Continuing Hike with Jon Wolz: Antietam Creek Aqueduct

Join one of the 2025 Continuing Hikes focused on aqueducts. Antietam Aqueduct is a stone masonry aqueduct built in 1834 to convey the canal across Antietam Creek in Washington County, Maryland. It is the fourth of 11 aqueducts built along the C&O Canal. We will walk down the towpath, examining the Antietam Creek Aqueduct at mile 69.36. The aqueduct is a beautiful three arched stone structure. We will walk down the towpath passing culvert #100 at mile 67.07. Then we will continue down to lock 37, “Mountain Lock” at mile 66.96. Lock 37 has one of the most picturesque settings along the entire canal. The whitewashed brick lock house still stands. Bring a snack or lunch to eat at lock 37. Round trip for the hike is approximately five miles. Attendees should dress for the weather, bring water and lunch or a snack, and be prepared to walk four to six miles round trip. Hikes are rain or shine. Meet at the gravel parking lot near the aqueduct about an hour's drive from Poolesville. 

Jon Wolz has a long history with the canal. As a Montgomery Blair High School sophomore and Eagle Scout, he had already hiked and biked the entire canal as a Boy Scout. In December 1970, Jon was one of two Boy Scouts (Mark Stover was the other scout) chosen to testify before a Senate subcommittee on behalf of the bill to make the C&O Canal into a National Historical Park. Maryland Congressmen Gilbert Gude and J. Glenn Beall sponsored the bill.

Since 2015 Jon has volunteered in several different capacities along the C&O Canal. Jon has led occasional walks canal for the COCA, Poolesville Seniors and Gaithersburg Seniors. Jon has written over 100 stories for the Monocacy Monocle Newspaper, mostly about the C&O Canal. Jon is the Poolesville representative for the Canal Towns Partnership and he is the current president for the Sons of the American Revolution General William Smallwood Chapter in Montgomery County.

Directions to the meeting place: Directions and location of the hike meeting place: From Sharpsburg, take Harper’s Ferry Road, 0.8 miles to Miller’s Sawmill Road. Turn right and follow about 2.5 miles to parking spaces along Canal Road. We will meet at 11:00 am by the towpath near the aqueduct at the end of Canal Road. You can contact Jon Wolz at [email protected]. Jon’s phone number is 240-888-5367. After the hike, you may wish to visit the nearby Antietam Iron Furnace.