The C& O Canal National Historical Park protects the mid-19th-century Chesapeake and Ohio Canal along the Potomac River.
The canal was built to link Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River, connecting the east to the frontier west. The canal operated between the 1830s and 1920s, when railways and road transport made it obsolete.
There are 184.5 miles (297 km) of tow paths to explore, extending from Georgetown in Washington DC to Cumberland in Maryland.
Mule-powered canal boats sail along the canal in summer, and the tow path is a popular cycling and hiking route.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park runs through the states of Maryland and West Virginia.
The park has 6 visitor centers, including Great Falls Tavern at Potomac, Brunswick, Williamsport, Hancock and Cumberland in Maryland.
