Heaters Island & Potomac River via Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail is a 10.1-mile out-and-back in Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve near Furnace Ford, MD. The route passes Potomac River before reaching Heaters Island at the turnaround, 5.1 miles in. It is mostly level, with 54 ft of elevation gain, and mostly gravel. It scores 19/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi190 – 226 ft10.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.22263, -77.45026
Nearest town Furnace Ford, MD
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Heaters Island & Potomac River via Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail
10.1 mi · ▲ 54 ft · 3 hr 24 min
Elevation 191–228 ft
Out & Back · Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve
Trailhead: 39.22263, -77.45026
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:56 AM · sunset 7:12 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail, heading NW.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, heading NW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail, heading NW.
- 500 ftPass Potomac River.
- 4.9 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 100 ftReach Heaters Island, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 5 miContinue straight onto Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail, heading SE.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 200 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
97% gravel2% rock1% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:56 AMSunset 7:12 PM
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Get outside more
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