A buddy and I decided to do the Paw Paw Bends section of the Potomac River in western Mayland this weekend. This is a 22 mile trip that starts at the boat ramp in Paw Paw, West Virginia and ends in Little Orleans, Maryland as shown on the google map link, below.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/P...f78169fab17b82!8m2!3d39.5506711!4d-78.4630325
The river has a few Class I rapids/ledges in this section. What really makes this trip interesting, however, is the terrain. The river flows and winds through a series of big, dramatic horseshoe bends that are surrounded by high, steep mountains on either side with interesting rock formations and outcroppings, so you are canoeing through a canyon or gorge. The overhead 2D google map doesn't remotely do it justice and unfortunately I did not have my camera out until later in the trip when things had flattened out.
8 miles down stream from the put in, after the fifth bend, is the National Park Service-maintained Sorrel Ride campsite, where we stayed. It has a chemcial toilet, picnic table and fire ring and room for several groups. After we set up camp, two other guys in a canoe came in and shared the campsite with us.
The campsite is sandwiched between the river and the old C&O Canal which runs parallel to it. The canal itself is in disrepair out in this section, but there are several locks that can be seen. The canal tow path is well maintained here and this has its ups and downs. The down side is that hikers and cyclists coming from both up river and down river, use the tow path. On Saturday we probably saw six or seven groups of between 2 to 6 people pass by on foot or on bicycle.
The upside is the tow path makes it easy to visit the stunning one-mile long Paw Paw Tunnel. It is only a little over a mile hike back to the tunnel (and almost to your starting point even though you've done 8 miles of winding river). The tunnel was part of the canal and was carved through a shale mountain side. The last few hundred yards before the tunnel entrance is a boardwalk that curves around, hiding the entrance until, suddenly, the tunnel entrance is in sight. It reminds me of something you might see in an Indiana Jones movie. There's even a little waterfall just before the entrance The shale hill sides on either side of the tunnel have been flaking off massive slabs, forcing the NPS to close the tunnel while trying to stabilize the hill and remove some of the looser slabs. They are doing this work in stages and the tunnel had been closed off for this work for over a year and just reopened in July. It will close again in September for additional work. I'm glad we were able to time our trip during this brief window of opportunity. We hiked the pitch black tunnel and then returned to the campsite.
Only a little over 2 hours from D.C. but feels way more remote.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/P...f78169fab17b82!8m2!3d39.5506711!4d-78.4630325
The river has a few Class I rapids/ledges in this section. What really makes this trip interesting, however, is the terrain. The river flows and winds through a series of big, dramatic horseshoe bends that are surrounded by high, steep mountains on either side with interesting rock formations and outcroppings, so you are canoeing through a canyon or gorge. The overhead 2D google map doesn't remotely do it justice and unfortunately I did not have my camera out until later in the trip when things had flattened out.
8 miles down stream from the put in, after the fifth bend, is the National Park Service-maintained Sorrel Ride campsite, where we stayed. It has a chemcial toilet, picnic table and fire ring and room for several groups. After we set up camp, two other guys in a canoe came in and shared the campsite with us.
The campsite is sandwiched between the river and the old C&O Canal which runs parallel to it. The canal itself is in disrepair out in this section, but there are several locks that can be seen. The canal tow path is well maintained here and this has its ups and downs. The down side is that hikers and cyclists coming from both up river and down river, use the tow path. On Saturday we probably saw six or seven groups of between 2 to 6 people pass by on foot or on bicycle.
The upside is the tow path makes it easy to visit the stunning one-mile long Paw Paw Tunnel. It is only a little over a mile hike back to the tunnel (and almost to your starting point even though you've done 8 miles of winding river). The tunnel was part of the canal and was carved through a shale mountain side. The last few hundred yards before the tunnel entrance is a boardwalk that curves around, hiding the entrance until, suddenly, the tunnel entrance is in sight. It reminds me of something you might see in an Indiana Jones movie. There's even a little waterfall just before the entrance The shale hill sides on either side of the tunnel have been flaking off massive slabs, forcing the NPS to close the tunnel while trying to stabilize the hill and remove some of the looser slabs. They are doing this work in stages and the tunnel had been closed off for this work for over a year and just reopened in July. It will close again in September for additional work. I'm glad we were able to time our trip during this brief window of opportunity. We hiked the pitch black tunnel and then returned to the campsite.
Only a little over 2 hours from D.C. but feels way more remote.
