The C&O Canal National Historical Park holds hundreds of secrets along its 184.5-mile length and is a wonderful place to explore both the natural and man-made worlds. In the Canal Discoveries section of the C&O Canal Trust’s website, Park Rangers describe 48 of these gems.
To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we’ve picked out 10 gems that you might not know about. The next time you are out in the Park, be sure to visit these sites! Read More
The C&O Canal Trust, in partnership with the C&O Canal National Historical Park is searching for stories from African American workers of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) who worked along the C&O Canal from 1938-1942. Workers themselves or descendants of workers are encouraged to contact the Park to share memories from their time along the canal, for use in a new exhibit to be housed in Canal Quarters’ Lockhouse 10. Read More
On December 1, sixteen volunteers from World Bank participated in a Canal Pride event where they worked on beautification and preservation projects at Great Falls. A small group of volunteers joined Billy Goat Trail Steward Bob King to hike along Billy Goat Trail A, where they removed a lot of left behind trash as well as helped restore some off-trail areas. Read More
Everyone loves Billy Goat Trail Section A. Come down to Great Falls any weekend during the summer months and you’ll see a line of people stretching along the whole trail. With tricky rock scrambles, unique wildlife, and amazing river views, it is not difficult to see why this trail is so beloved and well-known. But if you’ve already experienced the magic of “Billy Goat A” or you just want a little more solitude with your wilderness, check out these great, lesser-known trails in the Great Falls area.
The C&O Canal Trust thanks the 24 volunteers from Clark Construction who helped to remove overgrown vegetation from a historic wall along the towpath between Locks 33 and 34 this past Saturday, November 19! Read More
The C&O Canal Trust will be hosting an Open House with free hardhat tours of Swains Lockhouse in Potomac, MD on Saturday, November 5 from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Read More
The Cushwa Basin, located in Williamsport, MD, is situated at the confluence of the Conococheague Creek and the Potomac River. Because this area is such a popular entry point to the C&O Canal towpath, there is a National Park Service Visitors Center located here, in the historic Cushwa Warehouse beside the basin. The warehouse is in the process of being restored to interpret the 1920’s era on the Canal, and the neighboring Conococheague Aqueduct is also being rebuilt. This historic area was once the home of brick manufacturing and shipment of coal along the Canal — canal boats would use the turning basin to load coal and bricks on their trips between Cumberland and Georgetown.
All Canal Lovers should visit the Cushwa Basin, check of the Visitors Center, hike the towpath, and explore Williamsport. Check out this list of 9 things you can do next time you visit!
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We are pleased to announce that the C&O Canal Trust has been selected as a participant in Whole Foods’ Nickels for Nonprofits program! From now until the end of the year, you can help the Trust earn nickels in honor of the National Park Service’s Centennial. Every time you shop at one of the five Montgomery County, MD Whole Foods stores, bring your own bags. Whole Foods will credit you a nickel for each bag you bring, and you can donate those nickels to the C&O Canal Trust! Read More
In celebration of the opening of their DC Flagship store, REI is hosting 100 days of recess with their United Outside campaign and donating $100,000 to five local nonprofits, including the C&O Canal Trust! Each nonprofit will automatically receive $10,000. But with your help, we could turn that into $20,000 or more! Read More
The C&O Canal Trust constructed a new bridge over the canal at Marsden Tract over the weekend of April 21-24, 2016. Read More
The Swains Lockhouse rehabilitation will be special for many reasons: Its beautiful setting, rich history, access for the disabled, and perfect timing—as a tribute to the National Park’s 100th birthday. But there’s another feature of Swains that could have a positive impact for many years to come… Read More
This summer marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. That’s huge because of what the national parks mean to us, and how many millions of people have marveled at the natural and historic wonders that are protected within park boundaries. Read More
Swains Lockhouse, soon to be the seventh Canal Quarters residence, sits in a picturesque location along the C&O Canal. The Potomac River, just yards away, provides wonderful views, radiant sunsets, cool breezes, and outdoor recreation. Read More
If you’re researching the lives of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, or Martin Luther King, your Google search shouldn’t pose any problems. But what if you had to profile Mary Virginia Swain, a woman who lived an unassuming life in a lockhouse on the C&O Canal in the early 1900s? Read More
The C&O Canal Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Patricia Barber as its new Director of Development effective March 1. Read More
The C&O Canal Trust is fortunate to have Robert Mertz as its friend and volunteer — Robert has furnished all six lockhouses in period style, and he is on board to bring the year 1916 to life in Lockhouse 21. Read More
How did the rundown lockhouses along the Canal turn into Canal Quarters, an award-winning program that over 10,000 people have experienced? This week, we will take a look at the development of the program, which the Swains lockhouse will join after its rehab is complete. Read More
In its heyday, the C&O Canal was a 185-mile linear community. At any given time, as many as 530 or more Canal boats worked their way back and forth between Georgetown and Cumberland and points in between. Read More
“From inside our lockhouse, I could hear the children laughing out by the firepit—a corny joke from their father, no doubt. As the last glow of sun shimmered off the Canal upstream, the low light of the lantern began to illuminate the wood floor planks, simple furnishings, and a pitcher of cider still sitting on the table from dinner. Life is good here.” Read More
There’s a lot of love going into the Swains Lockhouse rehabilitation. It comes from the C&O Canal Trust that chose the Swains home for their newest Canal Quarters guest house, and it comes from the National Park Service (NPS) that is pouring its resources into interpreting the home as it appeared in 1916. The result will be an experience that Canal Quarters guests will cherish forever. Read More
For now Swains Lockhouse is a stone shell, sealed for the winter. But an amazing transformation is about to take place adjacent to Lock 21. Read More
The Canal Quarters each interpret a different period of Canal history. What period will Swains Lockhouse interpret? Read on! Read More
History is all around us.
