Beginning at Jennings Randolph Lake to the mouth of the Potomac, you may choose to paddle the 355 miles to the Chesapeake Bay or take a single or multi-day trip; all will give you a different view of the ways that previous residents used the river and its banks for their livelihood, transportation and recreation.
By bicycle or on foot, try a short day trip or travel the entire 184.5-mile length of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath.
3-5 Days
Bicycling between George Washington Birthplace National Monument/Westmoreland State Park and Reedville, Virginia.
1-2 Days
The 70-mile section of the GAP between Cumberland, Maryland, and Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, is popular as an easy grade for bicycling.
1-2 Days
Oxon Hill Farm Junior Ranger Program
30-90 Minutes
Rent kayaks, canoes and stand up paddle boards from one of two boat houses along the Potomac River.
Come for the history, stay for the birds. Fort Washington Park has a diverse array of bird species spread among its distinct ecosystems.
Want to explore history and enjoy a day bicycling? This is the route for you. Enjoy a leisurely 40-mile bike ride, or choose to hike and or paddle the length instead, spending the night camping or staying in paid accommodations. Historic treasures await you in Williamsport, Shepherdstown, and Harpers Ferry along the way.
1-3 Days
Park your car and stretch your legs! Visit four different National Parks in Washington, DC and begin logging miles on seven different National Historic or National Scenic trails!
Hiking at Oxon Cove Park
30-120 Minutes
Enjoy an easy 5-mile round trip hike around the northern section of Rock Creek Park.
120 Minutes
Ever wonder how Civil War cannons were fired? Visit the park the first Sunday of every month from May to November to watch the Fort Washington Guard demonstrate and explain the procedures used during the muzzle-loading era of American Artillery.
15-90 Minutes
A mostly easy paddle--kayak, canoe or raft--on upper Youghiogheny River and important to check water levels. Outfitters serve this area, offering shuttles and boats. Part of the Eastern Continental Divide Loop, see the "Do the Loop" section of the Garrett Trails Web page for details.
2-4 Hours
The Great Allegheny Passage is a 150 mile rail-trail between Cumberland, Maryland--terminus of the C & O Canal Towpath--and Point State Park in Pittsburgh. To complete part of the Eastern Continental Divide Loop, bicycle 41 miles from Confluence to Deal, then 8+ miles on-road to the northern trailhead for the Big Savage Mountain Trail. Continue past Deal on the GAP to cross the Divide and to visit the Big Savage Tunnel. Outfitter shuttles and lodging in Meyersdale available.
1-2 Days
This is a quiet, flat water paddle, approximately 2.6 miles end-to-end. To understand this trip in the context of the Eastern Continental Divide Loop, take note of the southern terminus of the Big Savage Mountain Trail below the dam and see Day 1 of "Do the Loop" on the Garrett Trails Web site.
1-2 Hours
Bicycle from Reedville, an historic village at the northeastern part of the Northern Neck of Virginia, to a marina for a fishing trip or charter tour on the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay.
1-2 Days
Launch at Friendsville, Maryland, and paddle 13.5 miles to Confluence, Pennsylvania, taking out above the dam. Best paddled with a touring kayak, you initially navigate some small rapids on the Youghiogheny River before entering the still water of the Lake. Outfitters in the area rent boats and offer shuttle services. Part of the Eastern Continental Divide Loop, see Day 4 in the "Do the Loop" section on the Garrett Trails Web site.
4-6 Hours
With Westmoreland State Park as a base, ride a loop connected with the Northern Neck Heritage Trail to explore Stratford Hall, the birthplace of George Washington, Colonial Beach, wineries, historic sites and the Potomac River shoreline. A map and more information is available from the Northern Neck Tourism Commission at www.northernneck.org.
1 Day
There are many places to access the Potomac Heritage Trail, including many connector trails from county parks.
1-8 Hours
Visit the Williamsport Visitor Center at Cushwa Basin for information about the Canal and the surrounding area, sites including an aqueduct, rail lift-bridge, lockhouse, and operable locks.
20-60 Minutes
The trolley barn is located across the parking lot from the Cushwa Building. In 1896, the first trolley line in Washington County, Maryland was built running from Williamsport to Hagerstown. The water supply from the Conococheague Creek made this location ideal for a steam-powered generating station. Today, the trolley barn contains historic photos, historic toys, children's costumes, a scale model of a canal boat’s mule stable, and dioramas.
