Got out for a Spring hike a few weeks ago with my daughter along the C&O Canal. The section we hiked was near Clear Spring, Maryland - just a ways beyond Williamsport. The exact location was Dam #5 & Lock 45. We were lucky to have a warm spring day that was dry. 2018 has been very wet so far. Hiking the canal gives you amazing views of the Potomac River. The canal itself is basically dry and in many places very overgrown; but the lock houses, locks, and dams are all still in existence. The towpath you hike is well maintained.
The C & O Canal pretty much runs parallel to the Potomac River. It extends from Washington D.C. all the way to Cumberland, Maryland - a distance of 184 miles. Primarily it was used to haul coal out of the western Maryland & West Virginia mountains down to Washington. There were other commodities transported as well. Construction was (at times) difficult due to the change in elevation of 600+ feet. 74 locks were required. The locks were used to raise/lower the barges used in commercial transportation. A typical trip from Cumberland to Washington was approximately 7 days! The Canal operated for close to 100 years closing in 1924.
Today the entirety of the canal is operated as a park by the U.S. Park Service. The canal towpath (used by mules to tow barges) is hugely popular for hikers and bikers. This park which is named "Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park" has volumes of interesting history. 1 interesting fact was there was a bounty available for muskrats as they were believed to cause some leaks along the canal that required repair. If you like you can read a lot more about the C & O Canal here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake_and_Ohio_Canal I hope you enjoy these photos from our hike!