Saved Account Join
A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

National Park Service campground

Paw Paw Tunnel Campsite

National Park Service campground in Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Allegany County, Maryland. 534 feet. 17.6 miles from Cumberland.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
National Park Service Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Elevation
534 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
10 10 tent only non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Allegany County

Overview

The Paw Paw Tunnel Campground is located at Mile 156 on the C&O Canal Towpath on the Maryland side of the Potomac River, across from the town of Paw Paw in West Virginia. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.

Facilities

There are 10 single campsites, each has a picnic table, fire ring and grill. Each site can accommodate eight people. If there is a larger group, reserve two sites next to each other. Portable toilets are available. Hand pump water is available from April 15-November 1.

Natural Features

Tucked in the mountains of Western Maryland and adjacent to Green Ridge State Forest, experience the history and culture of the area as well as its natural beauty, which is plentiful all times of the year, but especially during autumn.

Nearby Attractions

Continue your adventures at Green Ridge State Forest! The city of Cumberland, MD is just 25 miles (40 km) west on MD Route 51.

The description, directions and fees are the National Park Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking

The land around Paw Paw Tunnel Campsite

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated June 11, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

Join Overlanding Life
Saved Account

Start with a region

Browse the directory