By Ranger Betsy
It is hard to get to, but well worth the visit. By car, Fletchers Cove is only accessible via a one-lane entrance road off Canal Road. Past the Abner Cloud House, the road winds through a low, circa 1828 stone tunnel underneath the C&O Canal. A world of recreational possibilities lies on the other side of the tunnel.
Fletchers is a small cove leading out to the Potomac River. With Little Falls upstream, the fishing hole at Fletchers Cove is second to none. For boaters interested in slow waters or bird or turtle watching, Fletchers Cove is one of the best places along the entire canal to canoe or kayak.
Fletchers Cove is also an ideal place to start a hike or bike ride. Here the Capital Crescent Trail crosses and then parallels the towpath. From Fletchers Cove, I can hike or bike into Georgetown, Bethesda, or go all the way to Cumberland Maryland.
I don't have to worry about buying expensive equipment either. At Fletchers Cove, I can rent rowboats, kayaks, canoes and bikes from the concession stand. I can also either picnic on the wide lawns by the cove or grab a hot dog from the snack bar.
I never know who I'll run into at Fletchers Cove - anyone from my next door neighbor to Presidents of the United States. Andrew Jackson, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter have all visited Fletchers. You'll see people gathering for fishing, food and fun. It is a place where families have been coming for generations, much like the Fletchers' themselves - passing down its secrets.
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The Abner Cloud House is one of the oldest in Washington DC, dating back to 1801. The Colonial Dames open the building to the public a few days of the year. There used to be a flour mill, just a f... Read More
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From Fletchers, head downstream almost a mile. On your right, you will see a wayside sign about the incline plane. Look straight up from the wayside and you can barely make out the incline. The in... Read More
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Bike the Capital Crescent Trail, a paved trail that lies on top of the old B&O Railroad line. It runs inland for seven mile to Bethesda.
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The canal here is one of the longest sections without a lock. Kayak or canoe the three miles down to Georgetown, or a mile-and a half up to Chain Bridge and Lock 5.
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The canal here is one of the longest sections without a lock. Kayak or canoe the three miles down to Georgetown, or a mile-and a half up to Chain Bridge and Lock 5.
