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Print Friendly MapNotice: There are a couple detours along the long GAP route. At mile 22, Big Savage Tunnel is closed for the winter. At mile 148, there is a detour around Monongahela Wharf, and there is a 0.75-mile detour on bike lanes and on-road sections throughout downtown Pittsburgh. For all trail notices, see GAP website for more current information.
Overview
Ever since the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) was completed in 2013, overnight bicycle riders and backpackers have flocked to the 150-mile rail-trail that travels through Western Pennsylvania and Maryland. The welcoming small towns along the route entice travelers with lodging, camping, markets, and dining. Trail users marvel at the scenery along one of the longest rail-trails in the United States. The biggest allure might be the ability to travel off-road for over 330 miles—all the way from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C.—when combining the GAP with the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (C&O Canal Towpath) in Cumberland, Maryland.
The GAP also hosts part of the September 11th National Memorial Trail, which connects the World Trade Center, Flight 93, and Pentagon Memorials.
The route mainly follows old railbeds between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, in many cases alongside scenic rivers and streams. Westbound travelers from mile marker 0 in Cumberland will experience a steep grade in the 23.7 miles to the Eastern Continental Divide—the high point of the trail. Eastbound travelers will find a slight but steady grade from Pittsburgh to the Eastern Continental Divide. Abundant historical sites from the French and Indian Wars, as well as from the era of Western exploration, can be found.
While most users are on foot or bike, equestrians are allowed on grassy adjacent paths between Boston and Connellsville; Rockwood and Garrett; and the Pennsylvania–Maryland state line and Frostburg, Maryland. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are popular wintertime pursuits. Before setting out, it’s a good idea to check the GAP website for local trail conditions and for opportunities for dining, lodging, and shuttle services.
Pennsylvania
On its western end, the trail leaves off from historic Point State Park in Pittsburgh. Heading east, it crosses over the Monongahela River on a former railway bridge and travels west along the water until it meets the Youghiogheny River at McKeesport. Along the way, see the remnants of the Steel City’s past in the form of a large industrial furnace, a ladle car, and a former steel mill, in addition to an array of interpretive signage.
All along the entire GAP, trail users will experience a sense of remoteness and tranquility amid the landscape of lush forests, wildflowers meadows, and sparkling rivers, but the trail is never too far from a town. The former industrial towns along the route that once were vital to the mining, steel, and glass industries now welcome trail users with a variety of amenities and services, the new mainstay of many of their post-industrial economies.
Following the meandering Youghiogheny River, the route passes through several of these towns before reaching Ohiopyle. Here trail users will find two dramatic trestles and some of the wildest rapids along the route. Popular with whitewater rafters, the river in this area features rocky outcroppings, boulder-strewn banks, and soothing waterfalls.
Farther east, past the town of Confluence, where the Youghiogheny and Casselman Rivers meet, the GAP makes its way to the Eastern Continental Divide. Highlights of this section include traversing the newly restored 849-foot-long Pinkerton Tunnel; crossing the 101-foot-high Salisbury Viaduct, which spans more than 1,900 feet, and the slightly smaller Keystone Viaduct; and exploring the 3,291-foot-long Big Savage Tunnel, which offers welcome relief on hot summer days. (Note that this tunnel is closed from late November to early April.) Along the way, enjoy spectacular views of the Casselman River Valley, which offers a vivid display of colorful foliage in the fall.
Maryland
From Big Savage Tunnel at the MD-PA Border, it’s mostly downhill to Cumberland. The trail rolls into Frostburg 5 miles from the border. Home to Frostburg State University, the college town features a vibrant restaurant and art scene. Here, trail users can visit downtown via a series of uphill switchbacks to a regional museum and a restored 1891 train station that serves as a restaurant. In mid-September, trail users can enjoy local music and crafts at the Appalachian Festival.
On the last 15.5 miles to Cumberland, the trail parallels the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, which runs steam locomotive excursions on weekends and many weekdays. In fact, 9 miles past Frostburg, the trail shares the 911-foot-long Brush Tunnel with the train. It’s recommended to avoid entering the tunnel with the noisy and smokey train; the locomotive emerging from the tunnel makes for a better photo anyway.
