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Cushwa Basin

Developed as a major point for loading/unloading on the Canal, the Cushwa Basin was one of the few places on the Canal that a boat could turn around. Sitting on […]

Bollman Bridge

Patapsco Bridge and Iron Works built the present road bridge crossing, Bollman Bridge, with Wendall Bollman as their chief, in 1879. Bollman was a self-taught engineer who started at the […]

Doubleday Hill/River View Cemetery

The long hill along the raised bank of the canal is known as Battery Hill or Doubleday Hill. Legend has it that General Abner Doubleday occupied the hill and played […]

Lock 44 Parking

Small lot off Main Street, near Lock 44 and Lockhouse 44, with access to the towpath.

Williamsport

Centrally located along the C&O Canal, Williamsport, Maryland is a thriving small town and bustling area for locals and tourists alike. It also has a rich history. The town’s location […]

Lock 44

The gray and white limestone Lock 44 is located adjacent to downtown Williamsport, with an earthen dyke that leads over to Main Street. Those who are interested in Canal infrastructure […]

Lockhouse 44

When you walk the towpath near Lockhouse 44 in Williamsport, ponder those whose footsteps you’re following. Tens of thousands have walked here before you, including barefoot 10-year old mule drivers […]

Cumberland Valley Railroad Bridge

The Cumberland Valley Railroad (CVRR) was chartered in 1831 and began travel in Pennsylvania in 1835. It eventually expanded to Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia. During the Civil War, the […]

Cumberland Valley 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 […]

Cumberland Valley Campsite

The first campsite south of Williamsport on the Canal, Cumberland Valley Campsite is named after the nearby railroad of the same name. The Cumberland Valley Railroad was built to connect […]

Falling Waters

Falling Waters, West Virginia got its name from a cascading stream near the Potomac. A convenient river crossing, its most famous crossing came in the summer of 1863. After the […]

Lock 43

Located just upstream from the Canal’s midpoint, Lock 43 was constructed of blue-gray limestone. A white-washed brick lockhouse is still standing near the site.

Opequon Junction 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 […]

Opequon Junction Campsite

Looking across the Potomac from this campground, you’ll see the mouth of its namesake creek. Historically, Opequon Creek played an important role in pre-1800 America. The creek was navigable upstream […]

Lock 42

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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