184 Miles of Awesome

That's a good way to describe the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath (yes, tow, not toe). It begins in Georgetown and stretches all the way to Cumberland Maryland. A cool fact I'd love to exploit one day is that in Cumberland it connects with the Great Allehgeny Passage Trail allowing for a complete bicycling corridor from Washington, DC to the Steel City. As an alum of the University of Pittsburgh living in Silver Spring, this intrigues me. However, as an individual with a 9-5 job, I doubt I'll ever have the time to make such a trip happen. Regardless, there's plenty to enjoy in and near DC along this trail. The history is worth reading up on, if local lore interests you.

Within the first sixty miles there are quite a number of sights. They still run canal boats at the Georgetown end. Great Falls is quite beautiful and kid-friendly, but also quite crowded. The Billy Goat Trail is worth a look, and gives you the opportunity to scramble over boulders and encounter some great views of the river. A little farther out, you can cross the Potomac at White's Ferry on a still-operational river ferry. Harper's Ferry is a quaint and historic town with a lot to offer, including breathtaking views from the Maryland Heights.

Great blue herons (Ardea herodias), as well as other wetland birds, are common sights along the canal.

These giant puffballs (Calvatia gigantea) made a delicious soup.

This enormous tree near White's Ferry I found interesting...if I recall it was a sugar maple, but I can't tell from my own photo. Please ignore the bag of feces in my hand; it's the hazard of being a naturalist dog owner.

This large coprinoid mushroom was another good find at White's Ferry. I think it is a specimen of shaggy mane (Coprinus comatus) because of its large size, but I am not 100% sure. I don't think any other Mid-Atlantic inky caps grow to such sizes, but I could be mistaken.

Argiope trifasciata (banded garden spider).

Here's a close-up of the garden spider. I can't quite tell what she's making a meal of (I say "she" because males are much smaller).

Can you believe that this setting can be found just outside the city, in Great Falls, Virginia?

The ever-present white tailed deer are of course found along the entire length of the trail, more or less.

Dam! (I'm mature, eh?)

Franklin and I checking out the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, at Harpers Ferry.

All of the above are located within an easy drive of DC, and honestly any access point over that sixty mile stretch has something interesting to offer. Regardless of your age, outdoor experience, or interest level in such things (unless it's zero) I recommend a trip to the C & O Canal Towpath on some lazy weekend day.