Past the tunnel is Cumberland Narrows, where the GAP squeezes through a water gap created by Wills Creek between Wills Mountain and Haystack Mountain. The old National Freeway (US 40), the scenic railroad, and CSX share this historic passage.
The C&O Canal Towpath begins where the GAP ends at the confluence of Wills Creek and the North Branch of the Potomac River in historic downtown Cumberland. Here, in the bike-friendly town, trail users will find the Cumberland Visitor Center for the towpath and plenty of places to eat, shop, stay, and grab a beverage.
Connections
In Pittsburgh, the GAP shares the same route as the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.
In McKeesport, the McKeesport-Versailles Loop Trail runs parallel to the GAP.
In Connellsville, the GAP intersects with the Sheepskin Rail Trail.
At the southern end of the route in Maryland, the trail continues south to D.C. as the Chesapeake & Ohio National Historic Park.
The Great Allegheny Passage is part of the Great American Rail Trail, a 3,700-mile route from Washington to Washington D.C.
Trail History
The GAP got its start in 1978 when a local nonprofit bought a segment of unused railroad. The first section of trail was completed in 1986. The Allegheny Trail Alliance, formed in 1995, spearheaded the piece-by-piece completion of the route. It was the first pathway in the country to be in-ducted into Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2007.
The Great Allegheny Passage goes between Point State Park near Commonwealth Pl & Liberty Ave (Pittsburgh, PA) and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park at Canal St & Harrison St (Cumberland, MD), with parking at the southern end.
There is parking available at most major city/towns along the route:
For a detailed list of parking areas and other waypoints, go to the GAP website or see TrailLink Map.
My wife had a yen to do a through ride and chose the GAP trail as her goal.
We spent 5 days on the trail, starting in Pittsburgh, and finishing in Cumberland. Even with drizzling rain on several portions of the ride, we both count this as one of the best we ever rode.
The trail surface is so consistently even, it is easy rolling, especially once you cross the Eastern Continental Divide, where it steepens a bit, downhill. There was literally no trash to be found along the trail, and any debris from trees, like limbs, was quickly removed by the crews that do that. There were times when we rode many miles without seeing another rider, or crossing a road. Along the way we noticed many places to take a break, with benches or shelters, and near each trailhead you will find a bike maintenance stand, with tools and air pump. We stayed in Pittsburgh, Boston, Connersville, Confluence, Meyersdale, and finished in Cumberland. All the lodgings were very nice, and we left our vehicle at our hotel in Pittsburgh ( paid to park it there ) and hired a livery service to get us back from Cumberland to the steel city. If you are considering this trail, go do it ! It was great.
My wife had a yen to do a through ride and chose the GAP trail as her goal.
We spent 5 days on the trail, starting in Pittsburgh, and finishing in Cumberland. Even with drizzling rain on several portions of the ride, we both count this as one of the best we ever rode.
The trail surface is so consistently even, it is easy rolling, especially once you cross the Eastern Continental Divide, where it steepens a bit, downhill. There was literally no trash to be found along the trail, and any debris from trees, like limbs, was quickly removed by the crews that do that. There were times when we rode many miles without seeing another rider, or crossing a road. Along the way we noticed many places to take a break, with benches or shelters, and near each trailhead you will find a bike maintenance stand, with tools and air pump. We stayed in Pittsburgh, Boston, Connersville, Confluence, Meyersdale, and finished in Cumberland. All the lodgings were very nice, and we left our vehicle at our hotel in Pittsburgh ( paid to park it there ) and hired a livery service to get us back from Cumberland to the steel city. If you are considering this trail, go do it ! It was great.
My wife had a yen to do a through ride and chose the GAP trail as her goal.
We spent 5 days on the trail, starting in Pittsburgh, and finishing in Cumberland. Even with drizzling rain on several portions of the ride, we both count this as one of the best we ever rode.
