A gravel travel next to a watered canal surrounded by bright greenery
Towpath along Lush Canal NPS

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

National Historic Site · District of Columbia · National Park Service

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.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Phone
301-739-4200
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Highlights: Dams · Laborer and Worker · Schools and Education · Transportation · Canals · Tunnels · Tragic Events · Floods · Wars and Conflicts · Civil War · Women's History · Animals · Birds · Fish · Forests and Woodlands · Deciduous Forests · Fossils and Paleontology · Geology · River and Riparian · Scenic Views · Trails · Waterfalls

Activities & features: Biking · Road Biking · Boating · Boat Tour · Camping · Car or Front Country Camping · Group Camping · Fishing · Freshwater Fishing · Guided Tours · Hiking · Front-Country Hiking · Horse Trekking · Horseback Riding · Ice Skating · Paddling · Junior Ranger Program · Skiing · Cross-Country Skiing · Snowshoeing · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching · Shopping

Photos

  • A bright blue sky reflects off clear water
    NPS
  • A path leads up to a large stone tunnel carved into a mountain
    NPS
  • A single bike rider on the towpath next to the widewater section of the canal.
    NPS photo
  • Fog over the Potomac River alongside the Canal towpath.
    NPS photo
  • A whitewashed lockhouse sits above a stone lock with wooden crib.
    NPS photo
  • The rushing river cascades over the rocks of the Potomac
    NPS photo

Nearby parks

Parks of District of Columbia

African American Civil War MemorialWashington MonumentRock Creek ParkFranklin Delano Roosevelt MemorialCivil War Defenses of WashingtonWorld War I MemorialTheodore Roosevelt IslandGeorge Washington Memorial ParkwayPennsylvania AvenueCarter G. Woodson Home National Historic SiteKorean War Veterans MemorialThomas Jefferson MemorialThe White House and President's ParkCapitol Hill ParksMary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic SiteConstitution GardensFord's Theatre National Historic SiteFort Dupont ParkMartin Luther King, Jr. MemorialFrederick Douglass National Historic SiteKenilworth Park & Aquatic GardensBelmont-Paul Women's Equality National MonumentDwight D. Eisenhower MemorialLBJ Memorial Grove on the PotomacLincoln MemorialVietnam Veterans MemorialPotomac Heritage National Scenic TrailWorld War II MemorialNational Mall and Memorial ParksAnacostia ParkNational Capital Parks-East

32 parks mapped in District of Columbia

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Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12