Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail

Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail at Fort McHenry
Location within Virginia Show map of Virginia Location within the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia, United States
Coordinates	39°15′47″N 76°34′54″W / 39.26306°N 76.58167°W / 39.26306; -76.58167
Established	May 8, 2008
Governing body	National Park Service
Website	Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail

The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail is a National Historic Trail that commemorates the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812. The 560-mile (900 km) trail and water route was named after "The Star-Spangled Banner," the national anthem of the United States.^[1]

Consisting of water and overland routes, the trail extends from Tangier Island, Virginia, through southern Maryland (passing through the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area), the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay, and Baltimore, Maryland. The trail also contains sites on Maryland's Eastern shore.^[1]

Activities on the trail include hiking, biking, boating, and geocaching on the Star-Spangled Banner Geotrail. Sites on the trail include towns raided and/or burned by the British, battles and engagements, museums, and forts.

It was authorized by the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, which amended the National Trails System Act to include the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail.^[1]^[2]

History

The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail originated with the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Study Act of 1999, which authorized the Secretary of the Interior to study routes associated with the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812 for possible designation as a national historic trail. The National Park Service completed the feasibility study and environmental impact statement in March 2004, concluding that the proposed trail met the criteria for national trail eligibility.^[3]^[4]

Congress designated the trail on May 8, 2008, through an amendment to the National Trails System Act.^[4]

References

1 2 3 "Learn About the Park - Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail". National Park Service. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
↑ "S.2739 - 110th Congress (2007-2008): Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008". www.congress.gov. 2008-05-08. Retrieved 2026-07-27.
↑ "Senate Report 110-98 - STAR-SPANGLED BANNER NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL ACT". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved 2026-07-27.
1 2 "Management - Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail (U.S. National Park Service)". National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-07-27.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail.

Protected areas of Washington, D.C.
National Historic Sites and Parks	Carter G. Woodson Home Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Ford's Theatre Frederick Douglass Mary McLeod Bethune Council House Pennsylvania Avenue
National Memorials	Dwight D. Eisenhower Franklin Delano Roosevelt Korean War Veterans Lincoln Lyndon Baines Johnson Grove Martin Luther King, Jr. Theodore Roosevelt Island Thomas Jefferson Vietnam Veterans Washington Monument World War I World War II
National Monuments	Belmont–Paul Women's Equality President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home
National Parkways	Baltimore–Washington Clara Barton George Washington Memorial Rock Creek and Potomac
National Trails	Potomac Heritage Captain John Smith Chesapeake Star-Spangled Banner Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
President's Park	The Ellipse Lafayette Square White House
National Capital Parks-East	Anacostia Fort Circle Fort Dupont Fort Stanton Kenilworth Oxon Run Parkway Shepherd Parkway
Rock Creek Park	Rock Creek Barnard Hill Bryce Dumbarton Oaks Fort Slocum Georgetown Waterfront Glover-Archbold Little Forest Meridian Hill Montrose Old Stone House Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway
Other	National Historic Landmarks National Register of Historic Places

Protected areas of Maryland

Federal

National Battlefields	Antietam Monocacy
National Estuarine Research Reserves	Chesapeake Bay
National Historic Sites and Historical Parks	Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Clara Barton Hampton Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Thomas Stone
National Marine Sanctuaries	Mallows Bay–Potomac River
National Monuments	Fort McHenry
Federally-administered parks	Catoctin Mountain Fort Foote Fort Washington Glen Echo Greenbelt Harmony Hall Oxon Cove and Oxon Hill Farm Piscataway
National Parkways	Baltimore-Washington Clara Barton Suitland
National Seashores	Assateague Island
National Trails	Appalachian Captain John Smith Chesapeake Potomac Heritage Star-Spangled Banner Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
National Wildlife Refuges	Blackwater Eastern Neck Glenn Martin Patuxent Research Susquehanna River
Other	National Historic Landmarks National Natural Landmarks National Register of Historic Places Wilderness Areas

