia, but that is not that main reason for visiting the park.  The main thing you will see has been the number one view in the park.  As you look into the gorge, the number one view is the view of the railroad bridge crossing the New River.  Originally built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and now owned by the Chessie Seaboard Transportation Company (commonly known as CSX), it is still in use today.

Now you have a reason to visit Hawks Next State Park.  When you come here, you may have a problem leaving.

Hawks Nest State Park is located in Ansted, West Virginia on U.S. Route 60 ten miles west of U.S. Route 19 and the World Famous New River Gorge Bridge and the New River Gorge National Park.  The overlook is open from sunrise to sunset, and it is completely wheelchair accessible.

Hawks Nest State Park in Ansted, West Virginia is a great park to visit.  You may not see any hawks or hawk’s nest, but you will get a great view of the New River Gorge and a railroad bridge crossing the New River in the gorge below.