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Antietam Burnside Bridge Hike

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Distance:
4.4 Miles / 7.1 km
Type:
Loop
Difficulty:
Easy
Time to Hike:
2 hours, ~12 minutes
Features:
Surface Type:
Dirt
Town:
Sharpsburg, Maryland
Directions:
39.462127, -77.736068
Added:
March 20, 2025
Updated:
April 06, 2025
Guide by:
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144'

Total Change
394'

Ascent
399'

Descent

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Key Takeaways

  • The 4.4-mile Antietam Burnside Bridge Hike in Sharpsburg, MD, traverses a significant Civil War battlefield, site of the bloody Battle of Antietam.
  • The hike follows a figure-8 loop, including the Burnside Bridge and Antietam Creek, where intense fighting and heavy casualties occurred.
  • The trail description provides detailed directions, landmarks (farms, trails), and distances to navigate the loop, starting and ending at the pullout on Rodman Ave.

Antietam Burnside Bridge Hike

On September 17, 1862, at what is now the Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg MD, Union and Confederate armies fought each other resulting in over 23,000 casualties. There were three primary engagements that day that would become know as The Cornfield, Bloody Lane, and The Burnside or Lower Bridge.

This hike is a figure 8 loop that crosses the Burnside Bridge and follows the hauntingly beautiful Antietam Creek where so many soldiers lost their lives or were injured during one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.

  • Mile 0.0 – Park at the small pullout on Rodman Ave and intersection of US34/Boonsboro Pike. The first mile of the circuit follows paved roads in the park, however traffic is generally light and is required to maintain low speeds. Start south along Rodman Ave, which during 1862 was know as Sherrick's Lane. Cross over the high point of the road, then descend past the Sherrick Farm on the left before Rodman Ave ends at the intersection of Branch Ave.
  • Mile 0.6 - Turn left on Branch Ave shortly passing the Otto Farm and continue for 0.4 miles at which point stay left on the pedestrian path towards the Burnside Bridge.
  • Mile 1.1 - Don't cross the Burnside Bridge, but stay right uphill on the path to the parking area. Before the path reaches the parking area turn left onto the Snavely Ford Trail following it down to Antietam Creek and first of several benches.
  • Mile 1.3 - Continue following the Sanely Ford Trail downstream for 0.6 miles where the trail turns sharply right uphill at the junction of a small side trail on the left. Stay on the wider Snavely Ford Trail uphill to the right, soon pass the Final Attack Trail on the left, and reach the high point where the trail leaves the forest. Descend the remaining 0.2 miles back to the Burnside Bridge parking area and head down to the bridge.
  • Mile 3.2 - Cross the Burnside Bridge and take the Union Advance Trail to the left where it joins the Sherrick Farm Trail and goes up to the Burnside Bridge Rd. in 0.2 miles.
  • Mile 3.4 - Cross the bridge where the Sherrick Farm Trail passes a gate and re-enters the forest on the opposite site of the road. Follow the Sherrick Farm Trail for 0.5 miles to the intersection of the Three Farms Trail.
  • Mile 3.9 - Turn left uphill on the Sherrick Farm trail passing two fields for the remaining 0.5 miles
  • Mile 4.4 - Arrive back at the parking area at the corner of Rodman Ave and US34.
Explore 29 trails near Sharpsburg, MD
  1. Parking

    39.462127, -77.736068
  2. Main Trailhead

    39.462202, -77.735953
No community routes found. To add your own hike as a Community Route for this Trail guide, leave a Trip Report with an attached GPX file.

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Trip Reports (Reviews)

Rated 3.0 out of 5 based on 2 ratings.
By: Sean
4.4 miles / 7.1 km
October 14, 2016
Note that as of this writing Burnside Bridge is closed for extensive restoration. So, you can't cross as specified in the last part of this hike. I just doubled back on the first part -- almost the same distance. Also, because of fencing, you can't access the path at mile 1.1 leading up from the bridge, but you can detour up the road through the parking lot and connect with the Snavely Ford trail on the other side (follow the "overlook" sign). A nice hike, the walk along Antietam Creek is very pleasant. Parking is very limited at the described parking spot and was almost full on a weekday. If it's full, just drive in, park in one of the larger lots, and do the hike from there.
Legacy Review
By: Dohoon
4.4 miles / 7.1 km
June 08, 2012
Overall it was a good hike. Relatively easy hike so it's a good hike for the whole family. Trail is relatively well maintained and the park has a lot of history. If you are looking for more of a mountain and nature type of hike, this is not one of them.
Legacy Review

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In Sharpsburg, MD

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