Upstream entrance to the Paw Paw Tunnel at Mile 155.8 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath
The upstream entrance to the Paw Paw Tunnel is located at Mile 155.8 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath. It is a .6-mile walk from the Paw Paw Tunnel parking area. See the Locks and Lockhouses web page for an interactive location map.
NOTE: Sections of the towpath, locks and other historical structures, trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, boat ramps, and visitor centers are constantly being closed due to damage and/or repair. When planning an adventure within Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, make sure that areas you plan to visit are open by checking the National Park Service’s official Current Park Conditions web page.
The Paw Paw Tunnel is located in a mountainous area of the Potomac River Valley known as the Paw Paw Bends. Over the course of six miles, the river zigzags three times and is flanked by rock cliffs. Cutting a canal into the rock along the river would have been next to impossible, so canal engineers had two choices. One, they could dam the Potomac at the downstream end of the Bends so the river could be made deeper and thus navigable at all times. Boats would leave the canal and travel directly on the river.
A second option was to create a nearly six-mile shortcut around the Bends by cutting through the interior. The only problem was that there was a mountain in the way. With an estimated cost of $33,000 and a completion date of two years, it was decided to tunnel through the mountain, a decision that nearly bankrupted the C&O Canal Company. Work began in 1836, and when the tunnel opened in 1850, twelve years behind schedule, it had cost $600,000. Funds actually ran out, and no work was done from 1842 through 1847.
View of the Paw Paw Bends from the top of Tunnel Hill in Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Illustration of the canal route using the Paw Paw Tunnel (click to enlarge)
Construction was also plagued by labor violence, often started over ethnic hatred. When Irish workers threatened to strike, the canal company brought in English and German workers, and riots broke out between the groups.
Exiting the Paw Paw Tunnel on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Violence didn’t end when the tunnel was completed. Because it was built one-boat wide, there was no way to turn around when two oncoming boats came face-to-face. Though the rule on the canal was that downstream traffic yield to upstream traffic, neither captain wanted to turn around, and fights often broke out. Throughout the C&O Canal’s existence, the Paw Paw Tunnel remained the one bottleneck on the journey.
Downstream entrance to the Paw Paw Tunnel on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Visitors are welcome to walk through the tunnel to the downstream entrance and return back the same way. It is advised to bring a flashlight, not only so you can make it safely in the dark, but also so you can see the interior features. However, I did not have one and made it through without a problem, so it can be done. There is a railing you can hold on to. The only downside is that you may step into a water-filled pot hole every now and then. For those who want more exercise, take the Paw Paw Tunnel Hill Trail over the mountain and then walk back to the parking lot through the tunnel to form a 3.5-mile loop.
Light at the end of the on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.
Last updated on June 26, 2024
