Park Archives: Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal began as a dream of passage to western wealth. It operated as a conduit of eastern coal, suffered extensive and finally fatal flooding, and then resisted being paved as a highway. It endures as a national historical park today—a pathway into history nature, and recreation.

To cheers, toasts, and a blaring brass band, President John Quincy Adams broke ground for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal on Independence Day, 1828. The goal for the canal was ambitious: to improve on nature with a navigable waterway from tidewater at Georgetown to the Ohio River. The people had canal fever and dreamed of a united, wealthy nation trading with the world. A growing nation later saw the dream fulfilled but by other means of transportation.

By the time construction ended in 1850, progress had left the C&O Canal behind and canals were obsolete. Cost overruns, labor problems, and rocky terrain delayed building the canal, but new railroad technology had made great strides. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad completed the link to the West, while the canal stopped far short of reaching the Ohio River.

In a lifetime canals faded from beacons of a dawning age to quaint reminders of a bygone era. But from 1828 to 1850 thousands of immigrants found work—and hope of new life—building the canal. Until 1924, hundreds of working families would spend their lives along it. In the massive stonework of the locks and the aqueducts, their memories now linger like footprints of a restless nation's great migration westward.

After it closed in 1924 the C&O Canal sat nearly abandoned for 30 years. Flooding and financial ruin killed the C&O Canal Company but not the canal physical remains. Now bypassed by freight and commerce, the canal was soon discovered by people with different goals. The canal's nearly level towpath ran 184.5 miles along the Potomac River. It had survived as a window on the past and a witness to the resilience of nature.

One who rediscovered the C&O Canal was U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas. Over time, Justice Douglas and other concerned citizens persuaded the federal government to protect the canal. In 1971 Congress established the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Now you can enjoy what Douglas called, "a refuge, a place of retreat, a long stretch of quiet and peace."

Hikers, campers, bicyclists, and others can experience the rich history, wildlife, and geology of the Potomac River valley. Watered sections of the canal accommodate canoeists, boaters, and anglers. In Georgetown and Great Falls, Maryland, rangers and volunteers in period clothing take you back to the canal's heyday in the mid-1800s.

Hiking and Bicycling Brown concrete mileposts occur every mile along the towpath. Bicyclists must observe these regulations: • Do not exceed 15 mph. • Sound your bell or horn as you approach other towpath users. • Ride single-file, staying to the right. • Yield to pedestrians, horses, and mules. • Wear a helmet, as required by law. • Walk bikes across aqueducts.

Camping Camping is permitted only in designated areas. Restrooms and water pumps are at all campgrounds. Potable water is not available in winter. Fires are allowed only in designated areas. • Drive-in camping areas (primitive facilities, no groups) are first-come, first-served. Fees charged. Length-of-stay limits apply. • Group campgrounds require a fee, and Marsden Tract requires a permit you can get at the Great Falls Fee Station. • Hiker-Biker Overnight campsites for tent camping are placed at about five-mile intervals between Mileposts 16.6 and 180.1.

Canoeing and Boating Canoeing and non-motorized boating are possible in the watered canal sections from Georgetown to Milepost 22, and for short stretches above that. NOTE: Canal users must portage (carry their boat or canoe) around each lock. Motorized craft are generally prohibited. Swimming and wading in the canal are prohibited. Fishing is subject to Maryland or Washington, D.C., regulations. Contact visitor center staff about boat rental possibilities.

Hunting, trapping, possessing metal detectors, and relic hunting are prohibited in the park.

For Safety's Sake The Potomac River must be considered extremely dangerous at all times. The river's currents are very strong, deceptive, and unpredictable. Do not swim in the river.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal runs along the Potomac River from the mouth of Rock Creek at Georgetown in Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Md. Its 74 lift locks raised canal boats from near sea level to 605 feet of elevation at Cumberland. The towpath, built 12 feet wide as a path for mules, is now a nearly level byway for hikers and bicyclists to enjoy the canal's quiet beauty. The watered sections afford canoeists, boaters, and anglers quiet waters, while park rangers in period clothing take you back to a time when the canal was alive and well.

Canal Boat Rides Relive life on the canal aboard the park's reproduction canal boats. Enjoy ranger-led programs as you glide along the canal under mulepower. Boat rides depart from Georgetown and Great Falls from April through October. For group reservations, ticket information, and hours of operation, call the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center.

Visitor Centers
Canal information and history are available at six park visitor centers and at seasonal contact stations. Hours vary by season, so please visit www.nps.gov/choh or call for schedules.

Georgetown Visitor Center 1057 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, Washington, D.C. Exhibits on the history of the canal and an urban canal setting.

Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center 11710 MacArthur Blvd., Potomac, Md. Originally a locktender's house, the building was later expanded. Exhibits present the history of the canal and the area.