The trail surface is so consistently even, it is easy rolling, especially once you cross the Eastern Continental Divide, where it steepens a bit, downhill. There was literally no trash to be found along the trail, and any debris from trees, like limbs, was quickly removed by the crews that do that. There were times when we rode many miles without seeing another rider, or crossing a road. Along the way we noticed many places to take a break, with benches or shelters, and near each trailhead you will find a bike maintenance stand, with tools and air pump. We stayed in Pittsburgh, Boston, Connersville, Confluence, Meyersdale, and finished in Cumberland. All the lodgings were very nice, and we left our vehicle at our hotel in Pittsburgh ( paid to park it there ) and hired a livery service to get us back from Cumberland to the steel city. If you are considering this trail, go do it ! It was great.
If you have researched the GAP at all, you already know this was among the first trails inducted into the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame. Many riders continue to go back to ride it again. That speaks volumes to the experience of riding this trail. If you are an end-to-end rider, and not a camper, you will need accommodations. I would like to highly recommend Cardinal's Roost B&B in Rockwood, PA. You will not find more amiable hosts than Jennifer and Chris. The accommodations are spotless, comfortable, and tastefully decorated. The breakfast is out of a 5-star restaurant. They have a huge garage to store your bikes with plenty of space to do maintenance if need be. Jennifer and Chris are bicyclists themselves so they understand needs of cyclists. If passing through Rockwood on the GAP or just enjoying the beautiful scenery, you cannot go wrong with Cardinal’s Roost.
I headed out of Pittsburgh Point State Park 8/6/2024 for a day ride to Homestead and back. I quickly ran into large homeless encampments along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail portion of the GAP. No one approached me but the trash, the smell of urine and tents almost on the trail were discouraging and I ended my ride and drove home. I might suggest anyone planning to ride that section of the GAP check the current conditions before proceeding. From what I found online once I got home was that it does not appear to be a short term problem. Other riders have commented on open drug use and the concern for unleashed dogs. I could not find a go around from local riders’ comments.
One of the top 10 bucket list rides in the US, easily. And when combined with another, the C&O Canal, you can cycle on dedicated bike paths for 330 miles from DC to Pittsburgh. The 150 miles of the GAP ribbons through pristine forest, past former railway towns being resurrected by all the cycling tourists using the trail.
This trail map does not show how to navigate out of Pittsburgh… specifically the first few miles with a notable gap across Smithfield Street!
We parked at West Newton both days. On the first day we rode north to Boston and on the second day south to just past Whitsett. The trail is very flat (maybe 3 feet per mile elevation change) and well maintained. We encountered minimal road crossings, plenty of scenery and probably as a whole the friendliest people we've ever encountered on a bike trail. We'll be back!
For a baseline, our home trails are Pine Creek and Buffalo Valley and our favorite trail is the Northwest Lancaster.
On Thursday, 8/24/23, Connellsville PA (and surrounding area) was hit hard by a storm. They were without power for more than 2 days. Businesses were closed etc. HUGE CLEANUP on the trail and even BIGGER THANK YOU TO THE CREW who cleaned it up!!! We had plans to ride the GAP (Connellsville to Ohio Pyle and back) on Friday 8/25. We saw that the electricity was out in town but still thought we would chance it and take the ride. Well....the tree damage was so extensive on the trail, we made it 5 miles with lifting our bikes, climbing over and under trees when we decided to turn back. We had hope that "maybe this is it" each time we lifted our bikes. But another 100 yards (or less) and another huge obstacle. It truly was a mess-the trail took an extensive hit and all we could think about were the poor volunteers who would face this scene with chain saws in hand! THANK YOU TO THEM and ALL RTT Volunteers and donors. We returned to the trail on 9/4. It was cleaned up and wide open. Yes, there are some new ruts and bumps caused by the fallen trees but those volunteers worked a miracle in a short time frame. THANK YOU from a regular user of the GAP and trails across the US.
We stayed in Confluence and rode 30 miles each day from this trail head, which captured beautiful scenery. This trail is stunning, alongside the river the whole time. Ohiopyle was perfect for a coffee or lunch stop! Stayed at Paddlers Lane retreat which was a perfect oasis of calm and tranquility.
We spent 4 days, Pittsburgh to Cumberland. Each day was a little different as far as scenery. The trail was in great condition. My favorite was the last day, it had the eastern continental divide and the Mason Dixon line. Crisscrossing the railroad plus the best views that day. Also mostly downhill! Be sure to have good front lights as the last day you go through some tunnels and a few were almost pitch black and too short to get yours eyes adjusted.
