The Chesapeake & Delaware (C&D) Canal runs 17 miles through Delaware and Maryland, connecting the Delaware River with the Chesapeake Bay.  The C&D Canal is a working waterway and one of the busiest in the world, with over 25,000 vessels a year passing through it.  Surrounded by over 7,500 acres of public land, the canal is an extraordinary engineering and natural resource feature on the Delmarva Peninsula.  The C&D Canal has a long history and is one of only two commercially viable sea-level canals in the United States.  On a regional context, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is approximately 45 miles to the north and Baltimore, Maryland is approximately 55 miles to the south.

The main goal of the C&D Canal Recreation Study is to work with Delaware and Maryland State agencies and other interested partners to investigate potential future recreational usage of the C&D Canal for the citizens of Delaware and Maryland.

The States of Delaware and Maryland reviewed their comprehensive recreation plans and identified the need for planning assistance from the Corps to complete a C&D Canal Recreation Study for the C&D Canal area.   To complete this study, a Working Group was established in 2005 that included: the Corps; Delaware Congressman Michael N. Castle’s office; Maryland Congressman Wayne Gilchrest’s office; Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and Department of Transportation; Maryland's Department of Natural Resources; New Castle County, DE.; Cecil County, MD; Delaware City, Delaware; St. Georges community, Delaware; Chesapeake City, Maryland; Delaware Bicycle Council, and Delaware Greenways, Inc.  The State of Delaware (the non-federal sponsor) through the support of the three partners (Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Delaware Department of Transportation, and New Castle County) contributed one-half the cost of developing the C&D Trail Concept Plan.  Additional financial partners include Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Cecil County, Maryland.

Public workshops were held in 2005 and 2006 to gather input and opinions on the recreational facilities that should be considered for the conceptual design of the trail. The Working Group completed the C&D Trail Concept Plan in March 2006.  Additional public workshops were held in January 2008 to present the 30% trail design and draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to the public.  The immediate goal of the C&D Canal Recreation Study is to implement Phase 1 of the C&D Trail Conceptual Plan.  Phase 1 of this plan involves constructing a multi-use trail mostly on the north side of the canal, on Corps-owned property, from Delaware City, DE to Chesapeake City, MD.  Phase 1 of the plan involves constructing approximately 16 miles of trail and 4 trailheads (see the below Final EA document for more information).

Future phases of the trail will include Phase 2 (approximately 9 miles) and will be on the south side of the canal from Chesapeake City to Scott Run.  Phase 3 of the trail will be the Reedy Point, DE area on both the north and south side of the canal. 

This website will act as an information portal for the public. Comments, concerns, data, and questions are welcome on a continual basis.  Your input is valued and will help develop recreation alternatives along the C&D Canal for present and future generations.