View from Jefferson Street in Georgetown of the upstream end of Lock 3 on the C & O Canal
Lock 3 is located in Georgetown at Mile .4 on the C&O Canal towpath. You can get to it either by using the Metro or by dealing with parking in a downtown area. See the Locks and Lockhouses web page for an interactive location map.
Locks 1 through 4 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal are all located within a tenth of a mile from one another. They are so close together that it’s almost as if the canal boats were climbing stairs in a residential house. However, once exiting Lock 4, the boats could travel on the “level” for nearly five miles before hitting Lock 5.
There are two places to get good views of Lock 3. The best is from the Thomas Jefferson Street bridge between M and K Streets. The lock is situated downstream from the bridge, and you can get a good view of the upstream lock gates (photo at the top of this page and directly below). If you turn around and look upstream you can see Lock 4.
Downstream view of Lock 3 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Georgetown
There is also a view from the 30th Street bridge. You can walk between Jefferson and 30th along a brick sidewalk, which is the route of the original towpath. Canal boats were pulled by mules, and the towpath is where the mules and their handlers walked.
Upstream view of Lock 3 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal from the 30th Street bridge in Georgetown
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Last updated on June 11, 2024
