Riding the Iconic C&O Canal
Earlier this year my good friend Paul asked me if I would be willing to join him and another friend, Becky, on a three day trip to ride the full length of the C&O towpath, 184.5 miles, from Cumberland, MD to Washington, D.C.
The plan was simple, we would leave on Friday, May 26th, from Cumberland, MD, and conclude the ride in Washington, DC (actually Arlington, VA) on Sunday the 28th. Our arrival to the Nation’s capital would coincide with the Memorial Day remembrance celebrations. The ride would serve as a chance to experience an iconic regional cycling landmark, and some time to reflect on my father, a veteran of the Peruvian Air Force who is going through some health challenges.
The goal was to complete the ride in three legs:
May 2023 - Text: Martín Fernández. Images: Martín Fernández/Becky Barkett.
The C&O Canal is a scenic route from Cumberland, MD to Washington, DC. The towpath offers picturesque views of the Potomac River and a unique and memorable cycling experience.
Our goal was to complete the ride in three days, splitting the route into three manageable 60± mile segments. The most challenging part for me would not be the distance, but (no pun intended) the time “on the saddle.” I had prepared for this over the last few months by gradually increasing my regular rides from 1.5 hours to 5. That planning paid off, and I had only minor issues over the three day trip.
The gradual elevation change, and well-maintained path, make the route a perfect setting for both beginner and seasoned riders. Anyone with a decent fitness level and riding experience can complete this ride, but planning is essential. Along the way we encountered many other riders embarking on the same journey, but, unlike us, most were taking a little extra time to complete the voyage and opting instead to break up their experience into smaller distances, including 20, 30 and 40 mile days.
ABOVE: The ride offers picturesque views of the Potomac River, including this one near Oldtown, MD. Photo: Martin Fernández.
A full length outing on the C&O requires that you plan accordingly. We had to decide in advance what to bring, where to stay, and how long to ride each day. Knowing we would be riding 60 miles a day we picked two stopping spots along the way. The first was Hancock, MD and the second was Harpers Ferry, WV.
We opted to stay the first night at the C&O Bicycle Bunkhouse in Hancock and booked a couple of rooms at the Quality Inn in Harpers Ferry for the second. Other options included camping along one of the 31 towpath campsites or one of the available lock houses, but we wanted the luxury of a shower, as well as nearby places to eat after a long ride. The only food we would be carrying would be small snacks and nutritional supplements to keep us fueled along for the ride. Since at least one night called for “camp-like” conditions, we also carried sleeping bags with us. Other than toiletries and extra cycling gear, we also brought batteries for our electronics, some spare parts, and at least one change of clothes for our evening outings. Instead of carrying this all on our backs or bikes, we opted instead to make use of the Bob trailers that serve trail maintenance hauling duties for us. The dry bags that came with the trailers kept all of our gear dry and dust free.
We made a slight change to our plans when we were en-route to the starting point of the ride. We opted to stop by the C&O Bicycle Bunkhouse, a bike shop that serves as an overnight location, and offered us a place to secure our items so that we could enjoy leg 1 of the trip without the extra weight. The choice was a smart one since the first 60 miles included a detour around the Paw Paw Tunnel (currently under repair) that included a (very) steep climb and subsequent descent.
Each day the route would offer a different set of challenges and interesting views.
Early on during the ride we passed by the Cumberland Wastewater plant - we pedaled a little bit faster along this malodorous landmark.
Midway along the ride we encountered the Paw Paw Tunnel detour. Despite missing out on the experience of going through the tunnel we were treated to great views of one of the Potomac Bends at the peak of the detour. And, as we neared the end of leg 1, we stopped at the Round Top Cement Mill (below). The Mill’s ruins still (partially) stand as a reminder of the waterways fervent past.
ABOVE: One of the many interesting landmarks you’ll come across during the ride. This one, just outside Hancock, MD at Mile Marker 127.4 is the Round Top Cement Mill
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Pumping Water
There are 31 campsites along the C&O towpath. most of them have water pumps - if you plan to drink the water you’ll have to purify it.
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Pay Phone
Stopped for lunch in the town of Paw Paw, WV and encounterd this relic, a pay phone!
ABOVE: Among the things you’ll see along the ride are water pumps along most of the 31 towpath campsites. If you plan on drinking this water you’ll have to first purify it. We stopped for lunch at the town of Paw Paw, WV and encountered a relic lost in time, a pay phone. This one, unfortunately, no longer worked, just for show…
We arrived at the C&O Bicycle Bunkhouse nearly 5.5 hours after we started and shortly before the bike shop closed. This gave us an opportunity to browse some of the shop’s merchandise and purchase a couple of items. After that, we simply cleaned up and headed out for dinner to the Potomac River Grill. The short walk to the restaurant gave us an opportunity to stretch our legs and fuel up for the next day and Leg 2 of the trip. It also helped us choose our pre-ride breakfast spot for the next day.
ABOVE: Geared up and ready to go. Today would mark the first day we pulled the fully loaded trailers along the towpath. The Bunkhouse, behind us, proved to be an adequate place to spend the night.
Day two proved to be a little more challenging than the first. This time around we had fully loaded trailers and decided that we would pace ourselves a little slower than the previous day. The choice proved to be mistake that only resulted in keeping us on the saddle for way longer than we would have liked. By the time we arrived to Harpers Ferry, nearly 7.5 hours into the day, our bodies were aching all over.
