This event has been rescheduled to April 4th.
Join Jon Wolz on April 4th at 11:00 a.m. for a hike through the Paw Paw tunnel*, across the Potomac River from Paw Paw WV. We will meet at the Paw Paw Tunnel Trailhead parking area (Oldtown Road SE at the Paw Paw Campground), and we will walk through the tunnel (mile 155.78 to mile 155.20) to lock 66 (mile 154.70). We can continue to further locks–64 2/3 (mile 154.60) and 63 1/3 (mile 154.48) and lock 62 (mile 154.16) and return up the towpath going through the tunnel once again. After exiting the tunnel, we will return to our starting point/parking area. This walk should be a little over 3 miles. A flashlight or headlamp may be helpful in the middle of the tunnel. Packing lunch, water, and snacks are advisable.
The Paw Paw Tunnel Trailhead Parking area is located 2 hours from Poolesville at milepost 156.1 on the C&O Canal. If you are interested in carpooling for this trip, please meet at the parking lot at Our Lady of the Presentation Church (17200 Tom Fox Avenue, Poolesville) at 8:45 a.m.
*What is the Paw Paw Tunnel?
The Paw Paw Tunnel is one of the most significant engineering features on the C&O Canal. To avoid building six miles of canal along the river, the C&O Canal Company decided to construct a tunnel through a steep topographic ridge now called Tunnel Hill. When work began on the tunnel in 1836, the builders estimated the project would be complete within two years. The tunnel ultimately required 14 years to complete due to labor issues and violence, funding shortfalls, work stoppages, and the challenges of digging a 3,118-foot tunnel through the hard, loose shale. The tunnel opened in October 1850 with rockslides continuing to be a challenge throughout the tunnel’s history.
Jon Wolz, our local expert on the C&O Canal and leader of our “pop-up” walks, has a long history with the canal. As a Montgomery Blair High School sophomore and Eagle Scout, he had already hiked the entire canal. In 1970, Jon was the Boy Scout chosen to testify before a Senate subcommittee on behalf of the bill to protect the C&O Canal as a National Historical Park. Maryland Congressmen Gilbert Gude and J. Glenn Beall sponsored the bill.
Since 2015 Jon has volunteered as a level walker with the C&O Canal Association (COCA). His two levels encompass the area from White’s Ferry to Monocacy Aqueduct.