You can now create your own itineraries to guide your C&O Canal exploration, or you can copy one of ours! Learn more about Itineraries.
Take a good look beneath the towering smokestacks of the Dickerson Power Plant. Focus on the 900-foot, concrete lined discharge channel where 300,000 gallons of water per minute are borrowed to cool steam pipes and returned to the Potomac River. Learn more.
Take a good look beneath the towering smokestacks of the Dickerson Power Plant. Focus on the 900-foot, concrete lined discharge channel where 300,000 gallons of water per minute are borrowed to cool steam pipes and returned to the Potomac River. You might see a future Olympian.
In 1991, the discharge channel was modified to serve as the first and perhaps only heated artificial kayak racing course in the country. PEPCO, the power plant’s builder, with design help from The U.S. Navy’s Taylor Model Boat Basin, positioned 75 boulders in the channel (some as heavy as 17 tons!) to create the whitewater needed for the racers. Warmer water from the plant returning to the river makes the course suitable for virtually year-round kayak training.
The course was first used for kayakers training to compete in the 1992 Olympics, and it is currently being run by the Potomac Whitewater Racing Center. The candy-striped poles dangling above the channel mark the course.
We know that to preserve something, you need to experience it, so we are proud to provide support to the C&O National Historical Park as their official philanthropic partner.
Please visit the National Park Service website for the following information:
For more information and nearby places to stay or grab a bite to eat, please visit our local tourism partners:
Download the
C&O Canal Explorer!
There has been a lapse in appropriations, and a shutdown of the federal government is currently in effect. Much of the C&O Canal National Historical Park remains open to the public, however, the National Park Service is not able to operate as normal. Visitor services, including park visitor centers and other NPS-staffed facilities, will not be available. Inquiries to the National Park Service will not be received or responded to until the shutdown ends.
The C&O Canal Trust’s staff are currently working remotely. Scheduled Trust events and Canal Quarters reservations will continue as scheduled. While a federal government shutdown is in effect, visitors should not expect services typically provided by the National Park Service to be available. All visitors are urged to practice safety in the park and plan ahead. Be a good park steward by recreating responsibly and practicing Leave No Trace principles, respecting cultural and natural resources.
Information regarding the Department of Interior’s Operations in the Absence of Appropriations can be found here: https://www.doi.gov/shutdown.
When federal funding is restored, we look forward to continuing to work with our park partner to ensure the C&O Canal remains beautiful, safe, and welcoming for visitors today and for future generations. Love the Park? Help the Trust! Consider making a donation. Your support directly helps fund beautification, conservation, education, and preservation initiatives in the park.