■ Fires: In grills or fire rings only
■ Alcohol: Not allowed
■ Stay Limit: Total of 30 days for the calendar year, only 14 of which can be consecutive or between May 1 and October 1
The C&O Canal follows the Potomac River for 185 miles from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland. It functioned for almost 100 years beginning in 1828, and a multitude of original structures still stand, attesting to its durability and workmanship. It came close to becoming a highway, but through the tireless efforts of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas in the mid-1950s, it was turned instead into a linear park in 1971. Today, we are the beneficiaries. I recommend checking out canaltrust.org/trust, the website of the C&O Canal Trust, the nonprofit partner of the Historic Trust, which offers loads of wonderful info on sites along the canal.
The C&O Canal enjoys a reputation as the best-preserved 19th-century canal in America, and restoration projects continue to this day. Potomac floods periodically wash away major portions of the canal, so restoration will probably go on perpetually. Like the monuments and museums in D.C., the canal’s mission is a public one. To that end, a whole series of hiker-biker campsites are set up and maintained and are free of charge (see the next three profiles in this book).
There are also five drive-in campsites along the C&O Canal, none of which have electrical hookups. In choosing where to go and what to see along the canal, you have to familiarize yourself with the numbering system. Everything along the canal is assigned a number according to its distance from Mile 0, at the canal’s starting point at the Georgetown Visitor Center in Washington, D.C.
The five drive-in sites are spread along the canal but are more along the northwestern sections toward Cumberland (as opposed to southeast toward Washington). They are Antietam Creek (Mile 70), McCoys Ferry (Mile 110), Fifteen Mile Creek (Mile 141), Paw Paw (Mile 156), and Spring Gap (Mile 173).
All campsites along the canal have two things in common: the Potomac in front and the towpath behind. This means endless opportunities for boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking. Each drive-in campground is somewhat different in character, however, in that the surrounding topography changes and nearby historical sites and towns (or lack thereof) change the experience of camping in each site. As a general rule, expect large, cleared areas with individual campsites scattered around the available space. While the sites are usually big, they’re never terribly far from one another. Antietam Creek’s main draw is its proximity to Antietam National Battlefield, which is a short drive (or canoe ride) away. Antietam is hallowed ground, site of the bloodiest battle in the Civil War. Excellent maintenance and educational opportunities distinguish the park. But it’s also an exceedingly beautiful place, and a canoe or kayak trip upstream through the battlefield site is a special experience. Take MD 34 West to Sharpsburg and go south on S. Mechanic Street, which soon turns into Harpers Ferry Road. Go 3 miles to the campground. There are 20 campsites at Antietam Creek, and water is available between mid-April and mid-November.
McCoys Ferry tends to be more popular, as it has RV parking. As mentioned previously, there are no electric sites at any of the C&O Canal campgrounds, but RVs in the area can use this parking lot. McCoys Ferry is also popular because it has a boat ramp for quick launch into the Potomac. The launch parking lot is where you have to leave your car. Be aware that there is no potable water at this site. McCoys Ferry has 14 sites and is nicely situated just south of Fort Frederick State Park and Big Pool. To reach McCoys Ferry, take I-70 to Exit 12 and follow MD 56 past Big Pool and Fort Frederick. Take a right onto McCoys Ferry Road.
Fifteen Mile Creek, with 10 sites, also has parking and a boat launch. There is water available between mid-April and mid-November. If you need other supplies, the town of Little Orleans is nearby. The campsite sits on the southern edge of Green Ridge State Forest, so if the level terrain of the canal gets tiresome, you can head for the forested hills. A bit farther out, back on I-68, is the Sideling Hill Visitor Center. The four-story center sits perched atop one of the most dramatic rock exposures in the eastern U.S. When the highway was blasted through the mountain, it exposed almost 850 feet of vertical rock layers formed some 350 million years ago. To reach Fifteen Mile Creek, take I-68 to Exit 68 and follow Orleans Road south 11 miles to a left on High Germany Road.
Paw Paw may be the canal’s most popular site. The chief attraction here is the Paw Paw Tunnel, a 3,100-foot-long tunnel constructed between 1836 and 1850. Paw Paw allows easy access to Green Ridge State Forest, entering from the west side. Paw Paw campground, with eight sites, is loaded with amenities. Aside from parking and a boat launch, there are picnic areas, phones, and a camp store and restaurants nearby, just across the bridge in the town of Paw Paw, West Virginia. To reach the Paw Paw camping area, pick up Oldtown Orleans Road SE in Little Orleans (see directions to Fifteen Mile Creek above) to MD 51, and head south.
The amenities listed for Paw Paw are also found at Spring Gap (sans the restaurants), the westernmost drive-in campground, with 19 sites. This is a more remote section of the canal, sitting in the shadow of Warrior Mountain (what a great name!) and within 10 miles of the canal’s terminus at Cumberland. Spring Gap is 18 miles west of Paw Paw on MD 51. There is no water here.
Note: Group sites can hold up to 35, require reservations (call the park office), and are located at Marsden Tract (Mile 11), adjacent to the drive-in site at Fifteen Mile Creek (Mile 141).
:: Getting There
Varies; see text.
GPS COORDINATES
Antietam Creek: N39°25'07.1" W77°44'39.0"
McCoys Ferry: N39°36'28.4" W77°58'08.5"
Fifteen Mile Creek: N39°37'25.6" W78°23'10.3"
Paw Paw: N39°32'39.1" W78°27'41.4"
Spring Gap: N39°33'52.5" W78°43'05.3"
5
C&O Canal: Hiker-Biker Campsites from Swain’s Lock (Mile 16.6) to Killiansburg Cave (Mile 75.2)
In virtually every case, the campsites sit along the Potomac and the C&O in wooded copses.
:: Ratings
BEAUTY:
PRIVACY:
QUIET:
SPACIOUSNESS:
SECURITY:
CLEANLINESS:
:: Key Information
ADDRESS: C&O Canal NHP Headquarters, 1850 Dual Highway,
