Cumberland
Coal Story By Ranger Rita Often as I am opening the Cumberland Visitor Center, a quote on the wall within the exhibit area by Hungarian author Mor Jokai catches my […]
Cumberland Terminus
All Roads Lead to Cumberland By Ranger Rita Cumberland may be the end of the C&O Canal, but it was also once known as the “Gateway to the West.” The […]
Spring Gap
Seasons of Spring Gap By Ranger Rita I love watching the seasons go by in Spring Gap – spectacular in spring! Splendid in summer! Fabulous foliage in fall! White in […]
Oldtown
A Little Town with a Big History By Ranger Rita Oldtown is a hidden treasure along the C&O Canal. The area hasn’t changed dramatically since the canal stopped operating here […]
Paw Paw Tunnel
A Man-Made Natural Wonder By Ranger Bill Rainy days make me think of the Paw Paw Tunnel. When I’m in Allegany County on a rainy day, I go out of […]
Lock 65
The Missing Lock? By Brian Carlstrom, Deputy Superintendent Have you heard of the “missing lock?” The truth about the missing lock is that it was never truly missing in the […]
Little Orleans
Only in Orleans! By Ranger Rita Driving into the Fifteenmile Creek section of the canal in Little Orleans, I can’t help but think of the classic Beatles hit “The Long […]
Indigo Tunnel
Where History, Recreation, and Conservation Collide By Ranger Taylor I never thought as a cultural resources intern working in the National Park Service, that I would be very interested in […]
Western Maryland Rail Trail
Parallel Pathways By Ranger Curt The intensity of the rain continued to increase as I biked on the C&O Canal towpath from Little Orleans east to Hancock. Soon the rain […]
Round Top Cement Mill
Echoes of an Industry By Ranger Hollie The first time I biked past the ruins of Round Top Cement Mill, I dismounted and gazed up at it in amazement. There […]
Bowles House
Watching the Canal Go By By Ranger Hollie Nestled along the towpath at milepost 123 in Hancock, Maryland is the charming Bowles House. When arriving at the historic home, I […]
McCoys Ferry
Between Two Nations By Ranger Hollie My favorite section of the C&O Canal Towpath in Washington County, Maryland is the 25 mile stretch between Williamsport and Hancock. Riding a bike […]
Four Locks
Canal Community By Ranger Lisa Walking through Four Locks, I am reminded of my childhood growing up in the Army. Each new post introduced me to a new close-knit community, […]
Williamsport
Classic Canal Town By Ranger Curt The residents of Williamsport, Maryland, are proud of the history of this classic Canal Town. Whether conversing at the Town Museum in the Springfield […]
Lockhouse 44
Walking in the Footsteps of Others By Ranger Lisa When I walk the towpath near Lockhouse 44 in Williamsport, I ponder those whose footsteps I’m following. Tens of thousands have […]
Cushwa Basin
Buildings Abound By Ranger Lisa The classic canal town of Williamsport, home to Cushwa Basin, is one of my favorite places on the canal. Along this half-mile stretch of towpath […]
Dam 4
The Power of Water By Ranger Curt As an avid biker, I spend a lot of time on the towpath. In doing so, I often find myself looking out on […]
Big Slackwater
The (Former) Missing Link By Ranger Hollie After several years at the C&O Canal’s Cumberland Visitor Center, I’ve found that most visitors ask many of the same questions. “When did […]
Killiansburg Cave
Natural Refuge By Ranger Taylor The Battle of Antietam is well known for the events that unfolded on September 17, 1862, and the long-lasting importance it had over the rest […]
Ferry Hill
Home Over the Canal By Ranger Curt As I walk the grounds and hallways of Ferry Hill Place, the rich history of this site surrounds me. Looking down the hill […]
Fort Duncan
A Strategic View By Ranger Ahna “The view from the top of the mountain is magnificent and will well repay any lover of the grand and beautiful in nature for […]
Harpers Ferry
Conflict and Change By Ranger Lisa The first time I visited Harpers Ferry, I was struck by the quaintness of the town and dramatic surrounding landscape. I soon discovered this […]
