Elk Ridge

Elk Ridge, or Elk Mountain, is the westernmost ridge of Maryland’s Blue Ridge, stretching south from Rohrersville to the Potomac opposite Harpers Ferry, where its southern end is known as Maryland Heights. In the early 19th century, the ridge also supported an iron industry, with more than 50 charcoal hearths built between 1810 and 1840. During the Civil War, Maryland Heights became a key military position: Union troops fortified it in 1862, Confederate forces under General Lafayette McLaws captured it at Harpers Ferry and used it to bombard the Union garrison, and Union forces later reoccupied and strengthened it during the Gettysburg campaign. Today it is valued for both scenery and history.

Maryland · United States