08/07/2026
Walking through the “Paw Paw Tunnel” near Paw Paw, West Virginia, feels like stepping straight into the early days of the C&O Canal. Although most visitors reach it from Paw Paw, the tunnel is actually just across the state line in western Maryland. Stretching 3,118 feet through Tunnel Hill, it was built to avoid about six miles of twisting canal route around the sharp Paw Paw Bends of the Potomac River. Work began in 1836 and was expected to take only two years, but problems with money, difficult rock, work stoppages, and labor disputes stretched construction out for 14 years. It finally opened in October 1850 and cost more than $600,000. The inside was lined with more than six million bricks, making the scale of the project even more impressive. Today you can walk the old towpath straight through the dark tunnel, but you’ll definitely want a flashlight. Along the way, look for old rope marks, rub rails, weep holes, and brass markers placed every 100 feet. Dripping water, deep echoes, and the occasional bat only add to the eerie feel of this one-of-a-kind historic walk.
