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Potomac Heritage Trail (PHT) - 990 miles - View Gallery

From scenic overlooks on the high rocky bluffs along the Youghigheny River on the Laurel Highlands Trail to a breezy walk along the historic C&O Canal towpath paralleling the Potomac River, the Potomac Heritage Trail traces the story of early migration and settlement between Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh, celebrating America’s Colonial heritage. Along the 990-mile route – which connects existing and future segments – the trail is open to hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing in various places. The corridor follows one envisioned by George Washington as a route for commerce between the Ohio Valley and the nation’s capital. It parallels many early exploration routes used by Washington and settlement routes that developed later on, including the Potomac River, the C&O Canal, the National Road, and the tributaries that form the Ohio River.

The concept of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail was sponsored by one of the oldest Appalachian Trail maintaining organizations, the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, founded in 1927. Tapping into the historic theme of traveling west across the mountains and tying together the historical relevance of several existing trails, including the C&O Canal Trail in Maryland and the Laurel Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania, the trail corridor was certified as a National Scenic Trail in 1983.As of mid-2008, there are 20 certified segments of trail between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., providing nearly 500 miles of outdoor recreation.

While oversight of the Potomac Heritage Trail falls to the National Park Service, work on the ground is guided and completed by volunteers. The Potomac Heritage Trail Association (www.potomactrail.org) brings together local clubs in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. To their west, the Allegheny Trail Alliance (www.atatrail.org) is focused on creating the Great Allegheny Passage, a trail from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, MD that when complete, will comprise the Pennsylvania segment of the Potomac Heritage Trail.

Day hikers and weekend backpackers have dozens of destinations to choose from, including short scenic hikes above the Great Falls of the Potomac in Great Falls Park and Riverbend Park in Virginia, top-notch backpacking along Pennsylvania’s Laurel Ridge, and 184.5 relatively flat miles along the C&O Canal Towpath, paralleling the Potomac River. It’s already possible to walk from Washington D.C. to Seward, Pennsylvania (near Johnstown) using the established route, thanks to restoration of many tunnels beneath the mountains along former railroad lines. A thru-hiker can continue on to Pittsburgh from Ohiopyle along the proposed route, some of which is complete. The Potomac Heritage Trail: A Hiker’s Guide (David Edwin Lillard and Ed Talone) is an excellent resource for planning a trek or bike trip along of the trail. Find out more about hiking destinations along the trail at www.potomactrace.org

“Fun Facts”
The Potomac Heritage Trail passes through many old tunnels, including the Paw Paw Tunnel. This 3,118’ single-lane tunnel is lined with six million bricks, and took 12 years to build. It helped straighten out the towpath and canal route for a six mile segment of sharp bends in the Potomac River.

As an east-west trail, the Potomac Heritage Trail crosses the Eastern Continental Divide near the Big Savage Tunnel in Maryland. Heading east from the divide, it drops 1,754 feet in just 22 miles to reach Cumberland. Heading west, it drops 1,664 feet in 128 miles to Pittsburgh—meaning a walk from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. is a little less strenuous.

The trail’s eastern terminus includes 18.5 miles of walking along the Mount Vernon Trail, past the home of our first United States president and within sight of the landmarks of downtown Washington, D.C