End of Section A
From here it’s a flat walk along the canal back to the tavern
The story
Here the trail rejoins the towpath. It’s about a mile and a half back north to Great Falls Tavern on the flat path along the canal. Mules pulled the boats along this path. Between Georgetown and Cumberland, the canal climbed 605 feet through 74 locks. Boats stopped running on it in 1924. In 1938 the federal government bought the abandoned canal. Today it is a national historical park.
On the trail
- Billy Goat Trail, Section A — 3.7 miles (6 km), loop, 2–3 h on the rocks, plus about 40 min on the towpath
Sources
- National Park Service — Great Falls hiking trails map with descriptions: a 3.7-mile loop via the towpath, Bear Island, park regulations
- Wikipedia (EN) — Chesapeake and Ohio Canal: 184.5 miles, 1828–1850, 74 locks, closed in 1924
- National Park Service — Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
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