The Western Terminus of the C&O Canal sits at the bottom end of downtown Cumberland, where the canal once met the Potomac. From here the towpath runs 184.5 miles east to Georgetown in Washington DC, following the river the entire way. It is now a national historical park and one of the great American long-distance walking and cycling trails.
The visitor centre at the terminus has a small but well-done exhibit on the canal's history, a reproduction canal boat, and rangers who can advise on the towpath. The path is also the start (or end) of the Great Allegheny Passage, which continues another 150 miles to Pittsburgh — making a Pittsburgh-to-Washington cycling route the obvious reason most travellers come through Cumberland.