15-60 Minutes
Paddle from Potoma (sic) Wayside, at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, or another launch site and take out at Algonkian Regional Park or Riverbend Park (both Virginia side). Camp at sites along the C & O Canal Towpath, reserve a night in a historic lockhouse (river left upstream of Point of Rocks), reserve a cabin at Algonkian Regional Park (two-night minimum) or find a B & B or hotel. This trip can be combined with hiking and bicycling.
2-4 Days
Volunteers are essential to complete the PHT network in Northern Virginia.
The trailheads might at first seem difficult to find, but this segment of the PHT is one of the most accessible and developed in the corridor between White's Ferry and Scott's Run Nature Preserve. One can also access the PHT 1.4 miles upstream from Kephart Bridge Landing via a sidewalk along Riverside Parkway (no parking).
1-2 Hours
This hike is mostly wooded; some parts are rocky and some can be rocky. But you will see, in some places, exceptional displays of bluebells in spring and colors in autumn. Management partners include Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services; Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority; The Nature Conservancy; Fairfax County Park Authority; and National Park Service, all are aided by volunteers with the Potomac Heritage Trail Association and others.
3-6 Hours
The ten-mile Potomac Heritage Trail within George Washington Memorial Parkway is a popular path, connecting at some places to neighborhood trails, Turkey Run picnic area and Chain Bridge. Here, though, we suggest a longer hike connecting with another PHT segment in Scott's Run Nature Preserve, managed by the Fairfax County Park Authority. A combination natural surface path and road walk along Live Oak Lane connects the two.
4-7 Hours
Today, visitors can enjoy life on the canal during a free replica canal launch boat program at Williamsport. During the late 19th and early 20th century, 30-foot battery and steam powered launch boats traveled the canal for leisure and business.
1-1 Hours
Paddle approximately 12 miles from Leonardtown to Colton's Point via kayak or canoe, stopping at Newtowne Neck State Park. The trip is mostly on Breton Bay, but joins the Potomac and the mouth of St. Clement's Bay near Colton's Point.
1-2 Days
Bicycling on a section of the Southern Maryland PHT On-Road Bicycling Route between Point Lookout and Leondardtown, MD
4-10 Hours
Take a two-mile walk from the parking area to the Potomac River within Nanjemoy Special Recreation Management Area.
1-3 Hours
The on-road bicycling route between Smallwood State Park and Oxon Cove Park makes connections with parks and historic sites.
1-2 Days
Port Tobacco Historic District and Smallwood State Park provide a contrast in landscape diversity, and travel between them is a fine bicycle ride. This route is part of the Adventure Cycling Association Tidewater Potomac Heritage Bicycling Route.
Through the watermen’s heritage tour program, visitors to Tidewater Virginia, including the Northern Neck, can experience the time-honored history and traditions of working watermen through a customized tour.
2-8 Hours
For those seeking to explore Southern Maryland or to travel the extent of the Potomac Heritage NST corridor, bicycling and paddling, combined with some short hikes, are the best self-powered ways to experience the area. The 38-mile bicycling route between Colton's Point/St. Clement's Island Museum and Port Tobacco (or vice versa) is part of the Adventure Cycling Association "Tidewater Potomac Heritage" map set.
Explore George Washington’s iconic Mount Vernon Mansion and Estate.
1-3 Days
Explore George Washington’s enterprising Distillery and Gristmill ® on the extended Mount Vernon Estate. Washington’s ambitious and profitable Gristmill used groundbreaking technology in the 1790’s, and provided staple foods for the house, enslaved servicemen and women of the house.
40-120 Minutes
Tour Woodlawn Manor and Pope-Leighey House in the George Washington Memorial Parkway Corridor. View the vast differences in architecture from the early 1800’s to 1900’s in a unique juxtaposition along Route 1.
90 Minutes
Beginning at the western end of the Savage River Reservoir, this 9-mile hike ascends approximately 1900 feet, includes numerous creek crossings, and ends at a viewpoint above State Route 495 on the Meadow Mountain Trail. Part of the Eastern Continental Divide Loop, visit the "Do the Loop" section on the Garrett Trails Web page for detailed information.
4-7 Hours
The Big Savage Mountain Trail, managed by Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources, is an 18-mile footpath providing outstanding views of the high points in western Maryland. Best traversed north to south, the Trail is a challenging one-day hike or can be an overnight; a permit for backpacking is available from the Forest office. The Trail is part of the Eastern Continental Divide Loop, a multi-modal adventure recognized as a segment of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
1-2 Days