![]() John Gensor ![]() Jim Kerby HikingSeveral park areas have interpretive trails and other hiking opportunities. Aside from the towpath, there are many great hiking trails in the Park: the Tunnel Hill Trail near the Paw Paw Tunnel, the Ferry Hill Trail near Sharpsburg, as well as 14 miles of trail near Great Falls (including the Billy Goat Trail). View hiking maps and walking guides.Hiking Tips:· Bring water and food Multi-day TripsLodgingCamping: Hiker-Biker and Drive-In campsites are located from Swains Lock to Cumberland. Lockhouses: The C&O Canal Trust's Canal Quarters program offers several lodging options in lockhouses along the canal. Reserve a lockhouse today! Canal Towns: Another great resource for learning more about what surrounding towns to the towpath have to offer is the Canal Towns Partnership website. Well WaterWell water is generally available in across the park from mid-April (around the 15th) to mid-November (around the 15th). Drive-In Campgrounds: Well water within the drive-in campgrounds is potable and treated with iodine - do NOT drink if you have any iodine allergies or if you are on medication for an overactive thyroid. In general, well water is clean and able to be used without additional treatment. However, as a general precaution for wells located in a flood zone, you are advised to boil or treat the water before use for your own protection. Hiker-Biker Campsites: Non-potable water is available in hiker-biker campsites. Please plan to filter, chemically treat, or boil the water before use for your own protection. The wells will remain in the hiker-biker campsites and, as long as visitors bring their own sanitization equipment, there will be a more reliable water source as handles will not be removed from these wells. Visitor Centers, park buildings, and comfort stations are provided water by the nearby municipality and do not require drinking water sampling by the park. Please note that the Swains Lock campsite draws on the same municipal water as the Swains Lockhouse and will remain potable. Water availability is subject to change. Always bring plenty of water with you as a backup option. Please plan your trip accordingly. Overnight ParkingParking overnight is allowed in designated parking areas anywhere in the park without a permit. If you choose to park overnight in the Washington, DC or Montgomery County, MD sections of the park, you should submit your license plate number, description of your car, and when you expect to return to copermitsoffice@nps.gov. If you park outside of Washington, DC and Montgomery County, you do not need to submit this information. TrashThis is a trash free park; take all trash away. Nearby Trail Systems
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Last updated: June 3, 2025