Since I was a kid, I have been curious about the Lockhouses on the C&O Canal. We took a brief family trip when I was about twelve to the canal, and then in 2013 I completed the 186-mile-long ride. So here we are, 10-20 years later spending Easter there. Partially because normal is boring, and partially because my work schedule is a total shit show right now and we are closed on Easter – therefore it is a guaranteed day off.
We rented Lockhouse 22 (Pennyfield), which is located at mile marker 19.6. Great Falls Tavern Visitor’s Center is a quick five-mile ride south of here, and White’s Ferry is about fifteen miles north. In a rare turn of events, I opted not to bring the bikes this time for simplicity’s sake. It worked out – there is honestly a lot to take in in the immediate surroundings and sometimes I could do myself some good by taking a chill pill.
When you arrive at the public parking area, there is a gate that looks like it should accommodate your car. However, because of the labeling “No Motorized Vehicles” my assumption was I was not allowed to bring uh….my motorized vehicle down this path. Which was a bit confusing as they issued us parking passes that you really would not otherwise need because it is public parking. I am still not entirely sure if we had to walk or not, but in all honesty, it is a canal, and therefore very flat. We survived. It was just a hundred yards or so to the lockhouse.
When you reserve the lockhouse you get a confirmation e-mail with the passcode to the lockbox on the front of the building. This allows you to retrieve the key and unlock the padlock to the storm door. The key also matches the primary door lock (and may match the lock on the vehicle-sized-gate, we did not try).
This is as they call it a “rustic” cabin on the website, which is a very snazzy word for “primitive with no electric and water” (totally fine – it pays to unplug sometimes). You do have an outhouse a couple hundred feet from the house, and a remarkable cupboard full of dishes. The house is professionally cleaned between visits, so while it runs about $110 per night, it is a little more “relaxed” than a PATC cabin would be.
There are three levels. The top floor has two bedrooms. Linens are not provided, but there are four beds (the website says “Twin,” but they were more like “Full”). Under each bed is a pull-out bed. I am not 100% sure of the approved capacity but if you put two people in each bed and pull-out bed you could fit sixteen people in here. The “master” (ish) bedroom has a door, the second bedroom is kind of “open” in a sense. It’s the first thing you enter when walking up the stairs (so no hallway, just two rooms). There are a few mirrors, and a desk in each room.
While these walls are certainly not designed to offer any insulation, the upstairs stayed rather warm at night. It got down to 35 degrees outside and in the morning, I was able to change clothes without feeling like I was freezing to death. Regardless of how much time I spend outdoors, even camping in freezing weather, I am a little bit of a whiney bitch when it comes to the cold (not gonna lie), so it really was not particularly bad.
The main floor has a plethora of books to read and a guest book to sign in the study room area (not sure what to call it) and the dining area has a moderately sized table, a few chairs and china. During the day, provided you open the front shutters, there is plenty of natural daylight pouring in. They do, however, provide a large flashlight for later in the day.
It is worth mentioning that the fireplaces are NOT functional.
The lower level Is just a basement with a dirt and gravel floor – but you can exit the basement door though the back to a picnic table and fire ring. This brings me to the best part….
Anybody who has read my previous posts on the canal, knows that I am a huge fan of the C&O and the GAP. These are adventures I hold near and dear to my heart and it is not something I can always articulate why exactly I love it so much.
I think there’s something very biological about why it feels so fantastic here. If you have ever read “The Nature Fix” they talk about something like this. This isn’t the only place you can find the information but it’s where I first read about it. Geosmin is responsible for the smell of earth after it rains and humans are incredibly sensitive to it. If you’ve never felt it before it’s hard to explain what that smell feels like. Because that smell, is definitely felt. If you do decide to visit here, you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.
It’s a deep tranquility. The elements are with you, because they are you. You are amongst friends because you are made of everything around you. The feeling is that of something ancient and primordial. It is transcendent.
It is this oasis that keeps me coming back to this trail. And it is that oasis that composes backyard to this lockhouse. The absolute beauty that the entire canal is to behold amongst the many miles, is all wrapped up here with a bow.
It is an absolute beauty to behold from the front, but the backyard is where the real magic is. Off on a path to the right, follow this path to the stream to watch the water topple over an inlet, creating a small waterfall. A lush green walking path takes you back to the Potomac where bluebells start to come out.
While indeed it was built for cargo, and probably was never built to coexist with the environment in the way it does now, this is a place where nature prevailed and took back what was hers – and I am so glad she did. It is absolutely divine.
Easter morning, we woke the kids up around 7AM. Partially because we did not want their eggs being taken by well-meaning passers-bys thinking we set them out for the general populace. This is a cool thing to do as a family. It is not like it is in your own backyard with which you are familiar. It is a gorgeous setting, and the adults had every bit as much fun as the kids.
To reserve a lockhouse, primitive or modern, visit the Canal Trust’s Website.
Adventure Girl and Spawn 
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