Cumberland Visitor Center–C&O Canal Tow Path

   The first shovels of dirt were tossed aside on July 4, 1828 at the groundbreaking ceremony for the C&O Canal. Twenty-two years later the canal stretched 184.5 miles from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland  and included 74 locks, 7 dams, 11 aqueducts and a 3,118-foot tunnel. Over the next 74 years canal boats transported thousand of tons of diverse cargo such as flour, coal, whiskey, bricks, ice, pork, and potatoes. The canal was totally abandoned by the early 1930s when competition from the railroads and flood damage made operating it economically impractical.

  The canal was designated a National Historical Park by President Nixon in 1971. The tow path which is mostly gravel and dirt is maintained for hiking and biking. We went a short distance both north and south from the Cumberland Visitor Center. We also crossed the canal to visit George Washington's Headquarters.

  South of the visitor center the the tow path goes from pavement to boardwalk and then to gravel. Going north the tow path connects to the Great Allegheny Passage which continues for another 150 to Pittsburgh, PA.  The section through the city is paved but I think it soon becomes gravel.

   To get to George Washington's Headquarters follow the ramp to upper level of the old train station. Sections of boardwalk make crossing the tracks fairly easy. Another ramp goes down to the headquarters which is a small cabin used by Washington in the 1700s during the French and Indian War and the Whiskey Rebellion. The cabin is not opened and there isn’t a ramp to access the porch. A push button is within reach and activates a recorded historic account. There are also interpretive signs.

          

   The visitor center was closed due to coronavirus but it does have a ramp for access.

   We parked in the accessible parking spaces on Canal Street. We stuck out in the street a bit but there wasn’t much traffic so it was okay. A pay lot is adjacent to the accessible parking. It’s a little too small for RVs but RVs should fit in the free parking lot on Howard Street under Interstate 68. Watch the overhead clearance.  Visitor Center  39.64962, -78.76268