Category: Park Access

Air Quality Advisory – 8 June 2023

Hello Level Walkers

The C&O Canal sent the following guidance out today regarding the air quality situation. It is expected to improve eventually, but can still be a factor for the next few days. Please note the below guidance and use caution if you need to be on the park.

Thanks, Steve Dean, Level Walker Chair

We have not suspended volunteer activities, but we want volunteers to be very aware of what is going on and take the air quality into account when planning their activities in the park.  If volunteers do not feel comfortable being active in the park right now, that’s completely understandable – the first priority is always their health and safety.

The Air Quality Index is currently Code Purple for the District of Columbia and surrounding areas. Depending on your location, the AQI level will vary, with much of the area being purple through at least today. 

Code Purple Air Quality Alert means (very unhealthy) air pollution concentrations within the region. This also means the risk of health effects has increased for everyone, including sensitive groups suffering from asthma, heart disease or other lung diseases and older adults, children, and teens. These effects of air pollution can be minimized by doing the following:  

People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens – take any of these steps to reduce your exposure:  

  • Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.  
  • Keep outdoor activities short.  
  • Consider moving physical activities indoors (HVAC) or rescheduling them. 
  • Wear N-95 respirator or equivalent  
  • Keep hydrated.  
  • Use a buddy system. 

Everyone else – take any of these steps to reduce your exposure:  

  • Choose less strenuous activities (walking instead of running) – you don’t breathe as hard. 
  • Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors.  
  • Return to door activity when air quality is better.   

Flexibility in your schedule  

  • Even if the forecast is Purple (very unhealthy for sensitive groups), there may be times during the day when air quality is suitable for outdoor activities.  
  • Frequently CHECK UPDATED/CURRENT AIR QUALITY LEVELS AT https://www.airnow.gov. 
  • See the Activity Guides to learn ways to protect your health when the AQI reaches unhealthy levels. 

C&O Canal Notices

Hello Level Walkers,

Two notices from the NPS follow.

Dear Volunteers, 

This year we are moving from the virtual VIP Speaker Series presentations to in-person resource knowledge building field trips. We will offer a variety of learning opportunities at locations across the park. Here is information about the first opportunity – 

VIP Speaker Series – C&O Canal NHP Museum Collection

DATE: March 30, 2023

TIME: 11am

LOCATION: Park Headquarters in Williamsport

DESCRIPTION: Museum Curator, Blyth McManus, will host a presentation about the park’s museum collection. Blyth will provide a brief history of the collection and talk about how the park manages it. Blyth will have a few objects from the C&O Canal on-hand to show and talk about what we can learn from them. 

Volunteers can also sign up to take a tour of the new park headquarters facility before the presentation. 

TO SIGN-UP: This opportunity is limited to 10 volunteers from each district (west, middle, and east) and you must sign-up to attend. Please email emily_hewitt@nps.gov noting your volunteer program and the area of the park where you volunteer. Also indicate whether you would like to take a tour of headquarters. 

DEADLINE: You must email by March 15 to sign-up. 

Thanks!

Emily Durán Hewitt

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park 

News Release 

For Immediate Release: February 23, 2023 

Park Contact: Christiana Hanson, 301-491-6265, Christiana_Hanson@nps.gov 

NPS to Repair Level 33 Stone Wall along the C&O Canal 

Construction will require closure of part of Harpers Ferry Road beginning March 20.

33 Dry-Laid Stone Wall Repair Project Detour Map 

WILLIAMSPORT, Md.— The National Park Service (NPS) will begin construction on the Level 33 dry-laid stone wall just across the Potomac River from Harpers Ferry, WV this March. The wall shows significant signs of instability and stone loss, causing distress and unsafe conditions on the supported public roadway. Repair of the wall will include disassembling the existing stone wall, re-assembling the wall and restoring the roadway. This work will stabilize the area to meet current engineering standards and ensure safety to the local community that utilizes the road. The Level 33 wall is located at Mile Marker 61.5 of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, between locks 33 and 34.

During construction, the NPS will close Harpers Ferry Road between Hoffmaster Road and the school bus turnaround on Sandy Hook Road on March 20 (weather dependent) to public vehicles. A detour will be available along alternate public roadways – the same detour that was used during the previous Harpers Ferry Road slope stabilization project.  

After a portion of the wall is disassembled, the NPS will use concrete backfill behind the wall to establish a single travel lane to facilitate passage for critical emergency management services and first responders, which will be available for use in early Summer 2023. At the end of the project, the pavement and guardrails along Harper’s Ferry Road will be replaced and the road will be reopened to the public. 

The towpath will remain open during this project.

-NPS- 

Preserving America’s early transportation history, the C&O Canal began as a dream of passage to Western wealth. Operating for nearly 100 years the canal was a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River as coal, lumber, and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. Today it endures as a pathway for discovering historical, natural, and recreational treasures. Learn more at www.nps.gov/choh.  

C&O Canal Status Update for 15 December, 2022

Hello Level Walkers,

An important notice about the park’s status for Thursday, 15 December follows. Please heed the guidance provided by the NPS. Also, if you have not gotten a 2023 C&O Canal Calendar and would like one, information to pick those up follows.

