Six days.
One old canal.

The urban canal edge gives way to Great Falls, wooded towpath and the long Potomac bends toward Edwards Ferry. Mostly level hardpack with roots, puddles and slower surface after rain.

Highlights: Georgetown mile zero, Great Falls, Seneca Creek Aqueduct and an overnight inside a restored lockkeeper's house.

Power: Budget 400–600 Wh and finish with enough battery to cover day two plus a 20% system reserve. Do not start this version without a loaded 61-mile range test.

Food + water: Carry dinner, breakfast, trail food and sufficient treated water. The nearest pump identified by Canal Quarters is about 0.3 mile away at Chisel Branch and is non-potable.

Charge: None. The lockhouse has no electricity. A spare battery is useful only if its combined system has already passed the loaded two-day test.

Gate: Lockhouse 25 is first-come by advance reservation and not a casual walk-in. If it is unavailable—or your bike cannot prove the required range—use a powered-room transfer arranged before departure and return to the exact route point before day two.

A short day through White's Ferry, Monocacy Aqueduct and Point of Rocks, ending beneath the cliffs and railroad bridges of Harpers Ferry.

Highlights: Monocacy Aqueduct, Point of Rocks, river views and the approach to Harpers Ferry at mile 60.7.

Power: Budget 400–600 Wh from the battery remaining after day one. The overnight room is the first full electrical reset since Georgetown.

Food + water: Carry breakfast and a full morning supply; use town services at Point of Rocks or Harpers Ferry only after checking hours. Refill with municipal water.

Charge: Cool and dry the pack, inspect it, then use only the approved charger in a location and on a schedule accepted by the property.

Gate: The current Harpers Ferry shuttle has no bike rack and takes bicycles only at the driver's discretion. Confirm a bike-capable town-access plan; if it fails, keep riding on the towpath to a prearranged alternative rather than forcing a loaded bike onto unsafe stairs or roads.

Historic locks and river bends lead through Antietam country, Shepherdstown access and the spectacular concrete shelf at Big Slackwater.

Highlights: Antietam area, Shepherdstown river crossing, Big Slackwater and the restored Conococheague Aqueduct.

Power: Budget 500–750 Wh. Start full and preserve 20% for soft trail, headwind or a longer-than-expected lodging transfer.

Food + water: Carry lunch and two full bottles. Shepherdstown access is an optional service detour; Williamsport is the dependable end-of-day food and municipal-water reset.

Charge: The room is the plan. Any midday outlet is a bonus only after asking permission and confirming a safe, dry charging location.

Gate: High Potomac water can close Big Slackwater and activate a narrow local-road detour. Check the live conditions page before leaving and obey closure signs on site.

The shortest stage follows locks, dams and wooded river corridor through the narrow Maryland panhandle. It is the trip's natural recovery day.

Highlights: Conococheague Aqueduct, Dam No. 5 country, canal engineering and a walkable finish in Hancock.

Power: Budget 300–500 Wh. Keep the usual reserve even on a short day; the signed detour and surface can add handling work.

Food + water: Eat before leaving Williamsport, carry lunch and refill with municipal water in Hancock. Treat any hiker-biker well water.

Charge: Use the room for a full reset and charge phones, lights and power banks at the same time—without overloading a circuit or improvising outdoor cords.

Gate: Dam No. 5 currently uses a short mulch path and wooden stairs. Loaded e-bikes may require a two-person carry; inspect the feature before committing your footing.

The canal grows quieter beyond Hancock, with long wooded reaches, the Little Orleans service window and a final walk through Paw Paw Tunnel before the overnight transfer.

Highlights: Western Maryland Rail Trail views, Little Orleans, Fifteenmile Creek, Paw Paw Tunnel and its dramatic rock cut.

Power: Budget 450–700 Wh. Start full and hold reserve for a lodging transfer or soft surface. Do not assume a campground supplies an e-bike outlet.

Food + water: Carry a complete trail lunch and emergency dinner. Little Orleans is the logical service stop, but hours are not guaranteed; hiker-biker wells remain non-potable.

Charge: Treat the night as powered only after direct confirmation. Ask whether the battery may be charged indoors, whether it must be removed and where the bike will be secured.

Gate: The Polly Pond detour uses the Class 1-only WMRT. Near the finish, dismount and walk through Paw Paw Tunnel and on its boardwalks with a headlamp. Riders with a non-Class-1 configuration must confirm a legal detour route with NPS before departure.

A compact final stage leaves Paw Paw for the remote mountain corridor, then follows the Potomac and canal ruins toward the western terminus.

Highlights: Upper Potomac solitude, Oldtown, South Branch country, wooded canal ruins and mile 184.5 at Canal Place.

Power: Budget 400–650 Wh and retain reserve for soft trail, a headwind or a post-finish transfer.

Food + water: Start with breakfast and a full trail supply. Services are limited until Cumberland; carry enough to finish without an open store.

Charge: Leave Paw Paw full. The finish room or pickup vehicle is the primary charging and battery-handling plan.

Gate: Services remain limited until Cumberland. Leave Paw Paw only with a finish-day food, water, daylight and pickup plan that does not depend on an open store along the towpath.