Our Funding Priorities
The C&O Canal Trust has three major funding priorities that help support critical needs for the C&O Canal National Historical Park (NHP). You can learn more about each priority and make a gift below.
Towpath Forever
Towpath Forever encourages philanthropy and volunteerism to ensure the towpath and the Park’s historic structures are repaired and kept in good condition; lifelong stewards are created through educational programming; recreational opportunities are enhanced; and the diverse natural resources of the park are preserved.
Towpath Resurfacing
The towpath is the Park’s spine, bringing together diverse communities and inviting exploration along almost 200 miles of the Potomac River Valley. Preservation of the towpath is paramount to ensuring that all visitors – bikers, hikers, runners, history buffs, paddlers, climbers, nature lovers, Park users of all ages – have safe access to the rich assets of the C&O Canal. We prioritize raising money for towpath repairs as part of the C&O Canal NHP’s plan to make significant improvements to miles of the towpath most critically in need of attention.
Canal Classrooms
The Canal Classrooms program is the C&O Canal NHP’s education program. This scalable program provides thousands of school-aged children with the chance to use the Park as an outdoor classroom, where they learn through experiential opportunities that utilize national and state standards; curriculum that includes Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) concepts as well as history lessons; and the integration of technology.
