National Parks & Outdoors / PROFILE

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Open the filtered interactive map →

SELECTED RECORD

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Open full profile →

Preserving America's early transportation history, the C&O Canal began as a dream of passage to Western wealth. Operating for nearly 100 years the canal was a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River as coal, lumber, and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. Today it endures as a pathway for discovering historical, natural, and recreational treasures.

Activities: Biking · Birdwatching · Boat Tour · Boating · Camping · Car or Front Country Camping · Cross-Country Skiing · Fishing · Freshwater Fishing · Front-Country Hiking · Group Camping · Guided Tours · Hiking · Horse Trekking · Horseback Riding · Ice Skating · Junior Ranger Program · Paddling · Road Biking · Shopping · Skiing · Snowshoeing · Wildlife Watching

Published entrance fees

Entrance - Private Vehicle

$20 · Pass is for one private, non-commercial vehicle — passenger cars, pickup trucks, RVs and vans — and is valid at the Great Falls area of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River and Great Falls Park on the Virginia side of the Potomac River.

Entrance - Motorcycle

$15 · Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers to the Great Falls area of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River and at Great Falls Park on the Virginia side of the Potomac River.

Entrance - Per Person

$10 · Pass is for one person 16 years of age or older — entering on foot or by bicycle — and is valid at the Great Falls area of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River and at Great Falls Park on the Virginia side of the Potomac River.

Entrance - Non-commercial Groups

$100 · Includes church groups, college/school groups, scouts, service organizations, military, etc... Vehicles with passenger capacity of fewer than 16 persons, $20 for the vehicle. Vehicles with a passenger capacity of 16 or more persons, $10 per person age 16 and over. Removal of seats from a vehicle does not then qualify for the lower rate. Age and pass exemptions apply. The total fee charged for an Organized Non-Commercial Group will not exceed the $100 fee per vehicle.

Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach

$100 · The commercial pass is valid for date of purchase plus six days at the Great Falls area of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. Please note that fees are based on vehicle capacity and not actual occupants.

Commercial Entrance - Van

$40 · The commercial pass is valid for date of purchase plus six days at the Great Falls area of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. Please note that fees are based on vehicle capacity and not actual occupants.

Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus

$40 · The commercial pass is valid for date of purchase plus six days at the Great Falls area of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. Please note that fees are based on vehicle capacity and not actual occupants.

Commercial Entrance - Sedan

$25 · The commercial pass is valid for date of purchase plus six days at the Great Falls area of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. Please note that fees are based on vehicle capacity and not actual occupants.

Published passes

Annual Entrance - Park

$35 · Valid for one full year from the month of purchase. Permits access to the Great Falls area of the C&O Canal National Historical Park in Maryland and Great Falls Park in Virginia. The annual pass allows entrance for the pass holder and additional passengers in a single private non-commercial vehicle, or pass holder plus three adults when entering on foot or bicycle

Published operating hours

C&O Canal Towpath · The towpath is open 365 days a year.

Fees, facilities and activities are the 2026-10-03 NPS snapshot. Historical visitation describes recorded visits, not crowding forecasts or present conditions.

Plan your visit

The Washington, DC, area has a four-season Mid-Atlantic climate. Summertime is warm and humid, while winter can be cold and snowy. Precipitation averages 2-4” monthly, year-round. The climate gradually gets cooler and wetter further west along the canal where the elevation is higher.

Campgrounds (37)

• Antietam Creek Campground
• Bald Eagle Island Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Big Woods Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Cacapon Junction Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Calico Rocks Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Chisel Branch Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Cumberland Valley Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Devils Alley Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Evitts Creek Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Fifteenmile Creek Campground
• Horsepen Branch Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Horseshoe Bend Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Huckleberry Hill Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Indian Flats Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Indigo Neck Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Irons Mountain Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Jordan Junction Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Killiansburg Cave Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Leopards Mill Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Licking Creek Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Little Pool Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Marble Quarry Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Marsden Tract Group Campground
• Mccoys Ferry Campground
• North Mountain Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Opequon Junction Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Paw Paw Tunnel Campground
• Pigmans Ferry Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Potomac Forks Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Purslane Run Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Sorrel Ridge Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Spring Gap Campground
• Stickpile Hill Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Swains Lock Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Town Creek Hiker-Biker Campsite
• Turtle Run Hiker-Biker Campsite
• White Rock Hiker-Biker Campsite

Official NPS information and current conditions ↗