As you plan your student group trip to Gettysburg, you may want to spend a day exploring Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Students of all ages will enjoy both the entertainment and educational activities available. There are a variety of tours and living history programs. This park played a vital role in the prelude to freedom. You can visit museums, take a hike, or walk the streets of this quaint historic community. There are several guided tour options offered for the student group to experience. There ranger-led programs and demonstrations and John Brown tours offered during the year. These tours are both fun and educational with reenactments of various events that happened in the war. The park has over 20 miles of hiking trails for your students to explore. You can choose to take an easy stroll on the river or take a four-mile hike across the Civil War battlefields. One of the options is the Murphy Chambers Farm Trail. The walk is easy to moderate and is one to three miles round trip. During the walk, the group will have the opportunity to take in the spectacular views of the Shenandoah River and the surrounding mountains. You will also see Civil War cannons, earthworks, and the footprint of the John Brown Fort. Another trail is the Camp Hill – Virginius Island – Halls Island Trail. The students will see Jefferson Rock, Harper Cemetery, and the former Storer College Campus. There are also many breathtaking views of the mountains. The walk is a two to three mile hike and takes about two hours.