Category: Bike Paths

Posted on

The C&O Canal National Historical Park will be closed for the duration of the government shutdown.

During the shutdown, the Park is closed. This includes the towpath and all facilities. Visitation is strictly prohibited.

  • Visitor traffic, whether on foot, bike, or horse, is strictly prohibited.
  • Bicyclists planning rides from Pittsburgh to DC on the GAP and C&O Canal should plan to turn back at Cumberland.
  • All Visitors Centers are CLOSED.
  • Hiker/Bikers and campgrounds are CLOSED.
  • The Canal Quarters lockhouses are CLOSED.
  • All restroom facilities, both permanent and portable, are CLOSED.
  • Handles have been removed from all well pumps.
  • The only Park staff that will be on duty will be law enforcement rangers.
  • The portion of the Capital Crescent Trail that runs parallel to the towpath in DC is managed by the C&O Canal NHP and is CLOSED. 
  • All access roads to the Park are CLOSED. This means you will not be able to trailer boats to boat ramps along the towpath.
  • Interpretive and educational programming in the Park will be temporarily suspended. School field trips to the Park will need to be rescheduled once Park staff has returned.
  • Volunteer events and events requiring special use permits will not be able to take place.
  • All volunteers working in an official capacity should cease volunteer activities immediately and not enter the Park’s premises.

https://canaltrust.org/trust/index.php?page=government-shutdown

Posted on

Follow-Up on How to Access the New DNR Trail Guides

[B’ Spokes: Via email.]


I would like to thank everyone for
the great feedback regarding the new online trail guides. It seems that the
biggest issue was simply locating the new trail guides online or downloading
them into the “PDF Maps” app. In response to these problems I thought it might
be helpful to provide a little clarification on how exactly to access these new
maps. First let me remind everyone that this initiative is ongoing and not all
parks are completed at this time. So if the park your interested in isn’t
currently available please stay tuned, we hope to have these completed as
quickly as possible. See the list of completed parks below for currently
available trail guides. Second, and more importantly, users must access and
download the trail guides from the DNR website exclusively. To clarify, the new
trail guides are only available via the DNR website and must
be accessed through each individual park website. See detailed
instructions on how to find trail maps within DNR website below.
To access
the new trail guides follow these instructions:
1.)First, visit the
DNR Homepage and click on the parks tab located at the top of page. DNR Homepage
located here: https://www.dnr.maryland.gov/
2.) Next, from the pull down menu on
the right select the park you are interested in and click view park brochure.
3.) Under the info tab on the right
you should be able to locate the new trail guide.
4.) Once you have accessed the trail
guide you can view, print, or download the map at no cost.
5.) If you would like to use the PDF
Maps App, You must first download the app to a phone and upload a copy of the
trail guide to the app. For clarification see below.
For those individuals who have
downloaded the app or wish to use the “PDF Maps” app and take advantage of
interactive mapping features, it is important to know that at the present time
trail guides are only available via park websites and cannot be accessed through
the Avenza Map Store. This means that to download the map
to the app users will have to use the “From the web” option when adding maps and
enter the address of the online PDF or alternatively store a copy of the
downloaded map to a site like Dropbox or ITunes File sharing for uploading to
the app. In the future our hope is to make maps available through the Avenza Map
store but currently we are not offering this option. We appreciate your patience
while we complete the new trail guides and encourage comments and feedback as we
continue to refine the product.
Thanks Again



Cheers!

STEVE
CARR
Land
Trails Planner
Land
Acquisition & Planning
Maryland
Department of Natural Resources
580
Taylor Avenue, E-4
Annapolis,
MD 21401
            
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~~~~
(*)/'(*)
                                                     
*************************************************************
Original Email
Below……
DNR Now Offering Free Online
Trail Guides for Maryland State Parks
A new
online trail guide mapping initiative is currently underway at the Department of
Natural Resources (DNR). State park and other natural resource visitors now have
more options when accessing trail guides.
Previously, trail guides were only
available for purchase through the DNR online store or at individual park
offices. Now trail guides may also be viewed online, printed from home, or
downloaded in digital format at no cost to the user.
The new
format of the trail guide allows visitors easier access to trail information,
better options in trip planning or hiking, and increased safety through accurate
up-to-date conditions of trails.
While the
initiative is underway it will be some time before all parks and other resource
areas have the new guides available. The list below highlights parks currently
offering the new trail guide.
The new
trail guides are being offered as Geo-referenced Portable Document Format Maps
or PDF Maps. These maps can be used on any electronic device with the free Adobe
Reader software.
Geo-referenced PDF’s have all the
same features as a standard PDF but they now allow visitors the ability to use
proven 3rd party applications that increase the functionality of the trail
guide. For more information see below.