Brunswick Visitor Center 40 West Potomac Street, Brunswick, Md. Exhibits highlight the town's transportation history from early ferry service to the predominance of the railroad.

Williamsport Visitor Center 205 West Potomac Street, Williamsport, Md. The Cushwa warehouse and basin on the canal are perfect places to delve into this canal town's fascinating history.

Hancock Visitor Center 326 East Main Street, just outside Hancock, Md. Displays tell the story of the canal and explain its operations.

Cumberland Visitor Center Western Maryland Railway Station, 13 Canal Street, Cumberland, Md. Extensive exhibits tell about the canal and its western terminus.

Park rangers and partners open seasonal contact stations at the River Center at Lock 8, Lockhouse 29,Ferry Hill, and Lockhouse 75.

Note: This is a trash-free park. Please take your trash with you when you leave.

The contents of brochures, site bulletins and trading cards (denoted with a colored caption) can be viewed by clicking on the cover. Most modern-day brochures, however, are cover only (denoted by a white caption) due to photograph copyrights. These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning. The dates under each brochure do not reflect the complete range of years that a particular brochure was issued.

1942		1946		1952
1955		1960		1966
1969	1971	1972	1973	1975	1976
1977	1978	1980	1985
cover only Date Unknown		1986-1993		cover only 1994-1997
cover only 1998-1999		cover only 2000		cover only 2001-2004
cover only 2005-2007		cover only 2008-2012		cover only 2015-2018

cover only A Historic Waterway West 2007		Visitor Use Facilities Date Unknown		cover only Facilities Guide 1993
The Abner Cloud House Date Unknown		Are You Prepared for Billy Goat Trail A? Date Unknown		Billy Goat Trail A — Rock 'n' Walk Trail Guide Date Unknown
Architectural Structures Date Unknown		Boat Trip Program Date Unknown		cover only Cumberland Terminus Date Unknown
cover only Ferry Hill 2011		cover only Ferry Hill Place Date Unknown		cover only Four Locks 1989
Four Locks: The People in the Neighborhood Date Unknown		Four Locks Walking Guide January 2011		Historic Georgetown Trail Date Unknown
Great Falls Tavern Date Unknown		cover only Great Falls Tavern 1999		Spring Wildflowers and Woody Plants of the C&O Canal Date Unknown	Canal Discoveries Date Unknown
cover only Hiking Trails of Great Falls Maryland Date Unknown		cover only Hiking Trails of Great Falls Maryland 2003		cover only Granaries at Whites Ferry and Monocacy Village Date Unknown
Lochhouse 25 - Edwards Ferry Date Unknown		cover only Paw Paw Tunnel 2002		Paw Paw Tunnel June 2011
Stories in the Stones: Fossils of the C&O Canal Date Unknown		Williamsport Canal Walking Tour December 2010		Biking Along the Canal Date Unknown
Public Boat Launching Ramps Date Unknown		Camping Regulations Date Unknown		Canoeing Along the Canal Date Unknown
Canoeing in Safety on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Date Unknown		Historic Crommelin House Date Unknown		Hiking Along the Canal Date Unknown
Horse Use Policy Date Unknown		Lock 6 Date Unknown		Lock 17 Date Unknown
Old Angler's Inn Date Unknown		Violette's Lock Date Unknown		Great Falls of the Potomac Date Unknown
A New Deal for the C&O Canal Date Unknown
Canal Quarters Date Unknown	cover only Leave no trace along the C&O Canal Date Unknown	Cumberland Visitor Center 2002	Life on a C&O Barge Date Unknown	Paw Paw Tunnel Date Unknown	Broad Run to Point of Rocks Date Unknown
Catoctin Creek to Harpers Ferry Date Unknown	Mountain Lock to Opequon Creek Date Unknown
Trading Cards






(©Jefferson National Parks Association)

The following visual bibliography is just a sampling of the handbooks and books which have been published for this park. NPSHistory.com does not endorse these, but are merely presenting them for informational purposes only. As most are copyrighted, we are only able to provide the covers, and not contents, of these publications.

cover only Life On The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal: 1859 Ella E. Clark and Thomas F. Hahn, eds. 1977	cover only Hey-Ey-Ey, Lock! Adventure of The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Morris Fradin 1977	cover only The C & O Canal Boatmen 1892-1924 Thoams F. Han 1980	cover only Home on the Canal Elizabeth Kytle 1983
cover only Towpath Guide to the C & O Canal Thomas F. Hahn 1983	cover only Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Old Picture Album Thomas F. Han 1985	cover only Handbook #142 Chesapeake and Ohio Canal: a guide to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park 1991	cover only Chesapeake and Ohio Canal 2015