Reply to Paw Paw Tunnel

Roadie Mike from Detroit MI:

Hopefully you find this additional forum message since the forum app would not allow me to respond directly to your message as it normally does.

The Paw Paw Tunnel for the C&O Canal was cut through a hill/mountain rather than continue along the winding Potomac River to save time and cost of construction by reducing the length of the canal. - Neither objective was ultimately achieved. The 3,118 foot long tunnel itself was cut through the shale mountain and built over a period of 14 years. If you look at a map of the trail you'll see the divergence of this canal tunnel from the Potomac River. Further some Google searching will reveal a number of excellent websites describing the history and facts for the tunnel itself.

The outdoor trails entering and leaving the tunnel can be muddy during and following rain. The trail immediately downriver (north) of the tunnel can be slippery as well as muddy as it travels over a wooden "footbridge" adjacent a rock wall outside the tunnel. Just beyond the footbridge the trail surface includes exposed sections of wet shale as well as the muddy earthen surface. It's all rideable under those conditions but extra caution is well advised.

Inside the tunnel the elevated towpath travels between a guardrail separating the towpath from the canal so you don't fall off into the canal. The towpath within is a hard earthen surface about 5- to 6-feet wide. You can readily walk a pannier-laden bike within this width.

However, the surface is rough and damp including some small puddles in the ruts due to leaks in the tunnel roof. It is very dark inside making a light a virtual necessity. While I've encountered riders attempting to ride through the tunnel without a light, they present a peril for themselves as well as others in the tunnel.

I hope this message answers your questions.