C&O Canal Towpath Conditions
03-09-20, 06:29 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
C&O Canal Towpath Conditions
Had a Towpath-centric weeked:
On Saturday a friend and I hiked along the Towpath from Cushwa Basin in Williamsport, essentially between mile markers 98 and 100. The Park Service renovated the area and the acqueduct will now be watered during the summer. The Towpath is in very good condition at least as far as MM98, but the real mudpits used to start downstream of their anyway. Much improved restroom facility by the Cushwa visitor center but the downside is that you now have to use a high wooden bridge to get over the Canal to the visitor center - the stairs have boards to push your bike on but pretty steep.
On Sunday I biked the Towpath from 28 miles from Big Pool to Little Orleans, so about MM115 to 142 or so. It has been dry around here so no real bad spots but pretty deep wheel ruts upstream from the Roundtop Cement mill that will probably be mud pits after any rain. Lots of sticks down - it has been a warm and windy winter around here.
I took the Western Maryland Rail Trail back - with the new extension it meant a 27 mile paved return. The western end of the WMRR cuts off a big loop of the Towpath, shortens the return a bit. You have to use very nicely built ramps to get back on the Towpath for 2 miles (about MM 140 - 138) because the Indigo Tunnel is still closed to protect bats. You can bike walk right up to the "bat fence" at each end - very spoooky sounds coming from inside the tunnel.
I did not check to see if Bills was open in Little Orleans, forgot.
On Saturday a friend and I hiked along the Towpath from Cushwa Basin in Williamsport, essentially between mile markers 98 and 100. The Park Service renovated the area and the acqueduct will now be watered during the summer. The Towpath is in very good condition at least as far as MM98, but the real mudpits used to start downstream of their anyway. Much improved restroom facility by the Cushwa visitor center but the downside is that you now have to use a high wooden bridge to get over the Canal to the visitor center - the stairs have boards to push your bike on but pretty steep.
On Sunday I biked the Towpath from 28 miles from Big Pool to Little Orleans, so about MM115 to 142 or so. It has been dry around here so no real bad spots but pretty deep wheel ruts upstream from the Roundtop Cement mill that will probably be mud pits after any rain. Lots of sticks down - it has been a warm and windy winter around here.
I took the Western Maryland Rail Trail back - with the new extension it meant a 27 mile paved return. The western end of the WMRR cuts off a big loop of the Towpath, shortens the return a bit. You have to use very nicely built ramps to get back on the Towpath for 2 miles (about MM 140 - 138) because the Indigo Tunnel is still closed to protect bats. You can bike walk right up to the "bat fence" at each end - very spoooky sounds coming from inside the tunnel.
I did not check to see if Bills was open in Little Orleans, forgot.
03-09-20, 02:30 PM
#2
Senior Member
In Williamsport, you can cross the canal on the car bridge just downstream from the wooden footbridge you mentioned. Pushing a fully loaded touring bike up those stairs would be a daunting task.
03-10-20, 06:53 AM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Good point, there is a sign at the wooden bridge saying that. Parking at the Cushwa visitor center, the wooden bridge is what you see.
03-10-20, 07:09 PM
#4
WV is not flat..
A little further south in the Harpers Ferry area they are still deciding what to do about the footbridge from the canal into Harpers Ferry after the train derailment. The surface from around mile 60 south to Brunswick has been very nicely resurfaced to about mile 50.
Here is some info on the footbridge:
https://www.nps.gov/hafe/planyourvis...er-21-2019.htm
Here is some info on the footbridge:
https://www.nps.gov/hafe/planyourvis...er-21-2019.htm
