Washington, DC and Virginia
|
|
C&O Towpath-Fletcher's Boathouse Washington, DC and Virginia |
| |
The C&O Towpath was the original sight of the M@Dead Saturday morning runs. Beginning from Fletcher's Boathouse, the runs followed the canal towpath out of DC and into Maryland. The entire canal is suitable for running. In some places, it is more rustic than others, but all of the towpath is runable. The more manicured areas tend to be closer to heavily populated areas, while the sparely populated areas prove the best conditions for getting away from crowds. The trails begins in Cumberland, Maryland, and ends 186 miles downstream in Washington, DC at Thompson's Boat House.
The towpath generally resembles a flat, hard-packed dirt road. For most of the towpaths length, a canopy of trees overhang the path, sometimes blocking the view of The Fletcher's Boathouse area is a good starting point because of the availability of water along to route. There is a fountain just down the hill from the footbridge from the parking lot. Heading west (upstream) on the Canal, there are also water fountains spaced along the route. The original M@Dead run began at Fletcher's and headed West on the towpath. The turnaround point was usually determined by some landmark, such as a canal lock, or a water fountain. During the summer, doing an 11 mile run will give you access to a total of five water fountains during your round-trip run. During those run there are many sights along the way also. The railroad bridge going overhead now carries the Capital Crescent Trail on its way to Bethesda. A little further up the path is the Feeder Canal. The Feeder Canal is one of the main training areas for America's White Water Olympic Slalom team. Just above here is the Brookmont Dam, the chief water supply source for the Washington area. Heading upstream from here the River begins to turn turbulent as you approach The Great Falls of the Potomac. Beginning on the towpath near Great Falls is the Billy Goat Trail, a nicely challenging trail that provides wonderful views of Mather Gorge and Great Falls itself. The upper sections of the towpath are good spots for catching sight of deer, beaver, ducks, fox, and other wildlife. What you will see less of are humans. The C&O Towpath above Great Falls is much less used than the lower sections. Within 10 miles of the Nations Capital, it is possible to get totally away from the city. As the Towpath follows the river west into the Maryland countryside, you pass many historic and scenic areas. Numerous Civil War locations, farms, whitewater rapids, Canal structures, including the amazing Paw Paw Tunnel, and towns will be passed along the way up the river. It is a beautiful running area that provides a wonderful glimpse of the region. Main 
Index
Stories
Trails
Links
DRSWC 5 & Vacation Comments, advice, submissions, and other stuff can be sent to JeffReed88@Yahoo.com |
