Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
National Historical Park · MD, DC, WV
Park Closure · Closures: Detours; Towpath; Points of Interest
Multiple items are closed due to hazardous conditions or maintenance. See below for more details.
More informationCaution · DC Water Sewer Overflow
DC Water is managing a sanitary sewer overflow from the Potomac Interceptor near Lock 10. Anyone with questions or in need of support can reach out to DC Water’s 24-Hour Command Center at (202) 612-3400 or visit https://www.dcwater.com/about-dc-water/media/potomac-interceptor-collapse.
More informationCaution · Hiking in Gold Mine Tract
Visitors are restricted to the designated trails within the Gold Mine Tract in the Great Falls area. This location is generally defined as that area bordered by MacArthur Boulevard and Berma Road and depicted on the Great Falls Maryland Hiking Map.
More information1 noticefrom the National Park Service
Information · Equestrian Traffic Temporarily Prohibited - Mile 124.5 to 155
Horses are prohibited between Little Tonoloway (mile 124.5) and Paw Paw (mile 155) due to recent and ongoing towpath resurfacing. See more for details.
More information
Preserving America's early transportation history, the C&O Canal began as a dream of passage to Western wealth. Operating for nearly 100 years the canal was a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River as coal, lumber, and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. Today it endures as a pathway for discovering historical, natural, and recreational treasures.
- NPS site
- nps.gov/choh
- Location
- Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (39.000, -77.248)
Track your visit to Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
NP Tracker keeps a record of every National Park Service unit you visit — all 430-plus of them. Log visits with dates and photos, collect passport stamps, plan trips, and watch your map fill in. It's free.
Passport stamp locations
- Brunswick Visitor Center
- C&O Canal Lockhouse 10 Canal Quarters
- C&O Canal Lockhouse 21 Canal Quarters
- C&O Canal Lockhouse 22 Canal Quarters
- C&O Canal Lockhouse 25 Canal Quarters
- C&O Canal Lockhouse 28 Canal Quarters
- C&O Canal Lockhouse 49 Canal Quarters
- C&O Canal Lockhouse 6 Canal Quarters
- C&O Canal Park Headquarters
- Cumberland Visitor Center
- Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center
- Williamsport Visitor Center
Hours
C&O Canal Towpathtoday: Sunrise to Sunset
- Sat Oct 3Sunrise to Sunset
- Sun Oct 4Sunrise to Sunset
- Mon Oct 5Sunrise to Sunset
- Tue Oct 6Sunrise to Sunset
- Wed Oct 7Sunrise to Sunset
- Thu Oct 8Sunrise to Sunset
- Fri Oct 9Sunrise to Sunset
The towpath is open 365 days a year.
Hours are retrieved from the National Park Service and can change without notice — check the official site before you go.
Visitor centers
5
- Brunswick Visitor Centertoday: 10:00AM - 4:00PMDirections
- Cumberland Visitor Centertoday: 9:00AM - 4:00PMDirections
- Georgetown Visitor Centertoday: 9:00AM - 4:00PMDirections
- Great Falls Tavern Visitor Centertoday: 9:00AM - 4:00PMDirections
Self-guided tours
1
Williamsport Canal Features30–60 minutes · 6 stops
Williamsport, once a thriving and bustling canal town, transported tons of coal up and down the canal from Cumberland, MD to Washington, DC. Take a walk and imagine dozens of boats, workers, and mules moving commerce. Williamsport, MD is at mile 99.8 out of 184.5 miles of towpath. Here you will find unique features of the canal system and other infrastructure that arose with westward expansion and industrialization.
Entrance fees
5
- Private Vehicle — $20.00
Pass is for one private, non-commercial vehicle — passenger cars, pickup trucks, RVs and vans — and is valid at the Great Falls area of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River and Great Falls Park on the Virginia side of the Potomac River.
- Motorcycle — $15.00
Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers to the Great Falls area of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River and at Great Falls Park on the Virginia side of the Potomac River.
- Per Person — $10.00
Pass is for one person 16 years of age or older — entering on foot or by bicycle — and is valid at the Great Falls area of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River and at Great Falls Park on the Virginia side of the Potomac River.
- Non-commercial Groups — $100.00
Includes church groups, college/school groups, scouts, service organizations, military, etc... Vehicles with passenger capacity of fewer than 16 persons, $20 for the vehicle. Vehicles with a passenger capacity of 16 or more persons, $10 per person age 16 and over. Removal of seats from a vehicle does not then qualify for the lower rate. Age and pass exemptions apply. The total fee charged for an Organized Non-Commercial Group will not exceed the $100 fee per vehicle.