E-biking to Historic Harper's Ferry Via the Secret Back Entrance E-bike Lovers

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38267369

This is a new route that traverses the pastoral farmlands in West Virginia near Harper's Ferry. You will enter historic Harper's Ferry via a gravel section of Potomac Street that most folks don't even know about.

The trail routes and GPS files are available here:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38267369 (31 mi, 1800 ft elevation gain)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38284067 (27 mi, 1700 ft elevation gain).

Free RideWithGPS with E-Bike Lovers
Membership of the RideWithGPS E-bike Lovers club is now for free as www.ebikelovers.com is generating sufficient income from ads to cover the costs.

Here is the link to activate your free membership:
https://ridewithgps.com/auto_approve/Club/6746/Zwa5jhttF5mJrFbN
For the E-bike Lovers group to be successful, we need to grow our membership carefully. Please feel free to invite other E-bike lovers, spread the word, and let's have fun.

REMEMBER: This is a self-guided event. Remember that this event empowers each participant to take the lead, as there are no designated bike leaders within E-bike Lovers. We all embrace the role of leaders in this self-guided experience.

The 'secret' section of old Potomac Street has been closed off to vehicular traffic for a long time, but hiking and biking are permitted. This is a course gravel road that will be challenging for super skinny road bike tires, but would be possible if you take your time. There are various rock formations along the way, as well as the remnants of an old canal. You can even explore the crumbling remains of the old Potomac hydroelectric power plant.

There are various places to grab a hot bite or drink in Harper's Ferry, and climate controlled public restrooms are also available. The view of the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers (aka The Point) is spectacular!

The trail is on asphalt roads except for the roughly one mile of old Potomac Street as mentioned above. Generally, this ride is very 'flowy', in that you will go up and down lots of small hills... perfect terrain for an E-bike!

The two listed routes are the same, except that the shorter route bypasses a jaunt down to the Potomac River, and as such it avoids the steepest downhill and uphill sections of the ride. There is no fee to enter Harper's Ferry National Historic Park, since we will be arriving on bike.

We'll cross the Appalachian Trail in Harper's Ferry, which is interesting because the AT is only in West Virginia for a few miles. The AT follows a hand hewn staircase carved into the rock on the side of a hill, and there's a great view at the top. Someone in the group will be happy to watch your E-bike, should you be inclined to hike up the staircase and take in the expansive view.

More on the abandoned hydroelectric plant:
The Potomac Power Plant was an innovative small hydroelectric facility that operated from 1899 to 1991, originally as part of a wood pulp mill (built 1888), and solely as a power house after a fire in 1925. Significant extant equipment/machinery in the plant includes a c.1905 Dayton Globe water turbine, and a 1925 Woodward water turbine governor. The building is also symbolic of industry in Harpers Ferry, as it occupies the site (and possibly the partial foundations) of Harpers Ferry Armory buildings dating to 1834 and 1853, and contains reused structural materials from various Armory buildings as well as from the 1848 Harpers Ferry cotton mill (later a flour mill).

Additional Reading:

• NPS Harper's Ferry: https://www.nps.gov/hafe/index.htm
• Potomac Hydroelectric Plant: https://www.nps.gov/hafe/learn/historyculture/top-10-ruins.htm
• Interesting Revolutionary and Civil War history of Morgan's Grove Park: https://shepherdstowncc.org/our-rental-spaces/morgans-grove-park/

A NOTE ABOUT RIDING ON GRAVEL ROADS:
If you are riding a new bike, are new to biking generally, or have little experience on gravel roads, you should plan on taking your time. Please understand that gravel roads must be respected and navigated with an extra level of care, or you can seriously injure yourself. The key is to just take your time. We are never in a hurry, and you should go at a pace you are comfortable with.

DISCLAIMER
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW, NEITHER GREGORY MAASSEN, NATHAN MERRIS, TRIP COORDINATORS, THEIR AFFILIATES, FAMILY AND FORMER AND CURRENT EMPLOYERS NOR ANY OTHER PARTY INVOLVED IN CREATING, PRODUCING, OR DELIVERING E-BIKE LOVERS GUIDES, OUR MEETUP EVENTS, AND THE GPS E-TRAILS IS LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF A USER’S ACCESS TO, OR USE OF THE E-BIKE LOVERS GUIDES, OUR MEETUP EVENTS, AND THE GPS E-TRAILS.

See for the full disclaimer: https://ebikelovers.com/disclaimer