Thanks, Steve

With the winter weather advisory for December 15, the volunteer program is suspended on Thursday. Parts of the park may be closed and other parts of the park may be open to the public, but volunteers are not authorized to work in the park. This is to ensure your safety during the winter weather event. If you choose to visit the park on Thursday, December 15 you must do so as a private citizen.

For updates on park closures, please check the alerts page on the park website or follow us on Facebook. 

Stay warm & stay safe!

Level Walkers can pick up a 2023 calendar at the following locations – 

Great Falls Tavern

Wed-Sun 

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

(Ask for Tyson or any staff should be able to get the volunteer a calendar)

HQ in Williamsport

Thursday 12/15

Friday 12/16

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. either day

(Ask for Joshua or Rosie)

C&O Canal NHP Status – 12 March 2022

Hello Level Walkers,

Weather is on the way and the NPS issued the following notification.

Thanks, Steve

Dear Volunteers, 

With the wintry weather forecast, the volunteer program is suspended on Saturday, March 12. The park will be open to the public, but volunteers are not authorized to work in the park. This is to ensure your safety during the inclement weather event. 

If you choose to visit the park on Saturday, you must do so as a private citizen. For updates on any park closures please check the park website or the park Facebook page.  If you have any questions, please contact your park staff program coordinator. 

Thank you and stay safe! 

Christiana Hanson

Chief of Interpretation, Education, and Volunteers

C&O Canal NHP Weather Advisory 16 and 17 January

The NPS has issued the following advisory for volunteers.

Thanks, Steve

Dear Volunteers, 
With the wintry weather forecast, the volunteer program is suspended on Sunday, January 16 and Monday, January 17. The park will be open to the public, but volunteers are not authorized to work in the park. This is to ensure your safety during the inclement weather event. All staff in the division of Interpretation, Education, and Volunteers will be teleworking and only emergency staff will be onsite. 
If you choose to visit the park on Sunday and Monday, you must do so as a private citizen. For updates on any park closures please check the park website or the park Facebook page. 

Thank you and stay safe!
Emily Durán Hewitt

C&O Canal Volunteer Operations Status Update

Hello Level Walkers,

The latest status update for operations on the C&O Canal follows. This is provided by the Volunteer Manager. If you go out there please be careful.

Thanks,

Steve

Volunteers, 
The park’s Chief Ranger has given the OK to resume volunteer program operations on Friday, September 3rd. However, water levels are still rising so please avoid areas that are prone to flooding such as McMahons, Dam 4, Culvert 82, etc. For a list of current closures and park condition updates, please check the C&O Canal NHP website alerts page – 
https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
All visitors are encouraged to use caution. Even once the rain stops, conditions in the park may still change quickly. Do not attempt to cross washouts or high-water areas. Remain aware of rising water levels in the Potomac River and neighboring streams. High water may impact low areas of the park, and conditions may change unexpectedly. Be aware of possible debris on the towpath, flooding, washouts, and falling trees.

Thank you and stay safe!

Emily Durán Hewitt

C&O Canal Volunteer Status for February 18th

Hello Level Walkers,

Please observe the following guidance from the C&O Canal NHP volunteer manager.

Dear Volunteers, 
The forecast is for more snow! With the wintry weather starting overnight, the volunteer program is suspended on Thursday, February 18. The park will be open to the public, but volunteers are not authorized to work in the park. This is to ensure your safety during the inclement weather event. All staff in the division of Interpretation, Education, and Volunteers will be teleworking and only emergency staff will be onsite. 
If you choose to visit the park on Thursday, February 18 you must do so as a private citizen. For updates on park closures please check the park website or the park Facebook page. 

Thank you and stay safe!

Emily Durán Hewitt

Little Tonoloway Bridge reopens in Hancock

The following notification is from the National Park Service regarding the canal crossover bridge in Hancock at Mile 124.38.

HANCOCK, Md. — Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park has replaced the bridge span at Little Tonoloway Day Use and Recreation Area and will reopen the crossing over the canal  to traffic in the afternoon on Friday, Jan. 15.  

The bridge had been closed to vehicle traffic since Nov. 2019 when engineers discovered that its beams were severely corroded during a routine inspection. The National Park Service (NPS) had been planning to replace the bridge and we worked with the Federal Highway Administration to do the work sooner than originally scheduled.  

In order to finish this project, the NPS will return to repave the bridge’s approaches when there is warmer weather. When that work happens, the Little Tonoloway Day Use and Recreation Area restrooms and picnic area will remain open, but the boat ramp will be temporarily inaccessible via vehicles.   

Image – Canal in Hancock – Level 48

Update – Volunteer Operations Due to Inclement Weather

Update on the park’s storm activity status, from the NPS. Thanks, Steve

Dear Volunteers, 
We hope you have been enjoying this snow day and staying safe & warm! With the wintry weather continuing through the night, the volunteer program is suspended through Thursday, December 17. The park will be open to the public, but volunteers are not authorized to work in the park. This is to ensure your safety during the inclement weather event. All staff in the division of Interpretation, Education, and Volunteers will be teleworking and only emergency staff will be onsite. 
As with today, if you choose to visit the park on Thursday, December 17 you must do so as a private citizen. Currently the Great Falls entrance road is closed due to snowy conditions. For updates on the closure please check the park website or the park Facebook page. 

Thank you and stay safe!
Emily Durán Hewitt