Paw Paw Tunnel

Located just across the West Virginia border in Old Town, Maryland, the Paw Paw Tunnel is one of the most impressive engineering feats on the entire C&O Canal. Stretching over 3,100 feet through solid mountain - making it the longest tunnel on the canal - it was constructed in the 1830s and 1840s and served as a critical shortcut, saving canal boat operators six miles of river travel along the Potomac. Today it's part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and open to visitors year-round. The hike to the tunnel entrance is about 0.6 miles from the parking area, and a wooden boardwalk guides you through the tunnel itself. Bring a flashlight - it gets very dark in there.

Latitude and Longitude

Degrees Minutes Seconds (DMS): 39° 32' 39.0768" N, 78° 27' 39.2396" W
Decimal Degrees (DD): 39.544188, -78.460900

GPS

The Paw Paw Tunnel has no street address, search "Paw Paw Tunnel Campground" or follow the directions below.

From Cumberland, MD

1. Head south on MD-51 (Industrial Road) for approximately 24 miles.
2. Parking lot will be directly off MD-51, on the left side of the road.

From Paw Paw, WV

1. Head north on MD-51 (Oldtown Road) for approximately 0.5 miles.
2. Parking lot will be directly off MD-51, on the right side of the road

Free

The Paw Paw Tunnel had been on our radar for a while - it's one of those places that you have to experience for yourself. A 3,000-foot hand-dug tunnel through a mountain, built in the 1800s, just a short drive from the West Virginia border? We had to see it for ourselves.

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