Feeder Dam 4

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Feeder Dam 4

Mile 84.40 - This dam actually works. You can see on the West Virginia side a little building which houses a still-working electric generator. The current dam was built in 1906 (previous versions had suffered from flooding)

Aerial view.

Although the gate is now missing, this winch house was used to raise and lower a gate for protection against floods. The gate fit across the canal directly beneath the winch house.

This is important! There is no towpath between miles 86.7 and 88.1. The Potomac pretty much laps up against a rock face and there's very little to walk on and what little there is is all overgrown with thorns. Unthinkable on a bicycle. Although you can continue from here to mile 86.7, it's a dead end. This is the point at which the detour starts.

Here's a closer look at that detour. It goes like this:

Leave the towpath by crossing the Winch House bridge.

Follow the road up the steep hill. This is Dam 4 Road.

Cross Woburn Road.

Cross Shaffer Road.

Turn left on Dellinger Road.

Turn left on Avis Mill Road.

The towpath continues at McMahon's Mill at the end of Avis Mill Road.