The Canal Towns Partnership is an economic and community development program along the C&O Canal National Historical Park (NHP). It is designed to help communities along the C&O Canal NHP reap the multiple benefits of trail-based tourism and recreation. The program encourages an active lifestyle for residents and visitors alike.

Canal towns are communities along the C&O Canal that:

Offer services to trail users, including lodging, restaurants, shopping, and equipment repair,
Enrich the C&O Canal experience with its history, hospitality, and small-town charm,
Provide valuable support to the National Park Service in its stewardship of this important historical and recreational resource.
Beginning in 1828, the C&O Canal brought industry and growth to communities along its route. The canal had a profound impact on the towns’ early culture and architecture, and that impact resonates even today. Historical challenges around the Canal also left their mark through labor conflicts, disease, the Civil War, and floods. When those floods, combined with newer transportation systems, shut down the Canal in the 1920s, Canal Towns suffered a decline.

Now that this old transportation system has been transformed into a National Park and popular trail, Canal Towns are once again thriving and extending a welcome to tourists and trail users alike.