C&O Canal Towpath HF>Wash DC

[Quik]

Harpers Ferry to Washington DC section of the C&O

Has anyone hiked this section? What are the camps like? Mainly interested in knowing if the camps have trees close enough for hammock use. I've only seen the 3-4 miles where the AT joins the C&O but I don't remember much about it other than it was flat and parallel to the Potomac.

I know the C&O has been underwater for a few days. I know it is now open as is the bridge crossing the Potomac connecting MD to HF. Knowing the C&O has been underwater I would expect it to be muddy as well as the camps unless the camps are on higher ground.

thanks

[notbad]

I hiked the full length of the c and o canal from Cumberland to DC in 6 and a half days.( dec 31st- Jan 6th 2014) If my memory serves there are plenty of camps.( almost every 7 or 8 miles) I believe there are enough trees along the route to make a hammock work.Great Falls Park near DC was my favorite area.Very cool spot with a network of trails amongst the rapids! I don’t know anything about the current flooding. I would imagine the water pumps to be still operational in October. In January water was a little tough to come by. I tried to avoid going straight from the Potomac. The camps were a picnic table, pump, and a portajohn on a patch of grass usually amongst the trees. Not a very deep wilderness experience but I think it will make for a relaxing fall stroll! Good luck

[The Kisco Kid]

I think it would be a lot more fun to bike the C&O Canal. That's the usual way to do it. It's straight and flat the whole way. I found the few miles the A.T. uses of the C&O route to be really tedious.

[George]

I think it would be a lot more fun to bike the C&O Canal. That's the usual way to do it. It's straight and flat the whole way. I found the few miles the A.T. uses of the C&O route to be really tedious.

2nd this - any trail that is practical to bike is not much for hiking - even the CDT is mostly bike able, I am thinking it would be a good hybrid trip

[globetruck]

I bike camped this section several times and unfortunately it’s not all that hammock friendly. The trees are absolutely huge and the camp areas are mostly clear cut with trees around the perimeter and have limited hanging spots. And as an added bonus, I’ve seen an absolute ton of poison ivy.

Not saying that it can’t be done, but I found this area more suited to renting.


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[Quik]

I will be finishing my AT flip-flop at Harpers Ferry in a few days, rather than take Amtrak to DC I thought walking might be more enjoyable. Roughly 60-miles, 2-2.5 days at the most, When I get to Georgetown get a taxi to a hotel, maybe tour DC for a day or so then fly home.

I hiked the full length of the c and o canal from Cumberland to DC in 6 and a half days.( dec 31st- Jan 6th 2014) If my memory serves there are plenty of camps.( almost every 7 or 8 miles) I believe there are enough trees along the route to make a hammock work.Great Falls Park near DC was my favorite area.Very cool spot with a network of trails amongst the rapids! I don’t know anything about the current flooding. I would imagine the water pumps to be still operational in October. In January water was a little tough to come by. I tried to avoid going straight from the Potomac. The camps were a picnic table, pump, and a portajohn on a patch of grass usually amongst the trees. Not a very deep wilderness experience but I think it will make for a relaxing fall stroll! Good luck

thanks, I've read about the hiker/biker camps and water pumps. It should be an easy and fast pace walk.

I bike camped this section several times and unfortunately it’s not all that hammock friendly. The trees are absolutely huge and the camp areas are mostly clear cut with trees around the perimeter and have limited hanging spots. And as an added bonus, I’ve seen an absolute ton of poison ivy.

Not saying that it can’t be done, but I found this area more suited to renting.

thanks for the heads up on the poison ivy

[Greenlight]

I've biked about 30 miles of it, from Big Pool west to where the Western Maryland Rail Trail terminates. That in itself is a great ride. Get on the WMDRT at Big Pool and ride the whole thing, then get on the C&O (they parallel each other) and bring it back to the parking lot.

And yes, the camps are interspersed every 5 to 7 miles. Most have cisterns with iodized water (bring Tang) and are relatively flat with plenty of trees for hammock hanging.

I think it would be a lot more fun to bike the C&O Canal. That's the usual way to do it. It's straight and flat the whole way. I found the few miles the A.T. uses of the C&O route to be really tedious.

[methodman]

I biked the entire C&O. I thought it to be very pretty, but the trail is a goat path.

[Quik]

I biked the entire C&O. I thought it to be very pretty, but the trail is a goat path.

a goat path???

[George]

a goat path???

yup, pretty much what you do is dig a pit and get the coals going, then bbq the next unsuspecting goat that walks by - no reason to bring much food, just some vegetables to make a complete meal

[George]

it would mean in less used/ maintained areas the pathway is single track

[BlackCloud]

Having cycled the entire C&O 3xs, there is no section that is single track. Through much of the way it is double track, it is always wide and smooth enough for a hybrid w/ a 700 wheel. Thin rimmed road bikes not recommended but possible.

All hiker/biker campsites are at the same level or below the towpath, meaning closer to the level of the river. I would not want to camp there for a couple of weeks.

[connolm]

I too rode the GAP and C&O. I found the Hiker/Biker campsites quite nice. Although I too noticed a tremendous amount of poison ivy.

I saw someone using a hammock one night. But certainly some sites will require some creative tree selection.

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[Quik]

Having cycled the entire C&O 3xs, there is no section that is single track. Through much of the way it is double track, it is always wide and smooth enough for a hybrid w/ a 700 wheel. Thin rimmed road bikes not recommended but possible.

All hiker/biker campsites are at the same level or below the towpath, meaning closer to the level of the river. I would not want to camp there for a couple of weeks.

thanks, knowing the camps are near river level pretty much answers my question about camping. The AT follows the C&O for 3 miles, depending on what this section is like and what I can find out from the outfitter in HF I will make my decision then.

[George]

there is a c+o trail organization that would likely have the best info - they had a booth at the flip kickoff

[chknfngrs]

Ad for hammocks it would work it would just take some work. The only hammock spot in a hiker/biker site I remember seeing was Horsepen Branch. There are trees all around but not all trees are created equally.

[BlackCloud]

There is the C&O Canal Association: http://www.candocanal.org/

There is also the C&O Canal Trust: https://www.canaltrust.org/

Here is the current conditions page of the NPS site: https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

Each organization's facebook pages post up to date pix - and they all show water!

[Quik]

There is the C&O Canal Association: http://www.candocanal.org/

There is also the C&O Canal Trust: https://www.canaltrust.org/

Here is the current conditions page of the NPS site: https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

Each organization's facebook pages post up to date pix - and they all show water!

BlackCloud, thanks I found the NPS link last night and a couple of other links I think one you posted as well. I didn't know the C&O was part of the NPS until last night or I would have gone there first. Too much of the path between HF and DC is closed, no decision to make, it's Amtrak now. I'm currently at PenMar drying my tarp after last nights rain, seems like I recall a Coke machine being around here someplace. Anyway I'm about to wrap this flip-flop up in a couple of days, planning to spend one night in HF and catch Amtrak to DC, hotel there and tour for a couple of days before heading home. It's been a great trip, but I'm glad it's coming to an end. Taking some time off until after Thanksgiving then maybe get on the Florida trail, at least the Panhandle section, west to east and see how it goes.

[globetruck]

Some older info from hammockforums:
https://hammockforums.net/forum/show...riendly-sites?

Hope the link works. If not, just do a google search of “hammock forums C&O canal.”

Bottom line: if hammocking, recommend some extra long tree straps.


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[RockDoc]

I've hiked/camped the whole thing. It is good. Great memories.

A friend recently did a 50 mile hike in one day on the canal.

Highly recommended. Walking would give you plenty of time to think, and lots to see.