Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
For three years the young United States was embroiled in the War of 1812 and the Chesapeake Bay region felt the brunt of it, choked by shipping blockades and ravaged by enemy raids. Through sites and landscapes in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland, the Trail tells the stories of the events, people, and places that led to the birth of the U.S. national anthem.
The Trail's headquarters is at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. The park is three miles southeast of the Baltimore Inner Harbor and just off I-95. Follow the brown Fort McHenry directional signs along all major routes to the park. From I-95 northbound, take Exit 55 Key Highway and follow Fort McHenry signs. To visit other trail locations, download a trail map.
- Arts and Culture
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Road Biking
- Boating
- Camping
- Compass and GPS
- Geocaching
- Food
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Self-Guided Tours - Auto
- Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Living History
- Reenactments
- Paddling
- Canoeing
- Kayaking
- Junior Ranger Program
- Museum Exhibits
- Forts
- Maritime
- Coastal Defenses
- Maritime - Military
- Military
- Infantry and Militia
- Artillery
- US Army
- US Navy
- Battlefields
- Monuments and Memorials
- Music
- Wars and Conflicts
- War of 1812
- Coasts, Islands and Atolls
- Oceans
- Trails
- Water Trails
- Watersheds
PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II
The PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II is a sailing ambassador for the Trail.
Historic Sotterley
Historic Sotterley
White House
British forces set fire to the original home of the U.S. president on August 26, 1814.
Paddling on the Sassafras
The Sassafras River Water Trail is one of the many paddle trails to explore along the Star-Spangled Banner Trail
Living History at Fort McHenry
Living history at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.