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Bridgeport

If you needed a place to stay or a warm meal while traveling through Ferry Hill in the early nineteenth century, you were out of luck. But by the 1830s […]

James Rumsey Steamboat

What is a “canoe powered by a teakettle?” A steamboat, of course! The eccentric inventor James Rumsey shocked Shepherdstown during a December 3, 1787 demonstration when his boat – without […]

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 […]

Boteler’s Mill/Potomac Mill

Dating back to 1826, Boteler’s Mill, also known as Potomac Mill, is on the shore of the Potomac River in eastern Jefferson County, West Virginia, half a mile below Shepherdstown. […]

Packhorse Ford/Boteler’s Ford

Less than a mile from Shepherdstown, West Virginia is a shallow point of the Potomac River that was a convenient crossing point between West Virginia and Maryland for Civil War […]

Antietam Creek Parking

Parking spaces along Canal Road, near Antietam Creek and Aqueduct, with access to the towpath.

Antietam Battlefield

The single bloodiest day of any American war was recorded just up the road from the C&O Canal in Sharpsburg, MD. After a rousing victory at the Battle of Second […]

Antietam Creek Drive-In Campground

Just upstream about a quarter-mile from the mouth of Antietam Creek you’ll find the Antietam Drive-in Campground. While the campground is accessible by car, you’ll need to walk from the […]

Antietam Ironworks

Industry got an early start on Antietam Creek. Its first settler, Israel Friend, built a gristmill there by the early 1730s. Friend also owned an Ore bank, which was purchased […]

Antietam Village

Many workers and supervisors who made a living at the mills and ironworks near Antietam Creek lived nearby in Antietam Village. The remnants of this once thriving industrial region are […]

Antietam Creek and Aqueduct

Running south from Pennsylvania, Antietam Creek is another large tributary feeding the Potomac River. Just three miles upstream from its meeting with the Potomac, Antietam Creek passes through the town […]

House Falls and Cow Ring Sluice

About 4 1/2 miles below its confluence with Antietam Creek, the Potomac River rumbles through House Falls, named after a family that owned land along the river and a Potomac […]

Shinham Limestone Kilns

At this point along the Canal, you can observe brick-lined arches in a concrete facing. These are the remains of several limestone kilns that were used to create fertilizer, plaster […]

Dargan Bend Parking

Small lot off Back Road, near Dargan Bend Boat Ramp and Dargan Bend Recreation Area.

Huckleberry Hill 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 […]

Lock 36

This gray limestone lock is located just down the hill from the former Fort Duncan, built in 1862 by the Army of the Potomac to protect Harpers Ferry. Harpers Ferry […]

Huckleberry Hill Campsite

The Canal and the B&O Railroad were very attractive to industries of the day. Near this riverside campsite once stood the Canal landing for Potomac Refining Company’s main building. The […]

Remains of Dam 3

In 1799, a dam was created here to serve the armory at Harpers Ferry. Its use of natural rock supports created a unique zig-zag structure across the river. Unfortunately, the […]

Fort Duncan

“The view from the top of the mountain is magnificent and will well repay any lover of the grand and beautiful in nature for the exertion necessary to climb to […]

Guard Lock for Dam 3

Just upstream from the Dam No. 3 site, you’ll find the remains of the guard lock for the dam. Made of gray limestone, this inlet lock also acted as a […]

Maryland Heights Trail

Both hikers and history buffs will tell you the 1,200 foot climb to the overlook at Maryland Heights is well worth the trip. The green-blazed trail leads you to a […]

Lock 33

Lock 33 of the Canal was a place of commerce situated close to the town of Harpers Ferry, just across the Potomac from town. The lock also sits below Maryland […]

Harpers Ferry Parking

Parking lot at the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Bus service and walking trail to Harpers Ferry and C&O Canal towpath.

Sandy Hook

Sandy Hook’s location and surrounding geographical features make it a natural gateway into Harpers Ferry from the Maryland side—and a busy little town before and during the Civil War. Here […]

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