Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Parks Directory of the United States / US National Parks / National Historical Parks

Address: 1850 Dual Hwy, Suite 100
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Phone: 301-739-4200;
Fax: 301-739-5275;
Web: www.nps.gov/choh/
Size: 19,682 acres.
Established: Placed under the National Park Service on September 23, 1938; proclaimed Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Monument on January 18, 1961; changed to national historical park on January 8, 1971.
Location: Park runs along the Potomac River from the mouth of Rock Creek in Georgetown, DC, to Cumberland, MD, encompassing portions of Maryland, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Various sections of the canal can be reached via Routes I-495, I-70, and I-68.
Facilities: Campgrounds, picnic area, rest rooms (é), restaurant/snacks, bicycle trail, boat rental, boat ramp, 6 visitor centers (é), museum/exhibit, self-guided tour/trail.
Activities: Camping, hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, boating, fishing, ranger-led programs, mule-drawn canal boat ride.
Special Features: The park follows the route of the 184.5-mile canal along the Potomac River between Washington, DC, and Cumberland, MD. Built between 1828-1850, the canal operated as a transportation route, primarily hauling coal from western Maryland to the port of Georgetown in Washington, DC, until 1924. Hundreds of original structures, including locks, lockhouses, and aqueducts serve as reminders of the canal's role as a transportation system during the Canal Era. In addition, park includes a continuous trail through the spectacular scenery of the Potomac River Valley.

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See other parks in Maryland.