The C&O Canal Trust will be holding its first-ever C&O Canal Giving Days April 21-29, 2018, coinciding with National Park Week. C&O Canal Giving Days is an opportunity for the community to make financial gifts to support the ongoing preservation and beautification of the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Read More

The C&O Canal Trust’s new mobile app, the C&O Canal Explorer, was awarded the Innovative Product Partnership Award from the Public Lands Alliance on February 28 during the Public Lands Alliance Convention and Trade Show in Palm Springs, CA. Read More

Hagerstown, MD – The C&O Canal Trust today announced a t-shirt artwork contest to commemorate the 11th anniversary of their Canal Pride events. Amateur artists are invited to create and submit artwork that celebrates the 11th anniversary of this volunteer-driven event. The winning design will be printed on our Canal Pride t-shirts and worn by hundreds of volunteers as they work in the C&O Canal National Historical Park during the spring months. Read More

The C&O Canal Trust will be hosting a clean-up event at Lock 8 in the C&O Canal National Historical Park to mark the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Monday, January 15. Approximately 30 volunteers from the local area will be removing invasive winter plants and picking up trash around Lock 8, located off Clara Barton Parkway in Cabin John, Montgomery County, MD. Read More

The C&O Canal National Historical Park was awarded $3.45 million from the Transportation Alternatives Program through the Maryland Department of Transportation, thanks to the vocal support of the C&O Canal Trust and the greater canal community: $2.45 million for “A Rewatered Canal” and $1 million for “Towpath Rehabilitation: A Safe Towpath.” Read More

Benches will be placed from Swains Lock west to Cumberland

C&O Canal Trust Bench Program Provides Donors a Way to Express Appreciation for the Park, Provide Visitor Amenities

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The C&O Canal Trust recently welcomed three new members to the Board of Directors, John Schnebly, Anthony Stacy, and Anne Wallace. Read More

The C&O Canal Trust hosted the first participants in its new Canal For All initiative this spring, demonstrating the popularity and promise of the program aimed at building relationships with diverse communities along the C&O Canal. Read More

The C&O Canal Trust announces the release of its new mobile app, “C&O Canal Explorer,” to aid users in exploring the 184.5 miles and 20,000 acres of the C&O Canal National Historical Park. The app is available for download on both Android and Apple devices from their respective app stores.

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The volunteer Quartermasters responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the C&O Canal Trust’s Canal Quarters lockhouses have been honored with the Harrison Award for Volunteers at Preservation Maryland’s Best of Maryland Preservation Awards Ceremony. Read More

Following a competitive review, the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington has named the C&O Canal Trust one of the best nonprofits in the Washington, DC, area. To be included in the Class of 2017-18, the C&O Canal Trust underwent extensive vetting and was judged to have met the Catalogue’s high standards. Potential donors can be confident that the nonprofits in the Catalogue are worthy of their support. This is the first time the Trust has been included in the Catalogue. Read More

May 2 is Washington County Gives. Your donation to the Trust will be matched whether you live in-county or not! Plus, join us on May 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Stone Wall Tavern in Hagerstown for a celebration to wrap up Washington County Gives! A portion of beer sales will benefit the Trust. Read More

The C&O Canal Trust will launch a new diversity outreach initiative this spring aimed at increasing Latino and African American participation in Trust programs. Read More

The C&O Canal Trust, in partnership with the C&O Canal National Historical Park, has announced the dates of their 10th annual C&O Canal Pride Days, the single largest volunteer event to take place in the Park each year. An estimated 300-400 volunteers from around the community are expected to attend and will spend the morning working on projects to restore and revitalize the C&O Canal National Historical Park.

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The C&O Canal Trust today announced a t-shirt artwork contest to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of their Canal Pride events. Amateur artists are invited to create and submit artwork that celebrates the 10^th anniversary of this volunteer-driven event. 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

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

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 C&O Canal Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Patricia Barber as its new Director of Development effective March 1. 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

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

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

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