Hiking and/or Biking the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal
| Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park |
You can use this page to plan hiking or biking along the canal. The distances are approximate and there may not be access to the towpath from all of these locations. I do recommend using the park map. For a point to point hike, I recommend double checking each location for actual access to the towpath. Otherwise, the towpath is a great place for hikers of all skill levels particularly if you are doing an out and back. For this type of hike or ride, you can specify the time to go in one direction, hikers/riders then turn around and come back to the starting point with everyone having a chance to do their own thing.

Hiker/Biker Campgrounds (No fee charged) - There are 30 of these campgrounds located along the canal. Stay is limited to one night per site, per trip. All sites have a chemical toilet, water, a picnic table, and grill.

Drive-in Campgrounds ($10 per night fee) - Stay is limited to 14 days between May 1 and October 1 with a limit of 30 days for the entire calendar year. There is a limit of eight people per site. Antietam Creek and Paw Paw have adjacent parking, but visitors cannot park at the actual campsite. RV's are allowed only at McCoy's Ferry, Fifteen Mile Creek, and Spring Gap campgrounds. Primitive facilities only with no RV hookups.

000.00  Rock Creek Parkway/Parking at Thompson Boathouse
000.10  Tidewater Lock (Lock 1)
001.00  Alexandria Aqueduct/Parking on K St under Whitehurst Freeway
003.00  Fletcher’s Boathouse Boat Launch/ Picnicking
004.00  Chain Bridge/Park just north of bridge
005.00  Lock 5
005.50  Lock 6
007.00  Lock 7 (Near Glenn Echo Park)
007.50  Lock 8
008.00  Lock 9
009.00  Lock 10
009.25  Lock 11
009.50  Lock 12 (Just down river from American Legion Bridge)
009.75  Lock 13
009.80  Lock 14
010.00  Entry/Exit to southern end of the Carderock section of the Billy Goat Trail.
010.90  Carderock Park Picnicking/Rock Climbing
011.00  Entry/Exit to northern end of the Carderock section of the Billy Goat Trail.
011.20  Entry/Exit to the southern end of the Marsden Tract section of the Billy Goat Trail.
011.70  Marsden Tract Group Camping
012.60  Entry/Exit to the northern end of the Marsden Tract section of the Billy Goat Trail.
012.70  Old Anglers Inn
012.80  Entry/Exit to the southern end of the Bear Island section of the Billy Goat Trail.
013.25  Lock 15
013.50  Lock 16
013.80  Entry/Exit to the northern end of the Bear Island section of the Billy Goat Trail.
013.90  Lock 17
014.00  Olmstead Island Overlook Trail
014.10  Lock 18
014.20  Lock 19
014.30  Great Falls Tavern Visitors Center (Lock 20)
016.60  Swains Lock (Lock 21) (Hiker/Biker Camping)
018.75  Lock 22
019.60  Pennyfield Boat Launch
022.10  Violette's Lock (Lock 23)
022.80  Riley's Lock (Lock 24) Boat Launch
023.00  Seneca Creek Aqueduct Boat Launch/Picnicking
026.10  Horsepen Branch (Hiker/Biker Camping)
027.20  McKee Besher Wildlife Management Area
030.25  Chisel Branch Camping
030.50  Lock 25  (Hiker/Biker Camping)
031.00  Edwards Ferry Boat Launch
031.50  Broad Run Trunk (Aqueduct)
034.40  Turtle Run  (Hiker/Biker Camping)
038.20  Marble Quarry (Hiker/Biker Camping)
035.50  Whites Ferry
037.00  Woods Lock (Lock 26)
039.00  Dickinson Regional Park Boat Launch
