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THE C&O CANAL SCENIC BYWAY

America’s ‘Grand Old Ditch’

Allegany County is part of Maryland's western portion of the 236-mile
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Scenic Byway, one of 15 scenic byway systems in Explore the Byway
the state. The byway system runs from Cumberland, MD, to Washington, DC,
following historical experiences along the C&O Canal National Historical Park.
Nicknamed the "Grand Old Ditch," the C&O Canal served for nearly a BY BIKE, FOOT, BOAT, OR CAR
century as a transport system carrying coal and natural resources from the The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal - West Scenic Byway
mountains of Maryland to the eastern seaboard, using mules and cargo boats extends from Cumberland, MD, to Hagerstown, MD,
to travel the canal and towpath. Today, the canal serves as a popular following the scenic routes of MD 51, MD 144, I-70, US 40,
recreation site and is Maryland's most-visited national park. MD 56, MD 68, MD 63, and MD 65. Adventure your way off
the byway to bike sections of the 184.5 mile C&O Canal
Points of Interest Towpath, hike or mountain bike through Green Ridge State
Forest, or explore the Paw Paw Tunnel, an engineering marvel
along the canal, which took 14 years to build as workers cut
through more than 3,000 feet of the mountain to bypass the
SPRING GAP RECREATION AREA Paw Paw Bends in the Potomac River.
Spring Gap provides an access point for the C&O Canal National Historic Park
as well as boating and fishing access to the Potomac River. Follow the Towpath
for a one-mile hike that takes you to Lock 72 at “The Narrows,” an area along
the canal where the canal, highway, and railroad are squeezed in a tight space
between the Potomac River and the mountains. Lock 72 was finished
in 1841. In the days that the canal was operational, Lock 72 was known as
"Ten Mile Lock" because it is almost exactly 10 miles below Cumberland.

WESTERN MARYLAND RAIL TRAIL
A 28-mile linear trail that runs from Big Pool, MD, along the Potomac River
and the C&O Canal Towpath, past Sideling Hill, to Little Orleans, MD. The trail
is paved and popular for cycling, in-line skating, and walking. The Fifteen Mile
Creek boat ramp located in the C&O Canal National Historical Park is just
5 miles off of I-68 and provides parking access to the rail trail.

28 | 2023 Destination Guide