Visual Resources Inventory Report: Harpers Ferry National Historical Park—Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (2020)
Meyer ME and Joseph M. 2026. Visual Resources Inventory Report: Harpers Ferry National Historical Park—Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (2020). Science Report. NPS/SR—2026/513. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/2320207
Each unit of the National Park System has special visual characteristics that are often a central component to the unit’s management and visitor experience. Harpers Ferry and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Parks offer visitors a visual experience that is reminiscent of the historical period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The scenery is an important way to understand the connection between the natural and historical resources. Visualizing this connection is a critical part of the visitor experience. The two parks initiated a visual resource inventory that focused on the vicinity of the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers to support a study for improving pedestrian access to the Byron Bridge across the Potomac River. The inventory was completed using methodology developed by NPS for assessing and protecting visual resources. The inventory system consists of both fieldwork associated with view description and scenic quality ratings, and an office-based process for assigning importance values to the views. The parks selected 13 views for the initial visual resource inventory to inform the design and development of the planned structure at the bridge. The results of the inventory indicate that all but two views had a “Very High” scenic inventory value.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Meyer, Mark; Joseph, Maureen
- Date of Issue
- 2026-10
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- DOI
- 10.36967/2320207
- Units
- CHOH , HAFE , NRSS
- Keywords
- Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, scenery, scenic inventory, scenic resources, viewsheds, Visual resources, visual resources inventory