National Park Service rangers in their familiar "flat hats" are American icons. For nearly 100 years they have helped us discover and appreciate our parks and the stories embedded in those landscapes. But with over 4 million visits to the C&O Canal every year, their park rangers can't be there for every visitor...until now.

Thanks to a partnership between the C&O Canal National Historical Park and the C&O Canal Trust, you can have your own personal park ranger at your fingertips, at your convenience.

Canal Discoveries highlights the hidden gems in the park and provides you with the information you need to make your exploration fun and rewarding. Each discovery includes a first-person description of a location in the park from one of the C&O Canal's rangers, an easy-to-navigate map with links to other nearby attractions, and a photo gallery. You can share your comments and photos with other visitors and even create your own adventures. And best of all, you can access all of this new content from your computer or mobile device 24/7!

A new discovery will be rolled out every week through 2011. Simply visit the Trust's page on Facebook, www.facebook.com/CanalFriends, to get the latest updates and news.