C&O Canal Trust

The C&O Canal spans about 185 miles along the Potomac River that allowed transportation of coal, lumber, and agricultural products to the local markets. This canal was President Washington’s idea in which he wanted an all-​water transportation route to the Ohio River Valley. Construction began in 1828 in Georgetown, and was completed in 1850 when the canal reached Cumberland, MD. The authentic villages (Cumberland, MD; Hancock, MD; Williamsport, MD; Shepherdstown, WV; Sharpsburg, MD; Harpers Ferry & Bolivar, WV; Brunswick, MD; and Point of Rocks, MD) still exist in which visitors can still go and check it out, whether if you want to bike, hike, rock climb, stroll, birdwatch, check out the park, or stay at one of their quarters (overnights in their lockhouses and experience what it was like to live and work along the canal). I especially like the Canal Quarters, as (specially Lockhouse 22 and Lockhouse 28) the structures are over 170 years old and contain 19^th century furnishings. You can explore the different Mileposts, in which each offers a specific attraction to explore (such as te Alexandria Aqueduct, Fletchers Cove, Abner Cloud Mill, Edwards Ferry, Harpers Ferry, Dam 4, Indigo Tunnel, Paw Paw Tunnel, etc.). There are C&O Canal rangers readily available to offer a first-​person description of each of the location in the park. Definitely neat to check out these canal villages as a part of a road trip or on vacation; great for a group outing, a family vacation, and/​or for history buffs: D
+several authentic villages throughout MD