Bolivar Heights

At our last stop on the 2019 trip, Harper's Ferry, West Virginia and yet another KOA campground. We have been to both the town of Harpers Ferry and the KOA campground on a prior trip. Apparently we've had a memory lapse, or possibly a senior moment when it came to this campground.

This campground is big. We joined a 1000+ of our closest camper friends spread over 310 campsites. Close is the operative word here. We are stuffed onto a hilly postage stamp size piece of land which makes for close quarters and challenging campsite parking. Add very narrow roads and traversing the campground becomes an olympic sport, especially when driving a sizeable RV. This type of campground attracts the locals, looking to have all the amenities at their doorstep and to be entertained accordingly. The fact that the Harper's Ferry KOA is corporate owned and not a family operation probably puts profits as the operational priority, rather than a healthy camping experience.

But all is not lost! After all, we are in a famous town, Harpers Ferry. History abounds. Harpers Ferry National Park is literally right next door to our campground. The Park commemorates the historical significance of Harpers Ferry. The events of 1859 can be viewed as a precursor to the Civil War. The 1859 town was a bustling industrial center with a population of 3,000. The confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers here along with rail and canal access gave the town an important geographic position. The US Army maintained an armory here that was the attraction for the abolitionist John Brown. He wanted to arm a slave uprising and raided the armory. Unfortunately, he got trapped in the armory by US troops commanded by Robert E. Lee ( yes, that Lee). Brown surrendered, was tried, convicted, and hung for his abolishionist activism.

Today the town enjoys a more gentle atmosphere. With a much smaller population today of only 300, Harpers Ferry provides the tourist and history buff an inviting setting to enjoy.Read more