Oldtown, Maryland: Paw Paw Canal Tunnel
Follow a walking trail 3,000 feet through an old railway tunnel. It's an official park attraction, complete with dripping water and bats. Bring a flashlight.
- Address:
- Oldtown Rd SE, Oldtown, MD
- Directions:
- From Paw Paw (in West Virginia) drive north on WV-9. You'll cross the bridge into Maryland, then drive another half-mile. Once you drive under a railroad overpass, turn right into the Paw Paw Tunnel parking lot. It's about a half-mile walk to the tunnel, which itself is about a half-mile long. Bring a flashlight.
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Lovely walk.
[Jennifer Kefer, 07/14/2023]
We made the late afternoon hike to the Paw Paw Canal Tunnel. They are working on the tunnel, so there was construction material. The water was a bit deep so we did not go in. A very beautiful spot to hike over the tunnel.
[EC, 06/25/2022]It's a historic water canal tunnel you can walk through after a short hike. Very dark. Bring flashlights.
[Lisa, 05/19/2022]
The old Paw Paw Tunnel on the C&O Canal was dug through a mountain, over 3,000 feet long, and still accessible as part of a towpath. In addition to dripping water and forming stalactites we saw at least 60 bats! Once through the tunnel, the towpath continues iton an area called The Big Cut where they blasted away stones when forming the canal. So beautiful and so unique!
[Kourtney, 02/21/2020]Nearby Offbeat Places
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It took 14 years to dig the tunnel, which opened in 1850, just in time to be made obsolete by the railroad.