C&O Canal Lock 1

C&O Canal Lift Lock 1

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Scenic View/Photo Spot

The very first lock on the C&O Canal. Locks are like elevators and allow boats to move up in elevation. By closing and opening the lock gates in the right order, one can fill or empty the lock chamber. This will raise or lower the boat.

Seventy-three more locks over the next 183 miles lead into Cumberland, Maryland in the Allegheny Mountains. Today, visitors can still travel the towpath, tracing the same route as mules and canal boats more than 100 years ago.

From the shore of Rock Creek, you can get a view up through Lift Lock 1 and see the staircase of the four lift locks in Georgetown.