Camping on The C&O

    From backpacking to drive-in camping, The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal offers a wide range of camping opportunities for the novice as well as the experienced outdoorsmen. With 2 group, 30 hiker/biker and 5 drive-in campsites located throughout the park there's always a place to pitch a tent.
As 2006 arrived I suddenly realized that I have been camping on the C&O for 40 years. And I can honesty say that I remember my first trip to the canal like it was only yesterday. And as yet, I still have not found a place anywhere that I enjoy more then the C&O.
My experience on the C&O over the years has taught me a lot about what works and what won’t. Some of this I had to learn through trial and error. There are also many people who have taught me many things as well.
Here I plan to talk about the camp. Not how you got to the campsite or what you brought to eat. For that you might want to check my Backpacking Section. This is all about the campsite. From it’s layout to the clean out. So lets get started…

We’re Here!
Ok, so now what?

    Once you have found the campsite you plan to use, you need to prep the area. The first thing is something you really should not have to do. Clean up. Yeah, although the C&O Canal is generally a very clean park thanks to the many people who volunteer their time, we do have a few sloppy and rude visitors now and again. So it pays to walk around and remove any trash you see before setting up
    If you plan to have a campfire you should go ahead and gather the wood you need for the night. I generally like to get the fire going as soon as I get there so by the time I am ready to set up the sleeping bag I have a good idea of the prevailing wind.
    Next thing to do is figure out where you are going to do the cooking. There are fire rings that have removable grills tops and standing park grills. I tend to use the fire ring for most of my cooking although I also carry a small camp stove in case firewood is not close by. Each campsite has a picnic table but don’t depend on it because the park is totally First Come-First Serve and many people use the canal on weekends during the summer.
    The sleeping area is the last thing you will figure out. By now the fire has given you a reasonable idea which way the wind is going. Pick out a level spot about 15 feet up-wind of the campfire. Using your feet, step it out completely to find any sticks or rocks. DO NOT rake the ground with your feet or you will end up pulling out all the “Grass” because the ground is very soft leaving you with dirt or even damp mud. Lay out a ground sheet to protect your bag or tent. This can be anything from clear plastic to a small tarp. Now you are ready to set up your tent or lay out the sleeping bag.
    With your campsite setup you now need to protect your food supply from animals that will undoubtedly visit while you are sleeping. Hanging it from a branch is the preferred way to go about this. Having a bear come into your campsite would be a super rare thing to happen. I don’t know of a single case. But the chance of being hit by lightning is also supposed to super small too. So hang your food at least 50’ away from your sleep area. If you do get lucky and see a bear, do not freak out! The only bears that could possibly be on the C&O would be Black bear and they are not going to attack you. In fact you would be hard pressed to run away faster then it’s going to run away as soon as it knows you are there. So get a picture… fast!
    You won’t find many a roaster on the canal, but you will wake to the sounds of woodpeckers, geese and maybe even the rough voice of a heron. And if you are smart, you have your camera in your sleeping bag with you. This is the best time to get photos of the wildlife around you. Be quiet and move slowly. Check out the trees first for birds. Give it a few minutes and you might see that noisy woodpecker. There’s a good chance that deer are nearby alone with raccoons, minks, and too many others to list.

Where’s The Coffee?

    I personally have to have my coffee in the morning and being out on the C&O just makes it that much better. This is the reason I have the camp stove. I don’t usually light a fire in the morning unless I am going to be there all day (drive-in or weekend group). Most of the time I use the Hiker/biker campsites and plan to head out after I eat and get packed.

The Clean Out

     While the coffee is heating up I will start cleaning up and packing things I don’t need anymore. You will need time to dry off the underside of your ground sheet before packing it so packing up the sleeping bag/tent needs to be done first. Once you have those out of the way you can find a place to hang the ground sheet for about 30 minutes to dry while you have breakfast and drink that coffee.
    Cleaning your cook-kit is very simple if you do it right away. During the summer you can get cleanup water from the pump. Don’t clean your cook kit at the pump. Carry it to a place away from the camp area for cleaning. In the winter you will have to walk down to the river for your cleaning water. Again, don’t clean your cook kit in the river. Use only biodegradable soap for camping and pour it out on the ground so it gets exposed to the sun to speed up the degrading process.
    To finish out the cleanup, police the area around your site for any trash. If you had use of a picnic table, clean it off by pouring some water over it to remove any spilled drinks that will draw insects like yellow jackets and ants.

Pulling Out

    The very last thing you need to do will be done as soon as you leave the campsite. Are you ready for this? Ok, turn around. Look at the site. Can you tell someone was there? Can it be fixed? Well then, fix it and try again. As a user of the C&O you are very responsible for it’s condition. If you can not clean or fix it, then please report the problem. The people that come after you will appreciate it and beside that, it will make you feel good.

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