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The C&O Canal Towpath Trail and Great Allegheny Passage

Bears, Snakes, & Other Wildlife on C&O


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JK on 8/30/2016 8:51:10 PM:
Curious if anyone had any encounters with bears, venomous snakes, or other potentially dangerous wildlife along the C&O towpath ?

 
steve on 8/31/2016 12:12:25 PM:
No bears or snakes 2 weeks ago, plenty of deer and turkeys.

 
Anonymous on 8/31/2016 3:44:15 PM:
Nothing dangerous the last week of July...unless you count deer who seemingly had no fear or me/my bike whatsoever and just stood there and watched a few feet away as I SLOWLY moved past (not confident in their potential movements). It was awesome!

 
John W. from Pittsburgh, PA on 8/31/2016 6:18:27 PM:
I've never encountered any bears or snakes. Probably more blue herons and raccoons!

 
rICK from GRAFTON, VA on 9/2/2016 2:50:26 PM:
There are poisonous snakes along the route as well as bear. But you'd be lucky to see one. We saw a Copperhead just east of Cumberland a few years ago. Got a neat video of a black snake stretched across the tracks on the Western Md. Rail Trail outside Frostburg. And I saw the Granddaddy of all blacksnakes several years ago near White's Ferry at a campsite. The sucker had to be 10' long! He was eye level with me, his body went to the base of the tree, into a hollow in the tree, came out the other side, then curled around and was almost touching his body where it first entered the tree. No joke. The most remote section of the C&O is between Old Town and just east of Paw Paw before you get to Hancock. There are bear along that stretch but you'd be lucky to see one.

 
brokebike on 9/6/2016 11:37:31 PM:
In Sept of 2014, I spotted a rather large copperhead crossing the path about 8 miles from Georgetown on the C&O. It was strange because as many of you know, that's right where the trail starts getting pretty congested with all sorts of DC metro area recreational users. I stayed to make sure he crossed safely, and told a few users up ahead to keep an eye out.

 
Charlie from Manassas va, on 9/11/2016 4:37:45 PM:
I've the c&o / gap several times. The biggest problem with wildlife I've had is raccoons. They will raid your camp site. They are smart, sneaky, and persistent. They may be cute in the cartoons but they are nasty in the middle of the night. Coyotes can be creepy to hear at night but have never come close.

 
Tim from Cincinnati on 9/14/2016 3:52:18 PM:
Most dangerous animal I have encountered is the kind you see in the mirror. Just because you are away from large metro areas most of the trip does not mean there are not predators out there. Generally, though, those types are too lazy to leave the city...Take the usual precautions.

 
JH on 10/17/2016 9:08:33 PM:
I did the entire C&O by myself this past summer. I went in July. I never saw any bears or poison snakes. The worst part for me was near places that rent bicycles for trail use by familes. Most young kids do not know to ride single file when approaching another rider!? I was nearly run over several times. I am hoping parents will do a better job teaching their children how to use/ride the trail.

 
TopShelf from Ohio on 10/27/2016 5:47:25 PM:
My son and I rode the C&O in June. We saw quite a bit of wildlife - no bears or rattlesnakes, but there was a goat that was very reluctant to let us get by.

 
Steve from Pittsburgh on 10/27/2016 9:55:53 PM:
Porcupine that had no intention of moving on the hill up to Savage tunnel, turtles, snakes, too many deer to count, no bear though.