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Reply to Rockwood Manor
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Tom from Robinson on 2/17/2020 8:04:59 PM:
Two part question:
First, I am thinking of renting a car in my home town (Pgh) and doing a "one way" car drop-off in Washington (since my wife is getting tired of driving me there). I know a big fee is charged for that but that's ok. I considered the train but it doesn't get to DC until the afternoon so I burn a day. Does anyone know which car rental company will allow a drop-off closest to Mile 1 of the C & 0? Enterprise has a drop-off location at Union Station and that's what I will probably go with if no better/closer location is found.
Second, has anyone stayed at Rockwood Manor in Potomac MD (around mile 14)? Are they bike friendly and is it easy to get to on a bike from the towpath.

 
Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 2/17/2020 8:43:00 PM:
Union Station is about 4 miles from The C&O Towpath Milepost 0 at the Thompson Boat Center and 5 miles from Reagan International Airport which would be another potential rental car drop off location. You can ride the Mt. Vernon Trail for much of the way from the airport to Milepost 0. There is also an Enterprise Car Rental location on Calvert Steet in the Georgetown section of DC and is about 2.5 miles from Milepost 0.

If you are spending the first night in Potomac MD, it would seem that you would have plenty of time to take the train to Washington's Union Station which arrives from Pgh around 1:05 p.m. and get to Potomac MD. It's less than 20 miles from Union Station to Potomac...so, say, about 2 hours. Depending on what time of year you are going you could make it to White's Ferry/Leesburg (40 miles) before dark.

 
Tom from Robinson on 2/17/2020 9:47:11 PM:
Hey Rivnuts, good point about just taking the train. Had hoped to camp at Chisel Branch first night so that might work in early June. Thanks.

 
Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 2/17/2020 10:42:48 PM:
I camped at the Chisel Branch H/B camp a couple of years ago. All I seem to recall is that it was rather buggy. In early June you can ride til around 9:00 pm which gives you lots of time to get there from Union Station unless the train is unusually late. You'd even have time to stop in Georgetown for a late lunch or pick up something to eat at Chisel Branch.

 
Tom from Robinson on 2/18/2020 7:24:15 PM:
The car rental place at Calvert St is 2.3 miles from Towpath mile 0, and the entire 2.3 miles can be done on the Rock Creek Trail (paved and all downhill). Rock Creek Trail runs right by the car rental doors and ends at Mile 0. They open at 7:30am which means I will have time to bike to Shepherdstown instead of a half day to Chisel.