Welcome to the C&O Canal Trust
The official nonprofit partner of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
The official nonprofit partner of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
Ensuring that the towpath and its resources are here forever.
Exposing thousands of students to outdoor education programs along the Canal.
Step back in time as you spend the night in one of seven historic lockhouses.
Learn about the C&O Canal and plan your trip with our trip planning tools, mobile app, and itineraries.
Volunteer your time to help conserve the C&O Canal.
Visit these ten unique destinations that border the Canal.
Photo by Francis Grant-Suttie
Image Credit: Jane Schmidt
Photo by Turner Photography Studio
We look forward to welcoming our canal community to Park After Dark at the Historic Great Falls Tavern on Sunday, September 17, 2023—just one month from today! Park After Dark is the largest annual fundraising event to benefit the C&O Canal National Historical Park. It is a wonderful opportunity to come together, highlight the work of the C&O Canal Trust, and gain insight and vision for the future from Park and Trust leadership. There are a variety of ways to be part of Park After Dark. (more…)
Canal For All group Girls Inc. enjoys programming at Lock 44 in Williamsport. Photo by Francis Grant-Suttie.
The C&O Canal Trust’s Canal For All program works in partnership with the C&O Canal National Historical Park (NHP) to provide opportunities for education, stewardship, and volunteerism that are safe, welcoming, and inclusive for all. To foster diversity and to better reflect our community, Canal For All engages BIPOC, differently-abled, LGBTQIA+, and other underrepresented or disadvantaged communities. We partner with community organizations to diminish participation barriers and create exciting and relevant opportunities to Play, Learn, Serve, and Work in the Park.
In 2023, Canal For All has grown to serve nearly 300 youth and adults and will exceed that number by the end of the year. The program’s impact and diversity have expanded in notable ways. Several new community organizations have partnered with the program, expanding our demographic reach to include adults with Down syndrome, LGBTQ+, and our first groups in Virginia. (more…)
Latino Conservation Week nature crafts. Photo by Community Bridges.
The Trust hosted a Latino Conservation Week celebration on July 22 at Great Falls. In partnership with Community Bridges and Girls Who Hike Virginia, the Canal for All event welcomed 25 youth and adults for a fun day of crafts, hiking, and plant species identification. Latino Conservation Week is an initiative of the Hispanic Access Foundation created to support the Latino community in enjoying the outdoors and participating in activities to protect natural resources. Over 220 events were held nationwide by numerous community, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations from July 15-23. (more…)
Download our new mobile app to your Android or Apple phone and explore the C&O Canal in a whole new way. Get the app!
Canal Quarters lockhouses offer a historic, recreational, and educational experience like no other. Book your stay today!
The C&O Canal Trust sponsors a monthly photo contest highlighting the best photos you have taken of the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Find out how to enter here!