Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
| Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park | |
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| Location | extending from Cumberland, MD to Georgetown, Washington, DC, United States |
| Nearest city | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′59″N 77°03′28″W / 38.89972°N 77.05778°WCoordinates: 38°53′59″N 77°03′28″W / 38.89972°N 77.05778°W |
| Area | 19,586 acres (79.26 km2) |
| Established | September 23, 1938 |
| Visitors | 3,937,504 (in 2011) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park |
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia. The park was established as a National Monument in 1961 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in order to preserve the neglected remains of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal along the Potomac River along with many of the original canal structures. The canal and towpath trail extends from Georgetown, Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland, a distance of 184.5 miles (296.9 km), and was designated as the first section of U.S. Bicycle Route 50 on October 23, 2013.
Construction on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (also known as "the Grand Old Ditch" or the "C&O Canal") began in 1828 but was not completed until 1850. Even then, the canal fell far short of its intended destination of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Instead, the canal terminated at Cumberland for a total distance of approximately 184.5 miles. Occasionally there was talk of continuing the canal, e.g. in 1874, an 8.4 mile long tunnel was proposed to go through the Allegheny Mountains, and there was a tunnel built to connect with the Pennsylvania canal. Even though the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) beat the canal to Cumberland, having arrived eight years earlier, the canal was not entirely obsolete. It wasn't until the mid 1870s that through improved technology, specifically with larger locomotives and air brakes, the railroad was able to set rates lower than the canal, sealing its fate.
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