America’s First Highway | The National Road, National Geographic: Equestrians on a Foggy Ride

Ghostly riders in the fog talk through a wet field as the wagon train halts for a break during an annual reenactment of a westering caravans for the Pike festival. The first settlers didn’t stop for fast food coffee at Keysers Ridge, Maryland along their route.

The route of the National Road 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.