Mile: 4 - 5

Chain Bridge PondsThe area around the Chain Bridge in Mile 4 is one of the best spots to bird canal within D.C. The boundary between Maryland and DC is a little over a half mile north of the Chain Bridge. Use caution when walking the canal on weekends as the miles closest to Washington are used heavily by cyclists.

What to see: The Chain Bridge ponds may hold ducks in winter and black-crowned and yellow-crowned night-herons in summer. Look for wood ducks, common and hooded mergansers, and ring-necked ducks. Tundra swans have visited during the summer months. Watch for hawks in the treetops. Indigo buntings and eastern kingbirds breed here.

By public transportation: There is no easy public transportation access to the C&O Canal. The closest is to take the D3, D5, or D6 bus to the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Reservoir Road. Walk down Reservoir Road and VERY carefully cross Canal Road to Fletcher's Boathouse. From the boathouse, you can walk a mile north to the Chain Bridge or three miles back into Georgetown.