The Tavern at Great Falls in Potomac , MS , completed in 1831 , provided lodging and food for users of the C & O Canal when the canal was operative .
strong opposition to the parkway concept from environmental organizations , including the Wilderness Society and the National Parks Association . There was favorable publicity for the parkway idea in the Washington Post , countered by an especially notable letter to the editor to preserve the canal written in 1954 by then-Supreme Court Justice William O . Douglas . Justice Douglas took on the matter of safeguarding the canal by undertaking a week-long hike along its entire distance with editors of the Post he invited to accompany him . In so doing so he succeeded in convincing them to change their editorial position . They did immediately after the hike , and this helped turn the tide of public opinion .
Justice Douglas also led the creation of the C & O Canal Association in 1954 . It is an all-volunteer citizens organization working to “ conserve the natural and historical environment of the C & O Canal
PHOTO : Courtesy Mike Mitchell , a former President of the C & O Canal Trust
and the Potomac River Basin .” Then , in 1961 , the C & O Canal National Historical Park was officially established to preserve what remains of the canal and many of its original structures .
Throughout 2021 , the C & O Canal Trust organization — which promotes the canal ’ s maintenance and the public ’ s knowledge of the canal — held special events to promote public interest in the canal and the many activities people enjoy on its towpath , including hiking , bicycling , camping and overnight accommodations at area lock houses that are well maintained and in excellent condition . Due to COVID , the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center is currently closed . Hopefully in the future visitors will be treated to its informative displays . And who knows , maybe the history-immersing packet boat tour on the canal will be revived !
In the Canal ’ s current chapter , area residents and tourists have become the lucky beneficiaries of 180 continuous miles of canal and towpath enjoying its incredible Potomac River views , wildlife habitat , and rare recreational opportunities .
Pamela Baldwin is a retired Foreign Service Officer with the U . S . Agency for International Development . She lives just across the Potomac River from the C & O Canal at one of its access points and often enjoys bicycling on the towpath .
A replica of a mule-drawn packet boat on the canal at the Great Falls Visitors Center .
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