State

State parks	Assateague Big Run Bill Burton Fishing Pier Black Walnut Point Calvert Cliffs Casselman River Bridge Chapel Point Cunningham Falls Dans Mountain Deep Creek Lake Elk Neck Fort Frederick Fort Tonoloway Gambrill Gathland Greenbrier Greenwell Gunpowder Falls Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Hart-Miller Island Herrington Manor Janes Island Martinak Matapeake New Germany North Point Palmer Patapsco Valley Patuxent River Pocomoke River Point Lookout Purse Rocks Rocky Gap Rosaryville Sandy Point Seneca Creek Smallwood South Mountain St. Clement's Island St. Mary's River Susquehanna Swallow Falls Tuckahoe Washington Monument Wye Oak
State forests	Cedarville Chesapeake Doncaster Elk Neck Garrett Green Ridge Mount Nebo Pocomoke Potomac Savage River Seth Stoney Wicomico
Wildlife management areas	Avondale Belle Grove Billmeyer Bodkin Island Bowen Cedar Island Cedar Point Cheltenham Chicamuxen Chicone Creek Cunningham Swamp Dan's Mountain Deal Island Devil Island Area Dierssen E.A. Vaughn Earleville Ellis Bay Fairmount Fishing Bay Fort Hill Globe Com Gravel Hill Swamp Grove Farm Gwynnbrook Heater's Island Hopkins Branch Hugg-Thomas Idylwild Indian Springs Islands of the Potomac Isle of Wight Johnson Kent Island Research Center Le Compte Linkwood Little Patuxent Oxbow Maryland Marine Properties McIntosh Run McKee-Beshers Millington Mt. Nebo Myrtle Grove Nanjemoy Nanjemoy Creek Nanticoke River Old Bohemia Parker's Creek Pocomoke River Pocomoke Sound Prather's Neck Ridenour Swamp Riverside Sideling Hill Sinepuxent Bay South Marsh Island Strider Tar Bay Taylors Island Warrior Mountain Wellington Wetipquin
Natural environment areas	Belt Woods Mattawoman Morgan Run Severn Run Soldiers Delight Youghiogheny Scenic & Wild River Zekiah Swamp

County and
municipal

Parks and sanctuaries

Non-
governmental

Parks and sanctuaries	Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Conservation and Environmental Research Areas of UMBC Merkle Natural Resources Management Area Mount Pleasant Farm Center Sherwood Gardens Somers Cove Marina Sugarloaf Mountain University of Maryland Arboretum & Botanical Garden Western Maryland Rail Trail Youghiogheny Scenic & Wild River
Nature centers	List

Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Maryland Forest Service
Maryland Park Service

Protected areas of Virginia

Federal

National Battlefields, Battlefield Parks, and Military Parks	Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Manassas Petersburg Richmond
National Estuarine Research Reserves	Chesapeake Bay
National Fish Hatcheries	Harrison Lake
National Forests	George Washington and Jefferson
National Historic Sites and Historical Parks	Appomattox Court House Cedar Creek and Belle Grove Colonial Cumberland Gap Harpers Ferry Maggie L. Walker
National Memorials	Arlington House Red Hill Patrick Henry
National Monuments	Booker T. Washington Fort Monroe George Washington Birthplace
National Parks	Shenandoah
National Parkways	Blue Ridge Colonial George Washington Memorial Skyline
National Recreation Areas	Mount Rogers
National Seashores	Assateague Island
National Trails	Appalachian Captain John Smith Chesapeake Lewis and Clark Overmountain Victory Potomac Heritage Star-Spangled Banner Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
National Wildlife Refuges	Back Bay Chincoteague Eastern Shore of Virginia Mason Neck Featherstone Fisherman Island Glenn Martin Great Dismal Swamp James River Nansemond Occoquan Bay Plum Tree Island Presquile Rappahannock River Valley Wallops Island
Federally-administered	Prince William Forest Park Wolf Trap Performing Arts
Other	National Historic Landmarks National Natural Landmarks National Register of Historic Places Wilderness Areas

