Swains Lock – Pennyfield Lock loop from Watts Branch

Mountain biking trails

Swains Lock – Pennyfield Lock loop from Watts Branch

Moderate

4.5

(6558)

10,319

riders

Swains Lock – Pennyfield Lock loop from Watts Branch

03:47

47.0km

390m

Mountain biking

Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: August 28, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Seneca Creek State Park

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

58 m

Swains Lock

Highlight • Historical Site

These are hard to come by along the C&O canal and usually hidden. Always nice to know where to get water.

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5.70 km

Bridge over Muddy Branch near Riley’s Lock

Highlight • Bridge

This is a very picturesque area, with the bridge, the creek, and the house up the hill beyond the field.

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7.49 km

Blockhouse Point Conservation Park

Nature Reserve

14.2 km

Muddy Branch Stream Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

A beautiful natural surface trail that gently rolls along the Muddy Branch Stream for nine miles.

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27.7 km

Seneca Creek State Park is a beautiful place to ride, especially during the fall when the landscape comes alive with color. Film fans might recognize it as a filming location for 'The Blair Witch Project'. Maybe don't visit at night...?

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29.4 km

Black Rock Mill

Highlight • Historical Site

Just the walls remain of the 1815 Black Rock saw- and gristmill in Seneca Creek State Park. The structure was stabilized and representations of mill machinery were added in 1980.

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38.2 km

Inlet Lock

Lake

40.7 km

Dierrsen Wildlife Management Area

Nature Reserve

42.2 km

Pennyfield Lock

Highlight • Monument

Lock 22, aka Pennyfield Lock, was built between 1829 and 1831, and the name came from the misspelling of the Pennifield family name. It has been restored and offers overnight stays to recreate the rustic feeling from that period.

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