The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park Canal Trail isn’t really a rail trail, it started as a towpath along the canal. But, it’s so scenic and in such a great area that it had to make our list! The 184.5 mile long Chesapeake & Ohio Canal is located along the north bank of the Potomac River, starting in Washington, DC and ending in Cumberland, MD. The canal was built between 1828 and 1850, and operated sporadically until 1924. In 1954, US Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas organized an eight day hike up the canal’s towpath in an effort to save it from being converted to a parkway. His efforts succeeded, and in 1971 the canal became a National Historic Park.
Because it was constructed along the canal and the Potomac River, the trail provides an amazing number of overlooks of the water along the way.
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal overlook
There are also a large number (originally 75) of historic locks along the trail, both working and not. Locks were used to raise or lower boats between different sections of the canal and/or river.
Lock on Chesapeake & Ohio Canal
The Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center is located at mile 14.3 (Lock 20) on the trail. The tavern was a hotel for travelers along the canal beginning in 1831 and also a popular meeting place for community gatherings during the late 19th-century. Today it’s the home of a very informational National Park Service Visitor Center where you can find out about park programs, hiking trails, and the history of the canal.
There’s lots of historic things to see at the visitor center, including the Charles F. Mercer historic packet boat. The National Park Service conducts hour-long rides on the Charles F. Mercer from the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center.
Charles F. Mercer packet boat
View of Great Falls from C&O Canal Trail
There is an amazing list of historic stops along the trail, you can find more details in the detailed post on the C&O Canal Trust webpage.
There are also numerous food and drink stops along the trail, approximately one every 15 miles. There’s a good list of options on the Bike Washington site at: http://bikewashington.org/canal/plan-food.php.
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