The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park provides a wealth of animal and plant life to the park’s visitors, as well as opportunities to savor the scenic beauty of the historic waterway. As you walk along the gravel and dirt towpath that meanders next to the bed of the old canal you can experience nature regenerating itself. Tall graceful Sycamores and sturdy Oaks provide a leafy canopy overhead during the heat of the summer, while in winter their delicate bare branches trace shadows in freshly fallen snow. During the spring, tender shoots of plants instinctively seek the warmth of the sun, putting out new growth, while flowers such as Virgina Bluebells, Jack-in-the-pulpit, and Lilies-of-the-Valley provide riots of color and smell, a delight to the senses. If you listen carefully you might hear the soft scuffle of squirrels playing in the underbrush, or the particular rat-a-tat-tat of the pilliated woodpecker. Deer graze quietly in sun-dappled patches of meadows that grow to luch richness during the late spring and early summer, and red-tailed hawks soar high above the towpath. Black snakes glide quietly along, while turtles sunbathe in pools of water. As the sun sets and evening quietly steals on , the turtles leave the pools to the bullfrogs who croak softly in harmony with the shrill cry of the peepers. During the hot days of August, Cicadas whirr in the trees, providing an endless sound that accompanies the melting heat. As the canal wends its way into the mountains, the landscape becomes wilder and less civilized, black bear may wander along, climbing into trees to avoid the presence of man, and the lap of the Potomac river is a constant along the towpath.

The canal is a magical place filled with wonder and beauty, whether you walk along it, or ride, a multitude of experiences that will enrich your senses await you.

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