Appalachian Trail
Weverton to Harpers Ferry By Nate Finney, Trails Coordinator The roughly three-mile section of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail that runs along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park […]
Brunswick
What’s in a Name? By Ranger Lisa Names fascinate me – where they originate, what they mean, how they sound, and why they sometimes change. I looked into Brunswick, one […]
Catoctin Aqueduct
Preserving the Canal By Ranger Lisa I find it exciting to stand at the edge of the newly restored Catoctin Aqueduct, its white stone glistening in the sun. I came […]
Point of Rocks
Canal and Railroad Clash By Ranger Lisa Less than the width of a baseball diamond. For a quarter mile at Point of Rocks, the space between the Potomac River and […]
Monocacy Aqueduct
Works of Art By Ranger Lisa Being from the desert southwest, I love how light reflects in and off of natural rock in the canyon country, changing color with the […]
Lock 26
Woods Lock – A Quiet Spot By Ranger Geoff When I first learned that I was supposed to write about Lock 26, also known as Woods Lock, I must admit […]
Edwards Ferry and Haunted House Bend
Popular Crossing By Ranger Geoff Edwards Ferry is a good place for ghost stories, not only in the dead of night, but also as the morning mists rise off the […]
Riley’s Lock & Seneca
The Two-in-One Structure By Ranger Lisa The C&O Canal had 11 aqueducts and 74 lift locks… but one was both a lift lock and an aqueduct! This engineering marvel is […]
Blockhouse Point
River Sentinel By Ranger Mark Standing on the bluffs overlooking the Potomac River near Blockhouse Point, your imagination can really transport you back to another time. It’s easy to imagine […]
Pennyfield
Presidential Retreat By Ranger Lisa Located at mile 19.63 on the C&O Canal, Pennyfield Lockhouse at lock number 22 is a quiet place of escape for those seeking from the […]
Swains Lock
Garlic Mustard Challenge By Rachel Stewart, C&O Canal Association Lockkeepers: http://www.canaltrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Lockkeepers-Life.mp3 Swains Lock is one of my favorite places. It is quiet, yet relatively close to Great Falls. The canal […]
Mather Gorge
The National Park Service Legacy By Ranger Aly Potomerness (Urban Wilderness): http://www.canaltrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Potomerness.mp3 Birds, Snakes, Critters: http://www.canaltrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Birds-Snakes-Critters.mp3 The C&O Canal National Historical Park is the 9th national park site I’ve had […]
Gold Mine Trails
Treasure in the Hills By Ranger Betsy During the Civil War, a Union soldier was stationed along the Maryland side of the Potomac River near Great Falls. While cleaning up […]
Great Falls Tavern
Tourism Since the 1830s By Ranger Aly Boat: http://www.canaltrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Life-Boat.mp3 As a park ranger based out of Great Falls, I watch visitors every day walk out to the falls, watch the […]
Stop Gate
It’s Not a Covered Bridge By Ranger Betsy Floods: http://www.canaltrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Floods.mp3 A few minutes walk downstream from the Great Falls, you’ll find a picturesque white structure above the canal. It looks […]
Anglers
Where Nature’s Beauty Caused Trouble By Park Civil Engineer Chuck Located between Billy Goat Trail Sections A and B and just downstream from Widewater is Anglers, one of the most […]
Widewater
Wild, Yet Man-Made By Ranger Aly One of my favorite places along the C&O Canal is Widewater. Located between Great Falls and Anglers, Widewater has a natural wildness to it. […]
Seven Locks
Lock Ready! By Ranger Becca Lockkeepers: http://www.canaltrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Lockkeepers-Life.mp3 Locks and Levels: http://www.canaltrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Locks-and-Levels.mp3 Created by the first and second grade students at Seven Locks Elementary School, “The Magic Canal Boat” is about […]