Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Pennyfield Lock – Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls loop from Seneca

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Pennyfield Lock – Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls loop from Seneca

Moderate

3.1

(5)

riders

Pennyfield Lock – Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls loop from Seneca

04:09

44.5km

130m

Cycling

Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: April 27, 2026

Tips

Includes segments that go up or down a series of steps

You may need to carry your bike.

After 261 m for 7 m

After 44.3 km for 7 m

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

1.38 km

Inlet Lock

Lake

3.92 km

Dierrsen Wildlife Management Area

Nature Reserve

5.37 km

Pennyfield Lock

Highlight • Monument

Lock 22, aka Pennyfield Lock, was built between 1829 and 1831, and the name came from the misspelling of the Pennifield family name. It has been restored and offers overnight stays to recreate the rustic feeling from that period.

Tip by

14.7 km

Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls

Highlight • River

Great Falls has a scenic Horseshoe Bend where the river curves in a horseshoe shape around a rocky outcrop. It's a nice spot to stop for photos on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail.

Tip by

14.9 km

Great Falls Park on the C&O Trail

Highlight • Waterfall

Located at mile 14.3 on the C&O Canal Towpath in Potomac, Maryland, Great Falls Park is a must-visit highlight for hikers, cyclists, and history buffs alike. A short boardwalk leads …

Tip by

18.6 km

Great Falls

Highlight • Waterfall

Enjoy easy access to the Great Falls, a popular destination for photographers, hikers, and expert kayakers. Though not exceptionally tall, the falls surge with force as the Potomac River carves through ancient, metamorphic rock.

Tip by

22.3 km

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Lake

28.1 km

Widewater

Highlight • Lake

As you ride onto the wide canal bend, you’re met with serene water views—Widewater is a beautiful lake that serves as habitat for many bird and wildlife species. It’s an …

Tip by

30.2 km

Start of the Great Falls Foot Trail

Highlight • Trail

The Great Falls of the Potomac is a place with various rapids and small falls in the Potomac. The place marked here may only be entered on foot. Bicycles and dogs 😜 must stay outside.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

32.5 km

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Highlight • Trail

This towpath is as much about the journey as the destination. Cruise past historic locks, aqueducts, and shady woodlands along a trail with gentle grades and rich history. Pause at scenic river overlooks or old lockhouses for a quick rest.

Tip by

34.4 km

Swains Lock

Highlight • Historical Site

These are hard to come by along the C&O canal and usually hidden. Always nice to know where to get water.

Tip by

44.5 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

44.0 km

238 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

44.1 km

247 m

238 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Today

Friday 22 May

14°C

11°C

95 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 15.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Edit route

Download GPX

Move start point

Embed on a website

Report an Issue

Nearby routes

Moderate

4.8

273

Rock Creek and Capital Crescent Trail Loop

02:17h

36.5km

190m

Easy

4.8

104

Washington & Old Dominion Trail

01:29h

25.4km

140m

Moderate

1.0

Needwood Loop

02:39h

31.2km

160m

Moderate

2.5

Upper Potomac River Loop around northwest of Washington, D.C.

01:44h

26.7km

340m

Moderate

5.0

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath

04:42h

62.8km

90m

Moderate

5.0

Fairfax County Parkway Trail

02:22h

40.4km

250m

Moderate

5.0

Barnesville loop

01:47h

29.0km

250m

Moderate

5.0

Leisure cycling loop from Barnesville

01:32h

25.1km

220m

Moderate

5.0

C&O Canal and Agricultural Reserve Loop

02:31h

41.0km

210m

Moderate

C&O Canal Towpath and Agricultural Reserve Loop

04:15h

62.2km

310m

Moderate

Buckeystown and C&O Canal Loop

02:42h

43.6km

330m

Moderate

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath: Poolesville Loop

03:38h

58.7km

230m

Pennyfield Lock – Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls loop from Seneca

Pennyfield Lock

Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls

Great Falls Park on the C&O Trail

Great Falls

Widewater

Start of the Great Falls Foot Trail

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Swains Lock

Nearby routes

Sign up or log in to keep exploring this route

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️