Dates available upon request
(example itinerary below)
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(interior accommodation also available)
Details:
Rider Level
Beginner-Intermediate
Distance and Parcours
58-64 miles daily, 3 days, flat/downhill terrain, gravel surface.
What’s Included:
- All lodging
- Fully guided tour 1 on-trail guide
- Free pre-tour consultation phone call to make sure you are ready to go
- All meals; 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 2 dinners including dinner at the famous BuddyLou’s Restaurant!
- All Camping Gear
- Emergency van support
- Blaze Adventure Tours tri-blend T-shirt and water bottle
- GPS mapping
- Free post trip pictures and video
What You Need
- Touring Bicycle – Recommended 32mm tires or wider. Racks and panniers required.
- Ability to ride comfortably for a minimum of 4-5 hours on the bike you intend to ride. Make sure to practice on similar terrain. We are happy to give advice on how to prepare if you need a bit more bike experience.
The Lowdown
Join us for a 3-day gravel bike tour along the scenic shores of the Potomac River. The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal traverses over 180 miles from historic Cumberland, MD to the heart of Georgetown in Washington D.C. For over 100 years, the canal was a transportation hub for the surrounding communities. Today it serves as a recreational reminder of local history and provides habitat for the resident wildlife. The tour will begin in historic Cumberland, Maryland.
This is an easy-medium difficulty tour. Expect easy terrain on crushed limestone and moderate cycling days. This tour is specifically designed to be well supported for beginners and is appropriate for anyone who is comfortable on a bike. Consider this a bike tour with a safety net. We will help you every step of the way to make sure you have the adventure of a lifetime. Keep in mind that the campsites are basic. Portable toilet facilities and water are available, but we will be staying right on the canal. You may miss a shower, but you’ll get the real towpath experience.
Join us and learn why the best way to see the world is by bicycle.
What You’ll Love
The C&O Canal is a quintessential summer ride for area cyclists. On this trip we will enjoy the gently sloped canal towpath as it winds through small towns from Western Maryland, to West Virginia, and all the way down to Washington DC. Shaded for long stretches in the “Green Tunnel” you will experience what it was like two hundred years ago for traders carrying goods to market along the canal. We can think of few better ways to spend a long weekend then cycling, camping, and campfires along the shores of the Potomac.
The Tour
Day 1: Meet us at the start of the C&O Canal towpath in Cumberland, MD. (recommended hotel list provided). Our van will collect any luggage that you don’t want to carry for the trip. The 58 mile first-leg will follow the C&O Canal towpath to Hancock, Maryland. Don’t miss the incredible river views and canal architecture along the way! Dinner will be at Buddylou’s famous restaurant!
Day 2: Another 64 miles downhill along the towpath will take us to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The towpath passes by Antietam National Battlefield where one of the most important battles of the civil war was fought. This section of the canal has picturesque views as we pass the Big Slackwater Area. After we set up camp we’ll wind down the evening with a campfire as the sun sets over the Potomac.
Day 3: The final day will take us 62 miles from our campsite near Harpers Ferry to Georgetown in Washington, DC. No trip on the canal would be complete without a stop at the world famous Great Falls! After a bit of meandering through Georgetown we will take you all the way to the elusive Mile Marker 0. Congratulations you’ve just cycled the entire C&O Canal Towpath! We will celebrate with some world renowned Georgetown Cupcakes (without the line)! We’ll help you get to your hotel and reunite with your baggage as you enjoy a well deserved clean bed after your final day of riding.
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