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.
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, new friends, and new things to explore. Learn more.
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, new friends, and new things to explore. My community consisted of six square blocks where I knew my neighbors, walked to school, rode my bike to the store, and played with neighborhood kids at the nearby playground. I imagine the community of Four Locks along the C&O Canal was similar to my childhood experiences – everyone knew each other and shared in daily life.
Unlike many other canal towns, which were founded before the canal began, Four Locks began as private land and developed into a town after the canal came through. Named for the four locks that traverse this quarter mile section, over 30 buildings once stood here, including residences, warehouses, stores, a post office, and a one-room schoolhouse — everything a child and their family would need.
Here, it is easy to imagine the canal filled to the brim with water and canal boats full of coal gliding by. I can picture the townspeople’s day-to-day life — adults purchasing ice at the warehouse to cool their drinking water and children walking to their school up on the hill. I also hear canawlers calling to the lock tenders or conveying news from upstream to the store owner. I think of it as a small town with one interstate cutting through it — the C&O Canal.
Like all communities, changes occur. After the canal closed in 1924, many left in search of work elsewhere. Summer residences were built and boating and fishing became popular. Today, the summer residences are also gone and Four Locks is quiet. It’s almost a ghost town. Visitors still boat and fish, others ride bikes, walk, or jog. Some even spend the night in the Canal Quarters at Lockhouse 49. However, a few of the historic buildings still remain and it still feels like a small town. It also reminds me of my own childhood and how even though things change, some things still stay the same.
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:
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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.