Big Slackwater – Big Slackwater View loop from Dargan

Big Slackwater – Big Slackwater View loop from Dargan

Hard

4.7

(9190)

17,244

riders

Big Slackwater – Big Slackwater View loop from Dargan

05:39

70.8km

260m

Gravel riding

Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: November 9, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 60.6 km for 53 m

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

28.2 km

Dam No. 4

Highlight • Monument

Dam No. 4 is located around mile 84 of the C&O Canal Towpath. Built in 1856, this dam was crucial for maintaining water levels for canal operations and remains an …

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28.2 km

Dam 4 C&O

Highlight • Monument

Great spot to see the Dam.

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32.3 km

Big Slackwater

Highlight • Cycleway

Ride in the morning or weekday, if possible. can get busy on weekends.

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33.9 km

Big Slackwater View

Highlight • Trail

Big Slackwater is a deep, smooth area of the C&O canal. It is the place that canal boats used to be launched into the canal.

After a flood destroyed the …

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47.4 km

Horseshoe Bend campsite

Highlight • Rest Area

58.9 km

View of the Potomac River from the Shepherdstown Bridge

Highlight • Viewpoint

Scenic views from the bridge crossing the bridge from West Virginia to Maryland. The MD-side of the bridge offers access to the C&O Canal tow path.

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59.8 km

Shepherdstown

Highlight • Settlement

Shepherdstown, West Virginia, is the oldest town in the state (founded in 1762) and has a fun, vibrant college-town atmosphere. Located along the Potomac River at mile 72 of the …

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66.9 km

Antietam Aqueduct

Highlight • Bridge

The Antietam Aqueduct, located at mile 69.4 of the C&O Canal Towpath, is a three-arch stone aqueduct that once carried the canal over Antietam Creek. Built in 1834, it is …

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70.8 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types