We went from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, and even though it is consistent peddling, I would do the same direction to have that last day ride down the continental divide. We are leisurely bikers, and were able to maintain and 9-10 mph going up the hill, but you could do 14-15 going down without even pedaling, it was awesome! If we did the other way you wouldn't have that luxury of not pedaling for miles because the grade isn't that steep going up. I couldn't imagine going up that divide. Plus going from industry to hills/nature scenery was a great way to end out trip.
The path is clean and well maintained. Highly recommend.
Slight upgrade all the way up. Nice wide path, riding through woodlands and farmland. Road crossings are few, and with little to no car traffic. Nice ride.
I'm still processing all that I experienced on my 3-day adventure! I know for sure I'll never be the same!
I have ridden my fair share of rail trails and the GAP is the best rail trail I've ever experienced. I started in Cumberland and finished in Pittsburgh. I knew what I was getting myself into riding against the Eastern Continental Divide but I got the harder riding done right away. I spent three days on the trail staying overnight in Confluence, Smithton and ending in Pittsburgh taking Amtrak back to my car in Cumberland.
The GAP offers so much variety over its 149 miles from scenic river views, sweeping mountains, ruins of a mining past to human development from a rural to urban scale. Most of the trail is very tightly packed gravel which is in immaculate shape. For the first few miles out of Cumberland and the last twenty or so miles to Pittsburgh the trail is asphalt.
I went on my ride in mid-May right before peak riding season so while many businesses in the trail towns were open many still had limited hours. Riding during peak season will give you even more options to eat, stay and shop. Every town I visited were very bike friendly (I've never seen so many places to lock your bike), with plenty of signage to share the road and locals very happy to see tourism in their communities. Some of the smaller towns like Smithton and Boston are not heavily highlighted but still offer dining and places to stay overnight.
There are many bike fix-it stations located on the GAP. While I expected to see some in the trail towns I was surprised by the abundance of fix-it stations located outside of towns as well. There are bathrooms (a mix of businesses, port a pots and composting toilets) roughly every ten miles. Most trail towns had a store to buy refreshments and I did notice a few restaurants had no issue with filling up a water bottle for any who asked.
My least favorite part of the trail was the last twenty miles from Boston to Pittsburgh. The asphalt in this section is in pretty good shape but in comparison to over 100 miles of smooth gravel it is rough. McKeesport is a sudden shift to an urban environment with a fair amount of on road riding but it is well marked and I had no issues navigating and I felt safe. I had issues navigating in Pittsburgh as I felt the clear marking that helped me navigate McKeesport was non-existent. Also to note is the on-road detour to Point State Park. It is easy to follow if you have a map but it requires riding in a major city for a short distance.
I have ridden many trails, a few that are in the Rail Trail Hall of Fame. The GAP is by far the best and is truly the ride of a lifetime.
Trail was in great condition and it is a beautiful ride.
Bright Morning Bed and Breakfast was a definite highlight of my GAP ride last summer. It’s right on the trail and had a great purpose built bike shelter building. Oh yeah, the breakfast the next morning was fabulous!
This is a must ride trail. Gravel path is well maintained, better than many asphalt trails I've been on in fact. Trees, rivers, waterfalls, butterflies, bridges 100ft+ above the canopy, if you enjoy nature, you can't miss this trail!
This is the best trail I have rode. Putts burgh to Cumberland md with many bridges and tunnels along the way. Great “patch towns” along the way. Connie to to cno canal and goes to dc
Rode from Pittsburgh to Cumberland. Great bridges and tunnels. Slight uphill until the continental divided. Then hold on for a few miles. Connects to cno which I did not do yet.
My husband and I rode from Homestead to Cumberland, with stops in Connelsville and Rockwood. Trail in excellent condition and adequate water stops. The slight upward grade going east on day 2 worth it, after Continental Divide on day 3 was all down hill. Took shuttle back to Pittsburgh, wish the train got in before 1130pm because that would have been a more economical option.
My daughter and I did a round trip from Pittsburg to Cumberland! Then Cumberland back to Pittsburg! Camped and did motel. Just awesome! We have made a few extra trips driving from Mansfield, Ohio to Cumberland to just do the Cumberland to Eastern Continental Divide and back spend night in Cumberland and biked a few miles down the C&O and back before driving home!
