Point of Rocks Bridge

A 1937 steel camelback truss bridge carrying US-15 across the Potomac River from Loudoun County, Virginia into Frederick County, Maryland — one lane in each direction, with the state line running down the middle of the river beneath you.

It is the third crossing on this spot: the first was destroyed during the Civil War, the second by the great flood of 1936. The approach on the Maryland side squeezes past the rock outcrop that gives the village its name, where the B&O Railroad tunnelled through in 1867 rather than yield the riverbank to the C&O Canal.

Worth the stop: small parking and boat-ramp areas sit on both banks, with the C&O Canal towpath running directly beneath the Maryland end — an easy walk out for a view back at the truss spans and the river gap. The 1873 Point of Rocks Station, a Gothic Revival brick depot with a steep slate roof and clock tower, stands a few hundred metres away and is one of the most photographed railroad buildings in Maryland.

Practical: Traffic can back up at peak commuter times; the bridge is narrow, so pull into the lots rather than stopping on the deck. Restrooms at the small park on the Maryland side.