The mid-Atlantic is rich with reminders of America’s great heritage, from battlefields and monuments to buildings and structures that help to tell our young nation’s story. Read More
C&O Canal Trust Board Chair Michael C. Mitchell and President Robin Zanotti have signed an agreement with the Friends of Fletchers Cove, becoming that group’s fiscal agent. Read More
Do you believe in time travel? Over the coming months, a two-story stone home in Potomac, MD will transported back to the early 1900s. Read More
The C&O Canal’s rich history begins over 180 years ago with its infamous groundbreaking ceremony on July 4, 1828, but its life as a National Historical Park only began 45 years ago on January 8, 1971. Read More
The C&O Canal Trust hosted a groundbreaking on Saturday, November 14, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. to officially launch construction on the new Marsden Tract bridge over the canal. Read More
The C&O Canal Trust today announced a t-shirt artwork contest for their 2016 Canal Pride events. Amateur artists are invited to submit artwork to be considered for the 2016 Canal Pride events. The winning design will be printed on our Canal Pride t-shirts and worn by our volunteers as they work in the C&O Canal National Historical Park during the spring months. Read More
Lockhouse 21, locally known as “Swains Lockhouse” after the family who inhabited it for years, will be the seventh lockhouse rehabilitated as part of the award-winning Canal Quarters program, the C&O Canal Trust and the C&O Canal National Historical Park announced Saturday evening. Read More
The C&O Canal Trust will be hosting the Fifth Annual Park After Dark Fundraiser on Saturday, September 19, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. to benefit the C&O Canal National Historical Park (NHP). This unique event is held beneath the stars in the C&O Canal NHP at the Historic Great Falls Tavern and features live music, great food, libations, a live and silent auction, a camp fire, and more. Read More
The C&O Canal Trust is pleased to welcome Randy Cone, John Guttman, and Don Harrison to the Board of Directors. They join eight members bringing the total number of members on the Board to eleven as of June 2015. Read More
Funded projects include repairs to Marsden Tract Bridge, implementation of Canal Classrooms at Great Falls
Hagerstown, MD – The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and its official nonprofit partner, the C&O Canal Trust, today announced an award of nearly $150,000 in grant funding from the National Park Service’s Centennial Challenge. The award is designated for two projects: the repair of the Marsden Bridge in the Potomac area of the Park, and the expansion of the Canal Classrooms program in Great Falls. Read More
On Saturday, April 18, the C&O Canal Trust, in partnership with the C&O Canal National Historical Park, will kick off its 8th annual C&O Canal Pride Days, the single largest volunteer event to take place in the Park. Volunteers from around the community will spend the morning working on projects to restore and revitalize the C&O Canal National Historical Park at Great Falls from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Read More
Hagerstown, MD – The C&O Canal Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Robin Zanotti as its new President effective April 6. Zanotti has thirty years of executive leadership experience and specializes in managing capital campaigns and major gift programs. Read More
On Wednesday, March 11, 2015, the C&O Canal Trust presented a $65,000 check to the C&O Canal National Historical Park (NHP) in support of their Canal Classrooms education program. C&O Canal Trust Board Chair Michael C. Mitchell presented the check to C&O Canal NHP Superintendent Kevin Brandt at the Great Falls Tavern in Potomac, Md. Read More
One of the comments we get most often about our Canal Quarters lockhouses is the opportunity to “get away from technology.” So why would we go and add technology to lockhouses 6 and 10? Read More
The C&O Canal Trust is pleased to announce three new leadership appointments: Michael C. Mitchell as Board Chairman, Stephen E. Chaudet as Board Vice Chairman, and Megan Kula as Vice President of Development. Read More
A new, three-year strategic plan was adopted at the September 12, 2014 Board Meeting, the result of six months of work by the Trust Board, staff, National Park Service, and other affiliated constituents to determine what priorities should lead us into the future. Our new strategic plan appears in its entirety below. Read More
The C&O Canal Trust today announced the Fifth Anniversary of the award-winning Canal Quarters program, to be celebrated on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9, 2014 with six separate free events open to the public. Read More
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