Horseback Riding

Plan Like A Ranger

A trip to Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park offers you an opportunity to discover historical, natural, and recreational treasures. While preparing for your visit please be aware of closures and current conditions, weather forecasts, and review the safety tips.

 

Damage to towpath from horses using a new section of towpath.

NPS Photo

Equestrian Traffic Temporarily Prohibited between Spring Gap (mile 173.37) and Cumberland (mile 184.5).

Visitors who are horseback riding in the park may see temporary closures due to towpath resurfacing. The towpath will be re-opened to equestrian traffic 30 days after towpath resurfacing work has been completed. The reason for the 30-day closure is to allow the new material on the towpath time to settle before exposure to heavy weight.

There is currently an active resurfacing project taking place. Horses are prohibited between Spring Gap (mile 173.37) and Cumberland (mile 184.5) due to recent and ongoing towpath resurfacing.

Horseback riders should plan ahead before visiting these sections of the park.

To read more about the resurfacing project, please visit our Towpath Resurfacing Project page.

 

A man rides a horse along the C&O Canal towpath. Horses and mules can be ridden on 160 out of 184.5 miles of towpath.

NPS Photo

Horseback Riding on the C&O Canal

Horseback riding is a unique way to enjoy the canal. Horses are not rented along the canal but there are opportunities for horse owners to enjoy the park.

For the most up to date regulations on group overnight rides, please consult the Superintendent's Compendium. Section 2.16 specfically addresses Horses in the Park

The following trails, routes or areas are designated for the use of horses:

• Horseback riding is not allowed between Georgetown (mile 0) and Swains Lock (mile 16.6) or from Offutt Street (mile 181.8) to the canal terminus (mile 184.5).
• Horses are not allowed in the Paw Paw Tunnel. Riders must take the tunnel hill trail that goes over the tunnel instead.
• River access points (boat ramps) for watering.
• Parking lots for loading/unloading from a trailer.

Please follow these regulations:

• Hikers and bikers must yield the right of way to horses on the towpath.
• Horses are not allowed in drive-in and walk-in campgrounds or picnic areas. Riders may camp at hiker-biker campgrounds but must tether horses at least 50 feet from the area's boundaries for sanitary and safety reasons.
• All manure must be removed from the park.
• Riders must dismount and walk their horses across the aqueducts. Horses are restricted from crossing narrow wooden footbridges as they are not designed to carry the concentrated weight of the horses.
• Horses/riders are not to exceed the speed of a slow trot.
• Water by use of a bucket or other container, may be taken from park hand pump wells and used for watering horses.
• No grazing is permitted in the park. Bring in feed for horses. Owners must prevent horses from damaging trees or undergrowth.
• Horses may be loaded/unloaded and enter/exit the towpath at public access points only. Access from private property is prohibited.
• Horseback riding is prohibited after dark.
• Check park website alerts for areas closed to horse use for a period of time following towpath resurfacing.

 

Multi-day Trips

Lodging

Camping: 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 Water

Well 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.

Water availability is subject to change. Always bring plenty of water with you as a backup option. Please plan your trip accordingly.

Overnight Parking

Parking 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 [e-mail]. If you park outside of Washington, DC and Montgomery County, you do not need to submit this information.

Parking lots are not patrolled regularly, so do not leave any valuables inside your vehicles. The National Park Service is not responsible for cars or their contents; parking is at your own risk.

Trash

This is a trash free park; take all trash away.