Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia
Tonight
🌗 46% moon
6.5 h fully dark
Open today
Open
Entrance
Free entry
We cannot mail out at this time
We do not mail Junior Ranger books; please download from site. Completed books may be submitted digitally. Junior Ranger badges may be mailed once per person per calendar year after completion. We do not mail completed books back.
Official NPS alert →The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail is a collection of sites impacted by the War of 1812. These local, historic sites tell the story of the Chesapeake Campaign, culminating in the writing of our National Anthem. In addition to their historic significance, many of the sites along the trail are fantastic places to go for a walk, explore the outdoors, and access local waterways.
Activities
Topics
No entrance fee.
Hours & seasons
The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail is not a clearly marked hiking trail. Instead it is a route that passes through communities, urban areas, and public lands. The route travels across a variety of land ownerships and management, including private land. Each location varies as to the hours of operations and access. Please contact individual trail sites before your visit for more information.
Generally open:
winterspringsummerfallHours are reported by the park — verify before you go.
📞 410.962.4290
✉ Star-Spangled-Trail_info@nps.govConditions
Weather now: ☀️ Clear, 87°F
🌦️ 88°/74°
⛈️ 89°/74°
🌧️ 96°/73°
Log a sky reading
Measured the sky with an SQM meter or app? Add your reading (16 = city glow … 22 = pristine). Opt in under “Travelers like you” to share it on the community leaderboard.
Things to do
Paddle the Sassafras River Water Trail · 22 mi
Multi-Park Loop · 10 mi
Paddle the Baltimore Blueway · 30 mi
Watch an Artillery Demonstration at Fort Washington Park · <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-12"> <div class="Component text-content-size text-content-style"> <p>The cannon is fired on the hour at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. Each demonstration takes about 15 minutes.</p> </div> </div> </div>
Bicycle between Point Lookout and Leonardtown, MD · <p>Depending on length of time at points of interest. An overnight is possible at Brome-Howard Inn near Historic Saint Mary's City. </p>
Explore by bicycle from Westmoreland State Park · <p>Depending on bicycling ability and time spent at various sites. </p>
Paddle the Potomac River
Paddle the Patuxent River Water Trail
Visitor centers
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
Accessibility
25 audio-described place(s)
Reported by the park — verify before you go.
Not an official safety source — always defer to NPS.gov and rangers for life-safety decisions.
By the numbers
A visual read on Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail — its character, trails, sky, and weather.
Park fingerprint
How this park scores across the dimensions travelers care about.
Trail difficulty
Difficulty mix across this park's trails.
3-day forecast
Daily high and low temperatures (°F).
People & stories
Figures tied to Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail — each spans a cross-park journey.
Charles Ball
— War Of 1812, Americans, African AmericansEzekiel Loney
— Colonial Marines, Trinidad, MerikansFrancis Scott Key
— National Anthem, Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, Star Spangled BannerFrisby Harris
— Slavery, War Of 1812, MilitaryFrom Fugitives to Sergeants
— Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, Colonial Marines, TrinidadGabriel Hall
— Slavery, War Of 1812, Fort Mc Henry National Monument And Historic ShrineGeorge Cockburn
— War Of 1812, British Subjects, OfficersGeorge Roberts
— War Of 1812, Americans, African AmericansPassport stamps
Mark the stamps you've collected — they show in your memory and along your routes.
🎫 Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
🎫 Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
🎫 Havre de Grace Visitor Center
🎫 Historic St. Mary's City
🎫 Point Lookout State Park
🎫 Sandy Point State Park
🎫 The Thomas Stone House
Places to see
Baltimore Inner Harbor
Baltimore National Heritage Area
Baltimore Visitor Center
audio
Battle Creek Cypress Swamp
Beach to Bay Heritage Area
audio
Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument
audio
Bladensburg Waterfront Park
audio
Calvert Marine Museum
audio
Commodore Stephen Decatur House
audio
Concord Point Lighthouse
audio
Fells Point
audio
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
audioAudio & media
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🎬
🖼
Learn more
The British 1814 failure to capture Baltimore Harbor helped change the course of the War of 1812 and inspired the American national anthem.
Americans living on the Chesapeake Bay paid a steep price for the War of 1812.
Interview with retired park ranger and volunteer Paul Plamann.
Sailor Jerry is a volunteer that has passionately been serving at Fort McHenry since 2003. Learn more about his story
Interns are vital to the mission of the National Park Service by helping protect the landscapes, stories, and communities that shape our shared past and future.
Volunteer Charles and maintenance team member Bud work together each week to keep the parks’ engines humming, to ensure the historic landscapes are beautiful and inviting to visitors, and habitats preserved for the animals that call its meadows and trees home.
As a participant in the National Park Service (NPS) Climate Friendly Parks (CFP) program, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (FOMC), Hampton National Historic Site (HAMP), and Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail (STSP) belong to a network of parks nationwide that are putting climate friendly behavior at the forefront of park operations and resource management. This is the Baltimore Area Climate Action Plan (CAP).
At Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine and Hampton National Historic Site, trees that fall or need to be cut down are milled for use in a variety of ways. From floorboards to firewood, the possibilities are endless and the maintenance crew makes sure nothing goes to waste. It’s sustainability meets creativity, and the results are pretty amazing!
Ranger School
Park-grounded courses you can learn with the Ranger.
Cast Your Vote! Americans and the War of 1812
Open →
Defending the Chesapeake Region!
Open →
Live from 1812!
Open →
Saving History: The White House, Dolley Madison and the War of 1812
Open →
What Caused the War of 1812? Modified Lesson Plan for Students with Special Needs
Open →
How Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail connects
This park's activities, topics, location, and on-the-ground places — one hop in the graph. Drag to explore; click an activity, topic, or related park to follow it.
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Activity
Topic
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VisitorCenter
PassportStamp
ThingToDo
Alert
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