Hi, I’m Towpath Joe

Island caretaker, musician, naturalist, and Potomac River advocate.

My name is Joe Hage, aka Towpath Joe, and for the last 19 years I've had the pleasure of living and working on an Island in the Potomac River, and for the last 19 years I have been writing about my experiences living there. The theme of this new site is to explore the unique natural history of the Potomac River watershed and to share the many adventures and recreational opportunities that it has to offer.

More About Me

Blog

Hitting the slopes in Rock Creek Park!

It's a rare occasion when there is enough snow in D.C. to actually do any cross-country skiing, so when it snowed six inches here in...

Jan 6, 20223 min read

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Happy Winter Solstice!

Plants that stay green through out the year have long been a part of Winter Solstice celebrations, even before Christmas! The pine tree,...

Dec 21, 20211 min read

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Bike trip to Lake Needwood.

So, I had to take the Towpath Mobile into the shop. The darn tailpipe came loose from the muffler and I had to take it in to my pals at...

Oct 27, 20214 min read

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New Documentary! Sycamore Island, Population: 1

Go to wickly.com to see the new film by Brent Hatherill. Thanks!

Oct 22, 20211 min read

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Flowers in the concrete

Late summer is great time to see wildflowers. Normally, when I think of wildflowers, I think of the ephemeral flowers of Spring, but...

Sep 30, 20211 min read

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River Adventures

Kayak Potomac from Aquia Creek to Caledon

Today I'm going to write you a little travel log and hope that it inspires you to go canoe/kayak camping. I just spent two days paddling...

Jul 26, 20214 min read

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Island to Island

July 8, 2011—The day before launch So I've done all the preparations and I've done all my training and I'm all set to go. The only thing...

Jul 23, 202146 min read

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Watch the Video

We made this 8 minute film back in 2015. I met the film maker Susanne Coates when she was doing a short documentary about the Potomac Riverkeepers, and she asked if she could do a film about me and my life on Sycamore Island. It made it all the way to the 2015 D.C. Environmental Film Festival. Watch on Vimeo or click on the photo below.

Photos

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