America’s First Highway | The National Road, National Geographic: Horses Pull Wagons on Historic Road
Wagons and horses roll slowly up a steep hill passed by modern day trucks in rain and fog as the wagon train heads west. An annual reenactment of a westering caravans during the Pike festival, although the first settlers didn’t stop for fast food coffee along their route.
The route passes through some of the most mountainous terrain in Maryland and reaches an elevation of 3,700 feet on nearby Negro Mountain. Early travelers feared Keyser’s Ridge—even with the road—because of the harsh weather conditions.