Walk Maryland Day by Charissa Hipp
Wednesday, October 5 is the 8th annual Walk Maryland Day. Members of the C&O Canal Trust staff will be hosting walks throughout the C&O Canal National Historical Park (NHP) during the day. The public is invited to attend these walks and participate in Walk Maryland Day, a celebration of Maryland’s official state exercise. With 347 miles of trails in the park, the C&O Canal NHP is the ideal place to enjoy the outdoors and take a walk.
- 10:00 a.m. – Point of Rocks, 2 miles round trip
- 11:00 a.m. – Billy Goat C Trail, 2.8 miles round trip
- 5:00 p.m. – Brunswick Boat Ramp, 2 miles round trip
- 5:30 p.m. – Cushwa Basin at Williamsport, 3 miles round trip
- 5:30 p.m. – Little Tonoloway at Hancock, 2.7 miles round trip
- 6:00 p.m. – Railroad Bridge Bridge Parking on Canal Rd. at Sharpsburg/Shepherdstown, 2-3 miles round trip
- 6:00 p.m. – Dam 5, 2-3 miles round trip
Participants are encouraged to register as a Sole Mate on the Walk Maryland Day website.
Robin Zanotti by Trust Staff
Canal For All at Four Locks by Francis Grant-Suttie
Photo By Trust Staff
‘Great Falls from Olmstead Island’ by Kara McNulty
Image Credit: NPS
Photo Credit: Francis Grant-Suttie
Nearly 50 Volunteers Participated in 15th Annual Canal Community Days Clean-Up Event in Williamsport
Photo Credit: Francis Grant-Suttie
Photo by Francis Grant-Suttie
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A Biodiversity Treasure in Peril
The C&O Canal National Historical Park (NHP) is beloved for its natural beauty, rich recreational opportunities, and accessibility for over five million visitors. What is less well known is that it is one of the most biologically diverse national parks in the nation. Since its creation in 1971, nearly 200 rare, threatened, or endangered (RTE) plants, some of which are globally rare and unique. But that number appears to be dwindling. Between 2008 and 2020, just 106 previously identified RTE species were found along the C&O Canal. Invasive non native plants, regional urbanization, and surging visitation have all taken their toll on the fragile habitats that make such diversity possible. With the addition of unfolding climate change, the National Park Service (NPS) is facing complex challenges to conserve these resources. Read More
Great Falls Canal Community Days by Francis Grant-Suttie
Early morning jog at Violettes Lock by Paul Graunke
Halberd-leaf rosemallow (Hibiscus laevis). Credit: NPS/Renzi.
The initial collection features a short-sleeved t-shirt with a rendering of the scenic C&O Canal towpath on the back. The shirts will retail for $24.99, and a portion of the sale of each shirt will support the C&O Canal Trust’s mission to preserve and protect the C&O Canal National Historical Park. The Trust is the official nonprofit partner of the Park.
The Canal Towns Partnership and the C&O Canal Trust announce the launch of seven C&O Canal-themed beers by eleven local breweries as part of a new C&O Canal Libations Trail created to celebrate the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park’s 50th anniversary as a part of the National Park Service. The trail will also include wineries, distilleries, and specialty cocktails to be released later in the year.
The C&O Canal Trust is conducting a t-shirt artwork contest to find a logo that will represent our 2021 Canal Community Days events. Amateur artists are invited to create and submit artwork that celebrates these annual volunteer events that bring community members together to beautify the C&O Canal National Historical Park for the spring season. The winning design will be printed on our Canal Community Days t-shirts and worn by volunteers as they work along the C&O Canal during the spring and summer months. Read More
The resurfacing project that has so far as smoothed out 42 miles of the C&O Canal’s towpath between Edwards Ferry and Shepherdstown will receive another infusion of cash with a $1.147 million grant from the State of Maryland’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). This is the fourth grant the C&O Canal National Historical Park has received in support of the “Towpath Rehabilitation: A Safe Towpath” project aimed at improving more than 80 miles of the 184.5 mile-long towpath.
Celebrate with us and share what you are also most grateful for this November!
The C&O Canal Trust, the official nonprofit partner of the C&O Canal National Historical Park, has been awarded the George and Helen Hartzog Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service by a Group in the National Capital Area. Each year, the George and Helen Hartzog Awards honor the exemplary contributions of National Park Service volunteers. Read More
