Summer Sunflowers

This short loop visits several sunflower fields plus ruins of the quarry used for the Smithsonian Castle, a historic schoolhouse, a Buddhist temple, and the only combined aqueduct/lock on the C&O Canal.

While pleasant any time of year, this route shines in late July when the sunflower fields are at their peak. The McKee Beshers WMA website has more information, including current sunflower status and a map of the sunflower fields: dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/publiclands/central/sunflowers.aspx

Unpaved sections within the WMA can be rocky and grassy (considerably rougher than the C&O Canal, for comparison), so 35+ mm tires are recommended to fully enjoy the route.

This is a C&O Canal Byways route: canalbyways.com

Direct link to full RWGPS collection: ridewithgps.com/collections/46377?privacy_code=M6YAeFu4vje3H0Ya