Sideling Hill Creek Aqueduct (photo by Jerry Edmundson)
The Sideling Hill Creek Aqueduct is located at Mile 136.6 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath. It cannot be accessed by vehicle, so reaching it requires hiking or biking .4 miles (one way) upstream from a public parking lot on Pearre Road. See the Locks and Lockhouses web page for an interactive location map.
A canal aqueduct is a nifty little feat of engineering that solves the problem of what to do when a canal crosses paths with a creek or river. Both are waterways, but the canal is a self-contained channel and cannot temporarily merge with the river because all of its water will spill out uncontrollably. The solution is to elevate the canal over the waterway via a bridge. In essence, a large, elevated bathtub must be built—water cannot be leaking out of the bottom and sides. This is done with a thick layer of clay and stone on the bottom and solid stone walls for sides.
Illustration of an aqueduct–the Catoctin Aqueduct–in use
The Sideling Hill Creek Aqueduct is a 70-foot long single-arch structure. One of its retaining walls collapsed during a flood. Unlike the Catoctin Creek and Conococheague Creek aqueducts that were restored by the National Park Service, it is doubtful that a structure this far out in the middle of nowhere will ever be brought back to its former glory.
Sideling Hill Creek Aqueduct (photo by Jerry Edmundson)
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 29, 2024
