C AND O CANAL TRAIL

This is a really nice hike especially from Brunswick, MD to Shepherdstown, WV (where Dave and I used to live when our middle son, Jason, was just a toddler).

History & Culture

Women on a canal boat

In the 19th and early 20th century the C&O Canal provided jobs and opportunities for people throughout the Potomac River Valley, from the tidal basin in Washington D.C. to the mountains of Western Maryland.

In a little less than one hundred years, the C&O Canal witnessed a race west by transportation giants, the growth and decline of communities and businesses along the banks of the Potomac River, fierce battles raging between a divided nation, and improvements in technology that made life along the canal obsolete.

Today the remains of the C&O Canal provide a place to recreate and enjoy nature, but most importantly they tell the story of the canal's important role in America's history. Stories of western expansion, transportation, engineering, the Civil War, immigration, industry and commerce.

Discover the fascinating people, places, stories and collections that compose the C&O Canal's unique history!  Hike the C and O Canal Trail! 

Did You Know?

     The C&O Canal begins in Georgetown. 
The canal made extra money by selling water to numerous factories in
Georgetown to power water driven machinery such as water wheels, etc. 

Many factories were located next to canal property.