Along the Potomac

Georgetown Reservoir is one of several storage reservoirs maintained for the Washington Aqueduct. While drinking water for Washington's human residents is the primary purpose of the reservoir, birds find it very useful as well. The reservoir is surrounded by a chain-link fence and is off-limits to the public. However, birders may view the impoundments from the sidewalk. A visit to the reservoir can easily be combined with a walk on the canal for a longer birding trip.

Hains Point is the birders' name for the portion of East Potomac Park south of the railroad and highway bridges. Most of this manmade island is a public golf course, but there is a road and footpath leading to the point on either side of the course. At the tip of East Potomac Park, there is a statue called "The Awakening." The nearby Tidal Basin, best known for its flowering cherry trees, presents other bird-viewing opportunities.

Roaches Run sanctuary is a backwater just north of National Airport in Virginia, on your right as you approach the airport on the southbound George Washington Parkway. Great for waterfowl.

Washington's monument to our 26th president is hidden away on a 91-acre wooded island accessible only from the Virginia side of the river. Roosevelt Island offers several habitat types: hardwood forest, tidal marsh, and wooded swamp. There are trails running around the island, including a boardwalk through the marsh.

Paw Paw Tunnel, East EntranceMile 155 features the Paw Paw Tunnel, one of the canal's most impressive engineering feats. The eastern portal is at MP 155.2 and the western is at MP 155.8. The map is centered near the eastern portal.

The C&O Canal runs 184.5 miles from Georgetown in Washington to Cumberland, Maryland. DC Audubon sponsors an annual bird survey of the canal each January. A little over four miles of the canal run through Northwest D.C. The best access points for birding the canal in the District are at Fletcher's Boathouse in Mile 3 and the Chain Bridge in Mile 4. Many great birding spots are farther up the canal in Montgomery County, Maryland, including the Little Falls Dam, Great Falls, Pennyfield Lock, Violette's Lock, and Sycamore Landing. Fletcher's Boathouse has access to the towpath as well as views of the river. At the Chain Bridge, there are a series of ponds in the rock formations below the bridge. You can view these from the bridge's pedestrian walkway. The boundary between Maryland and DC is approximately a half mile north of the Chain Bridge, near the mouth of Little Falls. Use caution when walking the canal on weekends as the miles closest to Washington are used heavily by cyclists.

Try for access in mile 170 or mile 173.

The map shows the approximate location of MP 171.