C&O Canal Towpath is a real time commitment — fit it in only if it's a priority.
Allow 1–3 hrs.
A flat, shaded, water-side walk or ride that starts right in Georgetown and quickly leaves the city behind toward Great Falls — a perfect low-effort nature escape. The catch: the in-town stretch is unremarkable; the scenery really pays off only several miles out, which suits cyclists more than strollers.
The towpath of the 19th-century Chesapeake & Ohio Canal runs from Georgetown ~184 miles to Cumberland, MD; the scenic Great Falls is ~14 miles out · model-knowledge