Snavely Ford Trail at Burnside Bridge
Then and Now
Directions:From DC: Go north on I-270 to Frederick area. Bear right onto I-70 West. Take Alt. 40 West towards Middletown-Braddock Heights-Boonsboro. Stay on Alt. 40 West about 14 miles. In Boonsboro, turn left at the light onto Rt. 34 towards Sharpsburg. Go about 5 1/2 miles and turn left onto one way Park Service road that's part of Antietam Battlefield. This turn is .6 miles after you cross Antietam Creek. (You will also have crossed Little Antietam Creek after passing the Keedysville area. If you miss turn, another .6 miles will put you in Sharpsburg.) Stay on this park road until road comes to a T. A sign there points left to Burnside Bridge and right to Harpers Ferry Rd. Turn left and continue to end when there is parking for Burnside Bridge at the top of the hill. Park here.
From Shepherdstown: Cross Rumsey Bridge and go through Sharpsburg. Once you pass the gas-station and Rt. 65 turn that would take you to Hagerstown, continue on Rt. 34 for about .6 mile. (You will pass the Antietam Cemetery at the top of the hill leaving Sharpsburg.) Turn right onto one way Park Service road that's part of Antietam Battlefield. Stay on this park road until stop sign. Turn left and continue to end when there is parking for Burnside Bridge at the top of the hill. Park here.
The trail is a circuit about 2 miles long. To get to trail, go down the hill to Burnside Bridge. Trail follows Antietam Creek to the right (downstream).
This area is included in the book Finding Wildflowers in the Washington-Baltimore Area, page 144.
An alternate circuit walk can be taken from the same parking lot. Rather than going toward Burnside Bridge, go in the opposite direction, entering a large field near where the bus parking spaces are. Go straight ahead, following the mowed track. Continue in a counter-clockwise direction, and after about a mile and a half you will end up back at the parking area. This takes you through some newly acquired parklands.
Another nice walk can be had by parking at the entry to the park road, the same one you take to get to the Burnside Bridge parking area. There is room for a couple of cars right there near Rt. 34. Look for the sign for the Sherrick Farm Trail on the left. Follow this trail as it parallels the highway, and then veers away to parallel Antietam Creek. If you continue on the trail, you'll eventually reach Burnside Bridge. Map of Trail
A Birdlist for Antietam Battlefield
An "in progress" list of Snavely Plants
Joe Metzger's List of plants - from fairly early spring, 1999 - snavelytrail.wks - This is a Microsoft Works 2.0 file. It can be opened using Excel.
More pictures....And more.....B/W photos.... Some history.... Some more history
Created on ... March 22, 2001 http://www.potomacaudubon.org/snavely.html