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Meet interpretive intern Ellen Blackmon

By Swains

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

Top Hiking Trails along the C&O Canal

By Planning Your Visit, Things to Do
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Photo Sean Matthews

There are a variety of hiking trails in or near the Park. Probably the most well-known is the Billy Goat Trail, comprised of three sections (A,B, and C), with three different levels of difficulty.  At 1.7 miles in length, and with an estimated completion time of 2-3 hours, Section A is the most strenuous for the serious hiker. Section B offers more of a mid-level hiking challenge and is great for birdwatching in the spring, while Section C offers an easy stroll and plenty of shade for the warm summer months as well as beautiful leaf color in the fall.

Near Harpers Ferry, the canal joins the Appalachian Trail and affords several unique hiking experiences with plenty of history thrown in. Weverton Cliffs is a popular trail with steep terrain, switchbacks, and a pretty view of the Potomac River.  Maryland Heights, site of the first Civil War battle in Maryland between Confederate and Union forces, provides a wonderful view of the town. Hike up to Jefferson Rock and you’ll see the view that inspired Thomas Jefferson to say “…this scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic…”

View from Maryland Heights - Wikimedia CommonsJust a hop, skip, and a jump from the towpath, near milepost 112, lies Fort Frederick – a historic stone frontier fort used during the French and Indian War as well as the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.  Continue heading west to the Town Creek area of the Park and you can access Green Ridge State Forest, the Paw Paw Tunnel, and Town Creek Aqueduct for a variety of hiking options.

View from Maryland Heights

 

Please check Park updates before planning your visit to ensure that trails are open. Changes in weather can affect which trails are open. News from the Park can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The birth of Canal Quarters

By Swains

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

Swains Lockhouse showcases the Historic Preservation Training Center’s passion for history and craftsmanship

By Swains

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

Canal Pride Artwork Contest announced

By News

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

C&O Canal Trust to Host Fifth Annual Park After Dark Fundraiser to Support the C&O Canal National Historical Park

By News

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

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park Awarded $150,000 in Centennial Funds to Match Funds Raised by C&O Canal Trust

By News

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

Volunteers to Participate in 8th Annual C&O Canal Pride Days

By Canal Community Days, News

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

Trust awarded grant from REI

By News

The Trust is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a $10,000 grant from REI, a popular retailer of outdoor clothing and equipment. The money will be used to help fund our Canal Pride Day events in 2015, currently scheduled for Great Falls, Williamsport, and the Paw Paw Tunnel. Read More

C&O Canal Trust Donates Nearly $17,000 to the C&O Canal National Historical Park’s Canal Classrooms Education Program

By News

On Monday, June 2, 2014, the C&O Canal Trust presented a $16,907.50 check to the C&O Canal National Historical Park (NHP) in support of their Canal Classrooms education program. C&O Canal Trust Board Chair Mary Jo Veverka presented the check to C&O Canal NHP Superintendent Kevin Brandt at the Great Falls Tavern in Potomac, Md., with the assistance of two DC City school children who were at the Park participating in a Canal Classrooms program that day. Read More

Justice Douglas: One Man Can Make a Difference

By History, News

Imagine that a place you love, a place of refuge and retreat, is threatened with destruction in order to make way for a shopping center or an office building or a highway. What would you do?

That was exactly the situation Justice William O. Douglas faced early in 1954 when the neglected remnants of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal were threatened by the construction of a scenic highway. The proposed project would be much like Skyline Drive built right next to, if not on top of, the old canal.

Read More