C&O Canal Towpath

The C&O Canal Towpath follows the original 184.5-mile mule path that pulled barges from Washington DC to Cumberland MD between 1831 and 1924 — and the NPS preserved the entire corridor including 75 lift locks, 11 stone aqueducts, the Paw Paw Tunnel (3,118 ft hand-cut through limestone), and 30+ historic lock houses. The towpath surface is crushed stone with occasional muddy sections after rain. Trail-camping at the 30 hiker-biker primitive campgrounds (free, first-come, dry pit toilets only) makes thru-bike attempts feasible — most cyclists pair the C&O with the connecting Great Allegheny Passage for the full Pittsburgh-to-DC route. RV access is limited: most NPS campgrounds along the towpath cap rigs at 25 ft and offer no hookups; the Antietam Creek site near Sharpsburg is the most rig-friendly. The Brunswick MD and Harpers Ferry WV trail-town areas have commercial RV park alternatives within 2 miles of the towpath.