The promise of a hotel bed, hot shower, and hot meal is what kept driving us. Still, any day on the bike, even a long one, is better than one not spent riding. And, once again, just like the day before, we were able to see and experience lots of cool sites and views along the way.
One of the highlights of the ride, at least for me, was cycling through Big Slackwater. Nearly 40 miles into Leg 2 and 100 miles into the ride, the path emerged from the woods and we were greeted to a dramatic view of the Potomac. The original towpath was destroyed by heavy flooding in 1996 and remained impassable until 2012. The Park Service reconstructed the path and replaced it with a concrete pathway that “hovers” over the river. The short video below highlights the first portion of this section, shortly before the gravel turns to concrete.
ABOVE: The portion of the trail along Big Slackwater offers great views of the Potomac.
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riding under one of several railroad overpasses. Mile marker 112; Big Pool Lake.
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Mile Marker 92, halfway point of the ride.
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The portion of the path along Big Slackwater offers great views of the Potomac.
ABOVE: C&O Canal Dam 5 near Mile Marker 106.
With Leg 2 behind us, and after a good night’s sleep, we ventured into Leg 3, the final portion of the ride. The experience from the day before prompted us to make a few changes. We redistributed the load from one of our trailers into the other two and decided to pick up the pace; at least during the first portion of the ride. We also opted for an earlier start, 8 am, to avoid the heavy crowds at Harper's Ferry and the bridge that would get us onto the towpath.
ABOVE: Ready to roll on Leg 3. Shortly before crossing the Harpers Ferry bridge to the C&O towpath.
We knew what to expect because we had ridden the last 60+ miles once before, only a few weeks prior. The path, for the most part, has been re-surfaced with crushed limestone from Cumberland to just before DC and we wanted to take advantage of that. We also set up a little bit of a pace line, to improve our time on the saddle. The strategy proved to be an effective one, and before we knew it, we were nearly half way into the ride and at White’s Ferry for an early lunch at the White’s Ferry Grill.
ABOVE: Early lunch at White’s Ferry. Nearly halfway on leg 3 of our adventure.
We also knew we would have to tackle lots of “people” traffic once we got to Great Falls and were thoroughly prepared for the expectation of crossing path with folks who are purposefully “oblivious” to long distance bikers.
Overall the vast majority of encounters we had along the path were positive, but unfortunately, there are still those along the way that just can’t share the path nicely. Thankfully there was only one of those in the 184.5 mile length of trail. We encountered one user on Leg 3 who simply refused to yield the path, even though there was plenty of room along the 8’ wide corridor, as we neared him.
Descending the steep metal stairs of the Harpers Ferry Bridge unto the towpath was one of the most difficult parts of the day.
My 333 with a fully loaded Bob in tow. Taking a quick break along one of the final campsites before our arrival to DC.
Almost home! Less than 15 miles from our destination, The Pentagon's North Parking. Our ride home would be waiting for us there.
ABOVE: At our destination. We had some time to change from our riding kits before hopping into our ride and the drive home. Absolutely phenomenal experience and super fun three days on the saddle.
Final Thoughts
We were incredibly fortunate and blessed with phenomenal weather during our three day tour. Each day greeted us with a high of 75°, low humidity, and no wind. We did experience some sprinkles on Leg 3 of the ride as we arrived to Great Falls, but they were minimal. The cloud cover was a welcome change and helped cool things down a bit.
We met a lot of great people along the way who were also enjoying the towpath. Several on journeys just like our own, others doing the full GAP + C&O pull, and some just out for a day’s ride. The ratio of nice vs mean people out there is quite high, and it really restored my faith in humanity.
I’m not sure if I would do this trip any other way. If you are an avid or experienced rider, three days seems about right. The one thing I would change about this particular outing would be pushing on past Harpers Ferry on day two. Climbing the steel steps was a royal pain in the tushy, especially with the number of people around. Paul took the initiative (and the brunt) of the effort, and literally hauled all three trailers up himself. We arrived in the afternoon right about the same time most tourists were making their way out of the towpath and back into town. The crowds here were far more difficult to deal with than those at Great Falls. I would probably push on a little further to Brunswick and stay there instead. That said, the Quality Inn at Harpers Ferry was perfect.
I would definitely not camp. I like camping, but knowing there is a bed and shower within a mile from the trail is simply enough to sway me away from it.
I am now considering a second outing to do this again. Next time, however, I will extend it over more days so I can experience some of the other towns along the way. Plus, I want to take my daughter along for the ride and 60 miles a day will be asking too much of her.
I am also considering a two day outing. I know people have done it one day, but that’s not quite my cup of tea - 16 hours on the saddle is just too much. The challenge of riding 100 miles on day one and the remaining 84 on day 2, however, does have its allure.
Other lesson’s learned? I may have taken more gear than I actually needed, for this trip, as we had perfect weather. Had conditions been different, e.g. some rain, I would have needed what I did not use this time around.
If you have never done this and are planning on it, there’s one resource I would check out before you begin your journey. Visit the Canal Trust and download their mobile app. The App is packed with useful information and details. The Trust’s website also has a ton of information that will help you plan your outing and make the most out of your adventure.
ABOVE: We made it to DC! Blessed with perfect weather for the three day ride.
This journal entry is a “summary” compilation of entries I made in my Moleskine travel journal. Whenever I travel I bring it along for the ride and jot things down so I don’t forge them. I also bring with me a small Digital Bluetooth Printer so I can print out selected images, some of the ones you see here. The photo paper used on these little Zink printers has an adhesive back so that I can easily peel and paste it in my journal.