041.00  Lock 27
041.25  Spinks Ferry
042.00  Monacacy River Boat Launch
042.50  Indian Flats (Hiker/Biker Camping)
044.00  Noland's Ferry Picnic/Boat Launch
047.60  Calico Rocks (Hiker/Biker Camping)
048.00  Point of Rocks
048.25  Lock 28
050.00  Lock 29
050.25  Lander Boat Launch
050.30  Bald Eagle Island (Hiker/Biker Camping)
051.00  Catoctin Creek Aqueduct
054.00  Lock 30 Picnicking/Boat Launch
054.50  Brunswick
058.00  Lock 31
061.00  Lock 32
062.00  Harpers Ferry
062.50  Lock 33
062.75  Lock 34
062.90  Huckleberry Hill (Hiker/Biker Camping)
063.00  Lock 35
063.25  Lock 36
064.00  Fort Duncan
064.25  Huckleberry Hill Camping
064.50  Dargan Bend Picnicking/Boat Launch
065.50  Lock 37
068.00  Antietam Creek Camping Boat Launch
069.70  Antietam Creek Drive-in Campground
071.00  Pack Horse Ford
072.00  Ranger Station Camping
073.00  Lock 38
073.50  Shepherdstown
074.00  Lock 39
075.20  Killiansburg Cave (Hiker/Biker Camping)
076.60  Snyder's Landing Boat Launch/Historic Jacob Rohrbach Inn B&B
079.00  Lock 40
079.20  Horseshoe Bend (Hiker/Biker Camping)
081.00  Taylor's Landing Boat Launch
082.70  Big Woods (Hiker/Biker Camping)
084.00  Dam 4
085.50  Big Slackwater Picnic/Boat Launch
086.00  Guard Lock 4
088.50  Lock 41
089.00  Lock 42
091.00  Opequon Junction (Hiker/Biker Camping)
092.00  Lock 43
095.50  Cumberland Valley (Hiker/Biker Camping)
099.30  Lock 44
099.40  Potomac Edison Dam
099.70  Williamsport Visitors Center Boat Launch
099.80  Conococheqgue Creek Aqueduct
102.00  Jordan Junction (Hiker/Biker Camping)
107.00  Lock 45
107.50  Lock 46
108.00  Locks 47-50
108.50  Four Locks Picnic/Boat Launch
110.00  North Mountain (Hiker/Biker Camping)
110.40  McCoy's Ferry Drive-in Camping/Picnicking/Boat Launch
112.00  Fort Frederick State Park
113.00  Big Pool
116.00  Licking Creek Aqueduct (Hiker/Biker Camping)
120.60  Little Pool (Hiker/Biker Camping)
122.00  Locks 51-52
122.50  Tonoloway Creek Aqueduct
123.00  Hancock Visitors Center
124.00  Little Tonoloway Picnic and Boat Launch
129.90  Leopards Mill (Hiker/Biker Camping)
130.00  Lock 53
133.00  Locks 54-55
133.60  Cacapon Junction (Hiker/Biker Camping)
136.00  Lock 56
136.50  Sideling Hill Creek Aqueduct
139.00  Lock 57
139.20  Indigo Neck (Hiker/Biker Camping)
140.90  Fifteen Mile Creek Drive-in Campground
142.00  Fifteen Mile Creek Aqueduct and Boat Launch
143.00  Lock 58
144.50  Devils Alley (Hiker/Biker Camping)
146.00  Lock 59
149.40  Stickpile Hill (Hiker/Biker Camping)
149.50  Lock 60
153.00  Lock 61
154.00  Locks 62-66
154.10  Sorrel Ridge (Hiker/Biker Camping)
156.10  Paw Paw Drive-in Campground
157.00  Paw Paw Tunnel and Picnic Area
157.40  Purslane Run (Hiker/Biker Camping)
158.00  Purslane Run
161.00  Lock 67
162.10  Town Creek (Hiker/Biker Camping)
162.50  Town Creek Aqueduct
164.00  Lock 68
164.80  Potomac Forks (Hiker/Biker Camping)
166.00  Locks 69-70
166.50  Oldtown
167.00  Oldtown-Battie Mixon Picnic Area
167.50  Lock 71
169.10  Pigman's Ferry (Hiker/Biker Camping)
173.00  Spring Gap Boat Launch/Picnic Area
173.30  Spring Gap Drive-in Campground
174.00  Lock 72
175.30  Irons Mountain (Hiker/Biker Camping)
176.00  Locks 73-75
177.00  North Branch Picnic Area
180.10  Evitt's Creek (Hiker/Biker Camping)
181.00  Evitt's Creek Aqueduct
184.00  Feeder Dam 8/Guard Lock 8/Canal Terminus