C&O Canal Towpath
USA
5 days (Bike: 5 days)
185 mi (~37mi per day)
Active
Off-road
Self-Guided
Semi-Supported
185 miles of incredible history and bustling energy that has become a popular self-guided biking route. It also connects with the Great Allegheny Passage for those wanting a longer adventure.
Hugging the north bank of the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal operated from 1831 to 1924 to transport coal from the Allegheny Mountains. In 1954, U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas led an eight-day hike along the C&O Canal Towpath to try and save it from being transformed into a parkway. His success saw the former canal designated as the Chesapeake & Ohio National Historic Park in 1971.
The C&O Canal Towpath is a dirt surface and bumpy, similar to a forest road, and is managed by the National Park Service. There is little to no grade on the towpath beyond the slight elevation changes at each lock. The majority of the trail is shaded and it is entirely off-road.
The C&O Towpath lead through Civil War-era national parks and battlefields; historic stone aqueducts; and the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.
Our C&O Canal Towpath itineraries are designed to give you ample time to take in the sights along the way and experience the region’s natural beauty. It’s also possible to add on an extra time around sites like Antietam National Battlefield.
#candocanal
Tour Information
From
Cumberland
To
Washington DC
Cost From
Self-Guided Please Ask
Single Supplement
Available
Group Info
10% discount for groups of 6 or more (requiring at least 3 double occupancy rooms)
Inclusions
- Accommodation in local B&Bs
- Breakfast
- A one-way shuttle between D.C. and Cumberland
Options
- Luggage Transfer
- Reduction if not taking a return shuttle
- 4 day tour
- Bike rental
- Ebike rental
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