ROAD SORTIES Scenic Roads

Historic National Road - Maryland

Exhibits at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick
Exhibits at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in FrederickPhoto: Tourism Council of Frederick County / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain

Historic National Road - Maryland is an All-American Road in Maryland. Within Maryland it covers roughly 180 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Historic National Road - Maryland with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.

US-40 follows the National Road across western Maryland, the first federally funded highway, begun at Cumberland in 1811 to open the way west over the Appalachians. The route climbs through the dramatic gap of the Cumberland Narrows, past the LaVale Toll House and the graceful stone Casselman River Bridge, once the largest stone arch in the country. Mountain scenery and early road history fill the drive.

Designated for its historic and cultural qualities

Plan a drive on Historic National Road - Maryland → Drive this route in Road SortiesTurn-by-turn on iPhone · App Store

Places to stop along Historic National Road - Maryland

  1. B&O Railroad Museum

    The birthplace of American railroading, with a vast roundhouse of historic locomotives at the old Mount Clare shops.

    Website

  2. National Museum of Civil War Medicine

    A Frederick museum on the doctors, nurses, and patients of the Civil War and the medical advances it forced.

    Website

  3. Washington Monument State Park

    A stone tower on South Mountain built by Boonsboro residents in 1827, the first completed monument to George Washington.

  4. Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

    Excursion trains climbing about 1,300 feet from Cumberland to Frostburg through the Alleghenies, some pulled by steam.

    Website

  5. Casselman River Bridge State Park

    An 1813 stone arch bridge built for the National Road near Grantsville, then the longest single-span stone arch in the country.

  6. Spruce Forest Artisan Village

    Log cabins and studios beside the old bridge where Appalachian artisans work, with an old gristmill nearby.

    Website

Where to Stay along Historic National Road - Maryland

9 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Historic National Road - Maryland.

Grantsville, MDSleepy Hollow CampgroundBook a site →MDMill Run Recreation AreaCheck availability →Williamsport, MDFifteen Mile Creek CampsiteCheck availability →Hancock, MDWhite Rock Hiker-Biker CampsiteVisit site →Hagerstown, MDEvitts Creek Hiker-Biker CampsiteVisit site →Hancock, MDLeopards Mill Hiker-Biker Overnight (HBO) CampsiteVisit site →Little Orleans, MDDevils Alley Hiker-Biker CampsiteVisit site →Woodmont, MDCacapon Junction Hiker-Biker Overnight (HBO) CampsiteVisit site →Hotels & motelsNear Cumberland, MDSearch stays →Renting an RV?Near Cumberland, MDSee RV rentals →Harvest Hosts20% offPark free overnight at farms and wineriesSee membership →

Campsite, lodging, RV rental and membership links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.

What is an All-American Road?

All-American Roads are the top tier of America's National Scenic Byways. To earn the title a road has to be a destination in its own right — offering features so exceptional, across several intrinsic qualities (scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational), that they can't be found anywhere else.

← All scenic roads in Maryland