C&O Canal National Historical Park

The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park stretches 184.5 miles along the Potomac River from Georgetown in Washington, DC to Cumberland, Maryland. The canal's flat towpath and surrounding riparian forest create one of the best linear birding corridors in the mid-Atlantic region.

The towpath's diverse habitats — canal remnants, floodplain forest, river bluffs, and wetlands — support an exceptional spring migration. Louisiana Waterthrushes return as early as late March, and by May the corridor hosts breeding Cerulean Warblers, Yellow-throated Warblers, Acadian Flycatchers, and Kentucky Warblers. Bald Eagles are common along the river, and the Great Falls section offers dramatic scenery alongside excellent birding. The flat, well-maintained towpath makes this one of the most accessible long-distance birding trails in the region.