The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail is a National Historic Trail around Chesapeake Bay that commemorates the War of 1812, both overland and on sea. Sites on the trail include towns raided and/or burned by the British, battles and engagements, museums, and forts.
This 560-mile (900-km) route through Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. commemorates the War of 1812.
The trail's main visitor center is at Fort McHenry National Monument in South Baltimore. It is open W–Su 9AM-4:45PM.
Part of the route, through Maryland and Washington, D.C., is over land and can be followed by car, while part is over water and can be followed by boat. Even if you don't do the full water portion of the route, you can spend some time on a canoe or kayak in the Chesapeake Bay.
See also: Early United States history
The War of 1812 was fought between the United States with its indigenous allies, and the British Empire. Posterity has seen the war as a "second war of independence" as the United States tried to fight off British influence over North America and the Atlantic; though the causes for the war were too complex to describe in brief. Britain was involved in the Napoleonic Wars against France.
The war ended in a draw, with the December 1814 treaty of Ghent, which was ratified by Congress in February 1815.
You can join the trail from many points in Maryland, Virginia, or D.C.