Potomac River Guide Home

Interactive Maps

The Lower Potomac

The Potomac Estuary

Mount Vernon to Anacostia River

Mall Area

Georgetown to Great Falls

Potomac Piedmont

Upper Potomac

The North Branch

Boat Ramps

Monitoring Sites

Bridges and Ferries

Cruises and Charters

Search Potomac Sites

Also Explore

The Hudson River GuideThe Delaware River Guide

Whites Ford

Historic Site

Photo of Whites Ford

General Robert E. Lee's Potomac crossing in 1862 was the most famous of many that took place at White's Ford. Lee was enroute with the Confederate Army to Antietam. Most Civil War historians place White's Ford at approximately Lock 26 on the canal (mile 39). In September 1862, the Confederate Army made its first invasion of the north by crossing the Potomac and carrying the bold southern offensive into enemy territory. Lee's forces moved from White's Ford to Frederick, hoping for support from the Maryland towns and countryside as the army moved westward toward Harpers Ferry. Lee met the Union army in the historic--if inconclusive--Battle of Antietam. A canoe and kayak launch is available at the nearby Piscataway Crossing Regional Park on river's edge on the Virginia side. Read Britt D.'s review of White's Ford Regional Park on Yelp

Suggested Links

Click here for larger map and nearby sites.

Contact Information
Whites Ford Regional Park
43646 Hibler Road
Leesburg VA 20176
703-779-9372
Website