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Lock 41

Locks 41 and 42 are located at the north end of a calm stretch of Potomac River aptly named “Big Slackwater.” Depending on which direction a Canal boat was headed, locks […]

McMahon’s Mill

McMahon’s Mill, which has also been known through the years as Charles Mill, Cedar Grove Mill, Shaffer’s Old Flouring Mills and Avis Mill, used a steel wheel in the early […]

Potomac Edison Power Plant

Dam No. 4 reaches 800 feet across the river. Its original rock rubble construction was no match for periodic floods on the Potomac, so it was eventually restored as a […]

Dam 4

The water pouring over Dam #4 upstream from Taylors Landing is truly powerful. The roar of the water fills the air and even sends a vibration through the ground. The […]

Big Slackwater

Big Slackwater is downstream from McMahon’s Mill. Canal boats once entered the river here as the mules continued walking along the towpath. C&O Canal Company engineers chose to utilize the […]

Big Woods Campsite Hand Pump

Please Note: Potable water may not be available at each campsite. Water is treated with iodine. Please plan to have water purification tablets with you. Water is turned off from […]

Big Woods Campsite

Unlike many of the hiker/biker campsites along the Canal, Big Woods campsite affords overnight visitors some measure of privacy. In fact, it’s not even visible from the towpath.  A sign […]

Heart of the Civil War Visitors Center

Located approximately half a mile east of Sharpsburg along Maryland Route 34 on the western edge of the Antietam Creek sits the historic Newcomer House at Antietam National Battlefield – […]

Washington Monument State Park

Named for the first completed monument dedicated to the memory of George Washington, Washington Monument State Park is located in Washington County, Maryland at the top of South Mountain. Citizens […]

Sharpsburg

The town of Sharpsburg is a monument to sacrifice and fortitude. In 1763 the town was originally called Sharps Burgh, in honor of Governor Horatio Sharpe and became the first […]

Horseshoe Bend Campsite Hand Pump

Please Note: Potable water may not be available at each campsite. Water is treated with iodine. Please plan to have water purification tablets with you. Water is turned off from […]

Snyders Landing

Another point of boat access to the Potomac River, Snyders Landing also includes parking on the berm side of the Canal. Originally named for the nearby town of Sharpsburg, it […]

Killiansburg Cave

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 of the Civil War. Antietam […]

Killiansburg Cave Campsite Hand Pump

Please Note: Potable water may not be available at each campsite. Water is treated with iodine. Please plan to have water purification tablets with you. Water is turned off from […]

Killiansburg Cave Campsite

Please Note: Potable water may not be available at each campsite. Water is treated with iodine. Please plan to have water purification tablets with you. Water is turned off from […]

Lock 38 (Shepherdstown River Lock)

The Shepherdstown River Lock is one of only three river locks on the Canal. Built from gray limestone and meant to draw traffic from the Virginia side of the Potomac […]

Thomas Swearingen Ferry & James Rumsey Bridge

In 1755, the Virginia General Assembly recognized the need for a proper river crossing, and Thomas Swearingen was authorized to operate a ferry on the Potomac River between the Maryland […]

Ferry Hill Parking

Small lot off Shepherdstown Pike, near Ferry Hill Plantation/C&O Canal Visitors Center.

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