The C&O Canal Towpath runs from Cumberland MD to Washington, DC, a distance of approximately 185 miles. Once utilized as a mule path along the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, the C&O is now a popular trail and often ridden alone or as an extension of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP).
Though lots of people love the C&O, I have to admit I wasn't a fan. I did a small portion of this trail, from Cumberland MD to the Pawpaw tunnel, as one of my first big rails-to-trail excursions. Let's just say, I was super excited and very naive!
Arriving first thing in the morning, I parked just off Howard Street in the free lot under I-68 in Cumberland. Although there are more than 70 spaces here, I found Cumberland pretty confusing and felt uncomfortable leaving my van under the bridge. The lot is fairly isolated and has no visibility from the visitors center, etc. Several nearby business owners assured me it was fine - and indeed it was, but leaving "Baby" under a bridge down by the river, still made me nervous. There was no charge for parking and the lot was indeed safe.
The area around the start of the C&O (once you get out from under the bridge!) is quite commercialized. There is a large trail information center / gift shop and a variety of restaurants, ice cream and bike shops all within walking distance. A friend and I had planned to ride a small portion of the C&O, camp at the Paw Paw Tunnel Campground, then shuttle to Pittsburgh, PA and ride back to Cumberland via the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP). Both trails intersect just a few feet from the Howard Street parking lot.
The C&O is indeed a very pretty trail, but it had sort of an uncomfortable vibe. I found the surface pretty rutty in September and actually bounced one of my rear panniers off along the way. While riding side-by-side with a friend, the grass between made it difficult to navigate around mud rocks, or ruts. Of course, being so new to bicycle touring, I was also not accustom to handling a 50+ pound bike on a smooth trail - let alone a challenging one.
The other thing that sounds so silly, but altered my perception and enjoyment of this portion of the C&O should be pretty clear from the photos below. For starters the canal itself was basically an algae infested mosquito haven, but even worse perhaps, was the constant "dark" shadow cast on the trail by the surrounding landscape. I'm sorry, but it just felt creepy. Though we could see the sun all around us, it never seemed to reach us.
The Pawpaw tunnel was creepy as well! LOL! Though in kind of a cool way. This 3,118 foot foot tunnel is well... very dark! It's also wet in spots, so be sure to bring a light. The tunnel is also said to be haunted, which of course, didn't help my already raging anxiety.
We camped at the Paw Paw Tunnel Campground, located just off the trail less than a mile before the tunnel at mm 156. The campground was spacious and had access to the river front. But again, I was slightly uncomfortable. Although we'd arrived by bike, there were several other campers who'd arrived by car. (Apparently Friday night is a popular time to party at the river front campground.) Leaving my bike outside all night - knowing that it was my only transportation back to Cumberland left me uneasy. I think had everyone arrived by bike, it wouldn't have bothered me at all, but as it was, I ended up sleeping with everything I could possibly fit in the tent with me. Needless to say, it was a little crowded.
In the morning we were picked up from the campground parking lot by the 2WheelEscapes shuttle service and driven to Pittsburgh PA to begin our journey back on the GAP.
Though I've only ridden a 32 mile section of the C&O, I will say it is a much more difficult trail than the gap. Depending on the season and rainfall, the C&O can be down right challenging, especially with a loaded bike. It is also much more remote. Long story sort - I was thrilled to start out on the GAP and find nothing, but smooth well-maintained pea gravel. I was also secretly glad to get away from Paw Paw - truly haunted tunnel or not.
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