America's First Highway Offers A Historic Road Trip With Secret Stops And Relics

The history of the United States is bound up with the history of the highway. Roads and trails opened up and tamed the vast, uncharted wilderness as explorers, adventurers, treasure seekers, and people searching for a better life headed west. Fabled stretches of tarmac like Route 66 or the Pacific Coast Highway play a huge role in U.S. popular culture, and the concept of "Main Street" is embedded in small-town America. Known as "The Road That Built a Nation," America's First Highway is a truly special piece of U.S. history, as well as being a fabulous route for a thrilling road trip across America. 

Today, the Historic National Road Scenic Byway runs 170 miles between Baltimore and Grantsville, but it stretches much further in both time and geography. Built between 1811 and 1838, the Historic National Road ran around 640 miles from Cumberland in Maryland on the Potomac River to Vandalia in Illinois, with extensions to Baltimore in the east and St. Louis in the west. It was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1976, a State Heritage Park in 1994, and an All-American Road and National Scenic Byway in 2002. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A road trip along the National Historic Road Scenic Byway offers a drive through the early history of the United States, with fascinating historical attractions and artefacts to discover, surrounded by gorgeous landscapes and scenery. Most travelers will start their historic road trip in Baltimore, an underrated American city to add to your bucket list. It's served by Baltimore International Airport (BWI) where travelers can pickup a car and drive to the historic starting point of the road.

A historic road trip through American history, following the birth and growth of a nation, can only really begin in one place: Baltimore. This vibrant, bustling, historic city played a fundamental part in the earliest moments of the United States, and today is a wonderful place to explore. Immerse yourself in the past at sites like Fort McHenry (where the national anthem was composed) and Edgar Allan Poe's home. You can also visit the original Washington Monument and discover incredible art and culture at the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, the American Visionary Art Museum, or the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Baltimore is also a culinary haven with one of the best Little Italy neighborhoods in America, Chesapeake crabs, James Beard Award-nominated chefs, and fabulous public markets.

With Baltimore in your rear-view mirror, the Historic National Road beckons. The first stretch runs from Baltimore to Frederick, a charming town filled with diverse historic architecture and some fascinating historic homes-turned-museums, including the Barbara Fritchie House and the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum. Along the route, you'll wind your way through some perfectly picturesque small towns, including Catonsville, a favorite summer getaway for the 19th-century Baltimore elite, and Ellicott City, an old mill town with the oldest railroad station in the country.

Of course, this road trip isn't all historic buildings and ancient landmarks. Maryland is home to some of the most delightful and underrated wineries in the U.S. The last stretch of road before Frederick is surrounded by vineyards, making it an ideal opportunity for a little wine tasting. New Market Plains Vineyard is a lovely family-owned winery right on the road itself, while Hidden Hills, a short detour away, offers scenic views and fabulous vintages.

Beyond Frederick, the road begins to get a little wilder as it heads into the Appalachian Mountains and crosses numerous forests and state parks. This part is ideal for outdoor adventures and nature lovers, and it is worth taking the time to stretch your legs and take a hike along a small section of the iconic Appalachian Trail, one of the most famous walking routes on the planet and the world's longest hiking-only trail. The trail crosses the road at Annapolis Rock & Black Rock Cliff Trailhead, just outside Myersville, and a 6-mile out-and-back trek will take you to the Washington Monument State Park (also accessible by road and with plenty of parking).

This section of the scenic byway is crammed with history and natural beauty, from historic battlefields and sites like Harper's Ferry to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and South Mountain State Park. Railroad fans will want to press on to Hagerstown, known at one point as Hub City due to the sheer number of intersecting railways. The town has some excellent museums and historic experiences, including a roundhouse museum with local railroad history, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, and the Hagerstown Underground Railroad walking tour.

The final stretch of the Baltimore to Grantsville trip along the National Historic Road Scenic Byway serves up the two-centuries-old Wilson Bridge, the imposing Fort Frederick, and the artsy town of Cumberland. Beyond Cumberland, you can ride on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, cycle along the Great Allegheny Passage rail trail, and explore Spruce Forest Artisan Village, a little corner of traditional Appalachian culture.