Free Apps Allow Visitors
More Opportunities with Online Trail Guides

Newly
released applications (apps) for both IOS and Android devices allow visitors the
opportunity to enjoy interactive features using the new online trail
guides.
Apps like
“PDF Maps” released by Avenza Systems Inc. allow visitors to easily download,
browse, navigate and interact with the new geo-referenced
PDF trail
guides in both an online and offline environment. This means that visitors can
utilize this application and trail guide even when not connected to the
internet.
For more
information on installing and using this application visit: www.avenza.com/pdf-Maps

Areas now offering New Trail
Guides

·Patapsco Valley State
Park
·Seneca Creek State
Park
·Rosaryville State
Park
·Merkle Wildlife
Area
·Cunningham Falls State
Park (New)
Coming
Soon….
Calvert Cliffs State
Park
We encourage visitors to download
and use the new trail guide, or if you have already done so, then feedback and
comments are welcome. they may be e-mailed to Rodney Vese Jr. at: rvese@dnr.state.md.us

Posted on

Councilwoman promoting area trails, physical fitness with 335-mile bicycle ride

Nicole Wagoner says paths have huge economic impact
By Greg Larry, Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — City council member Nicole Wagoner will participate in a 335-mile bicycle journey from Washington to Pittsburgh to promote area trails and physical fitness.
In addition to her council post, Wagoner is the director of sales for Fairfield Inn and Suites and president of Mountain Maryland Trails, a nonprofit organization that helps raise awareness about the trails and works with the county to provide maintenance and improve amenities.
…
Wagoner, 35, from Fort Ashby, W.Va., wants to take part in the journey for three reasons.
She wants to promote the trail and raise awareness about the economic impact it has on the area. Another reason is to show that anyone, at any fitness level, can enjoy the trail. The third reason is to raise money for Mountain Maryland Trails.
…
https://times-news.com/local/x541284072/Councilwoman-promoting-area-trails-physical-fitness-with-335-mile-bicycle-ride

Posted on

CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE $2 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO COMPLETE C&D WESTERN PORTION OF C&D TRAIL

[B’ Spokes: Catching up on some old emails.]
**************************************************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 3, 2012
CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE $2 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO COMPLETE C&D WESTERN PORTION OF C&D TRAIL
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) today announced a U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) grant for slightly more than $2 million to complete the western 1.8 miles of Chesapeake & Delaware (C&D) Trail. The funding will be used to complete the final Maryland portion of the 17-mile trail linking Chesapeake City, Maryland to Delaware City, Delaware.
"Completion of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Trail has been one of my top priorities," said. Senator Cardin, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. "The C&D Trail is a recreational treasure and this $2 million in federal funds ensures the completion of the Trail, which will attract tourists who want to enjoy the experience of hiking and biking between Chesapeake City, Maryland and Delaware City, Delaware."
"The C&D Canal is a pathway to our history and a pathway to enjoying nature and recreation," said Senator Mikulski, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related agencies. "I’m so proud to fight for Maryland in the Senate. These federal dollars will bring jobs to the area and help grow the local tourism economy. Improving this trail will help draw new visitors to our state’s national treasures and preserve them for generations to come."
"I join Senator Cardin in congratulating Chesapeake City on receiving this grant. The C&D Trail extension will provide economic, tourism and recreational benefits to Chesapeake City," said Maryland Secretary of Planning Richard Eberhart Hall. "This project and others like it advance Governor O’Malley’s goal to restore the health of Chesapeake Bay by investing in our existing towns and encouraging sustainable communities. The trail project will make Chesapeake City more accessible to many visitors and help them enjoy its unique history and heritage."
The C&D Trail is a planned 17-mile bicycle and pedestrian pathway between Maryland and Delaware that runs along the north bank of the C&D Canal. The Trail will have restroom facilities and signage and provide visitors with direct access to the ferry in Chesapeake City.
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