River Access: CCA 'Steps Up' with Blockhouse Point Project
CCA paddling trips from Violette's Lock have used the takeout from the Potomac to the C&O Canal at Blockhouse Point almost every week during paddling season for many years. The Sunday trips from Violettes to the GW Canal and back across the Potomac to the C&O Canal are some of CCA's most popular beginner-level paddles. CCA paddlers have observed the erosion on the Potomac bank causing the bank to get steeper and more slippery. The bank is primarily clay that becomes very slippery when wet, or when one has on wet shoes.
Furthermore, as the C&O National Historical Park repaired the C&O Canal levee, the slope to the towpath increased. The loose gravel material became difficult to climb, especially with a canoe or kayak on one's shoulder.
A CCA team consisting of regular Sunday paddlers Wayne McDaniel, John Snitzer, and Alf Cooley devised a plan to improve access between the river and the towpath. John is a professional landscaper. He specializes in using natural materials on landscape projects. He developed a plan (see the rough draft below) that calls for installing two sets of steps made of large flat stones stacked offset atop each other. Each large stone would be placed atop crushed stone.
CCA initially presented our plan to C&O NHP staff in the summer of 2025. After many delayed attempts to meet onsite, CCA representatives (John, Alf, Hugh Hilliard, Mark Wray, Tony Allred, and Cotton) met with Andrew Landsman (Chief of Resource Management), Shaun Lehmann (Management & Program Analyst), and two other NHP folks March 5 to discuss the project. CCA indicated that we are willing to take on this project once they approve it and the water levels drop.
John's landscaping crew is expert at working with large stones for steps and walls. The plan is for CCA to purchase the stones locally and have John's crew trim, arrange, and mark them at Violettes Lock. Then we would have NHP move the stones to Blockhouse Point where a team of CCA volunteers would install them. Mark Wray thinks we may be able to get some assistance from Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) volunteers who maintain many trails throughout the park. John estimates the total cost of the project, using mostly volunteer labor, will be between $4,000 and $5,000. The River Access Committee would like for CCA to pay for the project initially, then ask for donations from individuals and organizations that regularly use the new steps. This will require further discussion and approval by the CCA Board.
John impressed the NHP staff with his knowledge and design. They liked the project overall but said they would have to get it reviewed by the Park engineer and others. NHP will have to do some paperwork to comply with various environmental and cultural regulations. We offered to help with that in any way that is appropriate.
The best time to install the stone steps is when water levels recede to about 3.0 feet on the Little Falls gage. That may not happen until late summer or early fall. This 6-month window gives NPS and CCA adequate time to prepare.
The Access Committee will remain in contact with NHP staff on this project and will keep the membership posted. We will be seeking strong backs to install the project. It should be a big benefit to those who paddle the GW Canal loop and/or Seneca Breaks.
—David (Cotton) Cottingham