A Ranger shows two boys the mules at Georgetown's C&O Canal Visitor Center just before a fun canal ride

Traveling the Potomac Heritage Trails network is a terrific way to learn about America, from its earliest days to today. The Trail experience captures America’s heritage from the first settlements along the Tidewater Potomac, upriver and over mountains toward the West. Discover Colonial heritage, the Civil War, our nation’s capital, working lands and waters, the industrial heritage of the Allegheny Mountains and beyond.

The trails of the PHT Network tell stories about how Americans have made a living from the land and water. From Aquia sandstone to menhaden fleets, from timber to shellfish, the bounty of the Tidewater has provided sustenance to the Capital Region. The Piedmont was once the breadbasket of America and a place of water-powered industrial innovation. The Alleghenies and Pittsburgh at the Forks of the Ohio were a center for coal, timber and manufacturing.

The trails of the PHT are also part of America’s heritage: the railroads of the Allegheny Mountains are now followed by the Great Allegheny Passage; the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal is now one America’s most-visited national parks; and the shipping lanes of the Tidewater Potomac are now teeming with pleasure craft.

Most segments of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail can be used to accomplish educational goals. Check out our Nature and Science section, full of information about the Potomac and its resources. Get advice about planning field trips and look into interpretive programs. Many Trail management partners offer program and curriculum guides as well.