State

State parks	Bear Creek Lake Belle Isle Breaks Interstate Caledon Chippokes Claytor Lake Clinch River Culpeper Battlefields Douthat Fairy Stone Falling Spring Falls False Cape First Landing Grayson Highlands Green Pastures Hayfields High Bridge Trail Holliday Lake Hungry Mother James River Kiptopeke Lake Anna Leesylvania Machicomoco Mason Neck Natural Bridge Natural Tunnel New River Trail Occoneechee Pocahontas Powhatan Sailor's Creek Battlefield Seven Bends Shot Tower Shenandoah River Sky Meadows Smith Mountain Lake Southwest Virginia Museum Staunton River Staunton River Battlefield Sweet Run Twin Lakes Westmoreland Widewater Wilderness Road York River
State forests	Appomattox-Buckingham Big Woods Bourassa Browne Channels Charlotte Chesterfield Chilton Woods Conway Robinson Crawfords Cumberland Devil's Backbone Dragon Run First Mountain Hawks Lesesne Matthews Moore's Creek Niday Place Old Flat Paul Prince Edward-Gallion Sandy Point South Quay Whitney Zoar
Natural Area Preserves	Antioch Pines Bald Knob Bethel Beach Big Spring Bog Blackwater Blackwater Sandhills Buffalo Mountain Bull Run Mountains Bush Mill Stream Camp Branch Wetlands Cape Charles Coastal Habitat Cave Hill The Cedars The Channels Cherry Orchard Bog Chestnut Creek Wetlands Chestnut Ridge Chotank Creek Chub Sandhill Cleveland Barrens Clover Hollow Cowbane Prairie Crawford's Knob Crow's Nest Cumberland Marsh Cypress Bridge Dameron Marsh Deep Run Ponds Dendron Swamp Difficult Creek Dundas Granite Flatrock Elklick Woodlands False Cape Folly Mills Creek Fen Goshen Pass Grafton Ponds Grassy Hill Grayson Glades Hickory Hollow Hughlett Point Johnsons Creek Lyndhurst Ponds Magothy Bay Mark's and Jack's Island Mill Creek Springs Mount Joy Pond Mutton Hunk Fen Naked Mountain New Point Comfort North Landing River Northwest River Ogdens Cave Parkers Marsh Parramore Island Pedlar Hills Glades Pickett's Harbor Piney Grove Flatwoods Pinnacle Poor Mountain Redrock Mountain Savage Neck Dunes South Quay Sandhills Southside Savannah Sweet Springs Unthanks Cave Wreck Island
Wildlife Management Areas	Amelia Big Survey Big Woods Briery Creek Chester F. Phelps Cavalier Chickahominy Clinch Mountain Crooked Creek Dick Cross Doe Creek Fairystone Farms Featherfin G. Richard Thompson Game Farm Marsh Goshen and Little North Mountain Hardware River Havens Hidden Valley Highland Hog Island Horsepen Lake James River Land's End Mattaponi Mattaponi Bluffs Merrimac Farm Mockhorn Island Oakley Forest Pettigrew Powhatan Princess Anne Ragged Island Rapidan Robert W. Duncan Saxis Short Hills Smith Mountain Cooperative Stewarts Creek T. M. Gathright Turkeycock Ware Creek Weston White Oak Mountain

Other

Registered Historic Places in Virginia	Virginia Landmarks Register Bridges

U.S. National Trails System

National Historic Trails

Scenic motor routes	Butterfield Overland California Trail El Camino Real de los Tejas Trail El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Juan Bautista de Anza Trail Mormon Trail Nez Perce Trail Old Spanish Trail Oregon Trail Pony Express Trail Santa Fe Trail Selma to Montgomery Trail Trail of Tears Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
Natural surface trails	Ala Kahakai Trail Chilkoot Trail Iditarod Trail
Water trails	Captain John Smith Chesapeake Trail
Combination	Lewis and Clark Trail (motor, land, and water) Overmountain Victory Trail (motor and land) Star-Spangled Banner Trail (motor and water)