Washington to Pittsburgh drive: 20 ranked stops worth the detour

A playful restored roadside-coffee-pot stop that gives the Pennsylvania stretch a proper Lincoln Highway artifact.

a shaded paved trail from Georgetown into Maryland

a cascade in the Catoctins

45 paved miles from D.C.’s suburbs into Virginia horse country

a cliff-scramble along the Potomac gorge

a monadnock with overlooks an hour from D.C.

This 4,062-acre mountain park centers on a 63-acre lake, with the old-growth Hemlock Trail Natural Area and historic Jones Mill Run Dam providing specific short-stop targets. Beach and office schedules are seasonal.

Pennsylvania’s biggest resort, a Laurel Highlands staple

September 17, 1862 remains the single bloodiest day in American history -- over 22,000 casualties in about 12 hours around this small whitewashed Dunker meetinghouse. The battle's outcome gave Lincoln the opening to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. A quiet, reflective stop rather than a triumphant one.

a popular Appalachian Trail overlook

rock outcrops above Camp David country

the postcard view over Harpers Ferry

Cozy modern gastropub in the historic district serving comfort food with a twist plus vegetarian-friendly plates. Order: Crabless crab cake sandwich.

Devotedly followed plant-based kitchen just outside Harpers Ferry drawing vegans and skeptics alike with hearty comfort food. Order: Buffalo cauliflower wrap.