C & O Canal National Historic Park, Maryland
Everything the RV Renter Needs to Know
Everything the RV Renter Needs to Know
Stretching nearly 185 miles through Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. is the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, a sprawling destination that’s equal parts natural getaway and testament to the area’s rich history in business and transportation. Today, the Historic Park marks the most historic places along the Canal itself, which served as a crucial route for products on their way down to the Potomac and along the way to major markets across the east coast. More a route than a single location, this is a destination that’s best seen from the behind the wheel of a rented RV, which can take you to every spot that attracts your attention while providing a reliable place to call it a day when the evening comes. Here’s everything you need to know to plan a C & O Canal vacation by RV.
It should come as no surprise that boating is a major draw to the C & O Canal, with several stretches of the canal repurposed for recreational boating. What was once a busy industrial waterway is now a beautiful place to paddle your day away (there are no motorized boats allowed in the park). There are six designated boating areas, most of which are less than a mile long. From mile 162 to mile 167, there’s a longer, five-mile waterway between Oldtown and Town Creek.
If you need to rent a boat to enjoy the canal yourself, the National Park Service partners with two concessioners offering boat rentals right within the park. At the very start of the canal, Thompson Boat Center offers rentals for canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and sculling. Just three miles down the canal, Fletcher’s Boathouse is another outfitter specializing in fishing.
At Fletcher’s Boathouse, you can not only rent a canoe or kayak to hit the water, but you can also get stocked up on everything you need to fish in the canal and the Potomac. The boathouse’s Tackle Shack can set you up with a fishing license and locally-made tackle specially designed to appeal to the species in the area. From there, you can set out to find the perfect fishing spot and start reeling them in!
There’s a wide variety of species living in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, from channel catfish and carp to panfish favorites like sunfish, bluegill, yellow perch, crappie, bass, and pickerel. Get more info on the fish in the area and how to get a license depending on which portion of the canal you’ll be fishing on the National Park Service website.
The towpath once used to pull boats through the C & O Canal’s locks now comprises one of the longest biking trails anywhere in the United States. At more than 184 miles in length, the towpath promises easy riding along the water with beautiful views of the countryside no matter which portion you choose to bike. There are other biking trails, as well, including the historic Western Maryland Rail Trail, Capital Crescent Trail, and Berma Road.
If hiking is more your speed, you’ll find ample opportunity for that as well. The towpath doubles as a hiking trail, and there’s also the Tunnel Hill trail, Ferry Hill trail, and 14-mile stretch of trails near the Great Falls, including the famous Billy Goat trail that attracts hikers from around the country. Learn more about hiking and biking opportunities at C & O Canal here.
There are many guided and self-guided tours to help you explore the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park, including ranger programs that give you a hands-on experience of the area’s history and nature. One of the easiest way to explore on your own while still gaining insights on everything at the park is with the excellent phone tour options. Several marked areas around the park offer a stop number you can use when calling into the cell phone audio tour, and there’s even a smartphone app available to let you deepen your experience with audio, photos, and links to learn more.
At the visitors centers at Great Falls Tavern and Williamsport, there are also engrossing ranger-led programs always happening. At Great Falls Tavern, you can see a live lock demonstration to see how 19th-century boats were lifted along the canal’s waterways. There are also walking tours and experiences with the mules that help operate the lock demonstrations, just as mules once helped pull boats through the locks. In Williamsport, you can ride through the aqueducts on a ranger-led launch boat tour.
If you’re thinking about visiting Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park during the winter, you’ll be delighted to hear that the park transforms into a winter wonderland. The canal itself freezes over often during the winter, making for a near endless stretch of excellent ice skating out in nature. Where the ice is thick enough, ice fishing is another popular wintertime hobby throughout the park.
On dry, if not snowy, land there are other ways to enjoy the park during the winter. As long as you keep away from the river portions of the park, the hills surrounding the canal are ripe for sledding. The towpath, when covered in snow, also turns into a great cross-country skiing destination. Learn more about these great winter activities at the park here.
There are a few campgrounds within Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park that allow for drive-up camping. That comes with a few caveats, however; trailers can’t be longer than 20 feet and there aren’t any RV hookups. That said, if you chose a smaller RV rental and are interested in staying close to the park without any hookups, this is your best bet. Click here for more info and reservations.
Ramblin’ Pines offers 200 campsites, 190 of which feature full RV hookups. The planned family activities and on-site mini-golf are just the icing on the cake here. The real appeal is the quaint setting—equal parts old farmland, pondside country, and shady forest. Enjoy close proximity to the historic park, plus nearby cities like Baltimore.
Cherry Hill Park in College Park, Maryland is the closest RV park to Washington, D.C. itself. Enjoy the beautiful nature of this campground and the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, then take a day or two to explore the museums and historic landmarks of the nation’s capital, just a short drive away.
A public campground managed by Montgomery County, Little Bennett Campground in Clarksburg, Maryland is a great RV resort in a park setting. There are spacious, pull-through, full-hookup RV sites, plus miles of hiking trails to enjoy the park’s 3,700 acres of rolling meadows and forests.
Over the state line in Fairfax, Virginia, Lake Fairfax Park is a county park that’s perfect for the RV crowd. The campground is situated inside a 476-acre park complete with a skate park, pump track, hiking and biking trails, a family waterpark, and more. The main draw is Lake Fairfax itself, which is a local favorite for fishing.
In the quaint town of Poolesville, Bassett’s Fine Food and Spirits is a local favorite offering pizza, seafood, tacos, and an excellent Sunday brunch. Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia is a can’t miss destination along the canal, with top favorites including Canal House Café, Battlegrounds Bakery & Coffee, and Hamilton’s Tavern 1840.
Learn more about the many Canal Towns in the area, which have a special partnership with the park and offer plenty of dining options to choose from, on the Canal Trust website.