Trail was nice to walk our dogs; areas of full sun and shade.
Rode the trail from Pittsburg to Cumberland. had a great time and the views were amazing. My wife and I are planning to hike a portion of the trail. If anyone has done this please let me know what part you hiked. we want to hike from Rockwood to Cumberland. Any advise or tips would be greatly appreciated.
In Pittsburgh, if you are cycling enthusiast, you must experience Bicycle Heaven - It is a nonprofit, private collection with over 5,000 complete bikes and even more bicycle parts that it is overwhelming. Some bikes date back to the late 1800s to the present.
Departing Pittsburgh’s concrete jungle, I highly recommend that you have the GAP route available on a GPS device as it is marked but you can miss the signs as you are focused on the traffic. Once on the gravel portion, it is an easy navigation exercise!
At the trailheads, there were plenty of new bicycle repair/air pump stations.
The illuminated 3,000’+ Savage Tunnel was an amazing experience as was experiencing the Mason Dixon Line.
Also, confirm (call) your dining options along the trail as even if sites on the internet say they will be open during your visit, you may be disappointed and going hungry due to staffing issues.
Started in Cumberland and headed west. Complete glide back to Cumberland
my son and i rode this trail over 3 days camping along the way at West Newton & Confluence. this trail is peaceful and quiet once out of Pittsburgh. The people in all the towns are social and glad to help in anyway needed. The trail has plenty of places to rest and relax. you follow rivers probably 120 of the 150 miles
My wife and I rode this portion of the trail on our recumbent tandem in June. It has been on of our favorites. The climb from Frostburg to the eastern continental divide was not too bad. It was great fun on the way down. ;-). The tunnels and the views are the big highlights. It was so cool how the lights came on as we rode through Borden tunnel. The cicadas were out in force as we rode through the woods. The Mason Dixon line is a great photo stop. We highly recommend the trail and will be back to ride more.
It’s a great trail. Been riding it since the beginning. The elitists need to tone it down though. People like to enjoy the scenery and shouldn’t have to worry about getting ran into or yelled at by the Strava segment obsessors.
What a great trail of crushed limestone…great climb up from Cumberland at 660’ to about 2,600’ at the Eastern Continental Divide, then a slow decline the rest of the way to Pittsburgh. Great B&B’s along the way in Meyersdale, Rockwood, Confluence…Ohiopyle State Park is one of a few terrific places to stay for the night and take a day off for whitewater rafting. Also take a moment for a bit of hiking or even a trip to see Falling Waters, a Frank Lloyd Wright home built on a waterfall. Only went as far as West Newton this time around but will be back to do it again. Many also start at Pittsburgh and finish at Cumberland enjoying a 24 mile downhill ride into town. Many choices for food and shelter.
I rode the GAP late last Fall from Cumberland to Pittsburgh and enjoyed it immensely. Did Cumberland to Connellsville Day 1 and that was a little bit too long a day for me but the weather was great and I met up with some very cool people traveling in my direction. I did Connellsville to Pittsburgh relatively quickly on Day 2, arriving at Point State Park by midday. Lovely ride. Well maintained rail trail. Nice amenities all along the way. Beautiful scenery. Got lost a bit in McKeesport but found my way back relatively easily. Highly recommended. Now to go from Pittsburgh to DC!
On June 30, 2020, I started in Cumberland at first light. Bike was fully loaded for a self sufficient adventure. I was on a carbon road bike with 23mm tires. There were only a couple sections where the gravel was soft an pillowy slowing me down a bit to ensure I stayed upright. The key to getting through this brief section is to keep pedaling. The more you pedal the more your bike wants to stay upright. Beyond that the the trail is very isolated in sections. At some parks/ parking lots along the route There are tool stations with air pumps. There are bathrooms along the that I thought were few and far between, perhaps due to Covid and some being removed. I was able to do 122 miles in one day fully loaded at about 13 mph, just interested to see how far I could go. I noticed most others were not moving at that speed. I made the return trip back to Cumberland the next day.
In my last review (very recent, and in fact, just yesterday) of this section of the Great Allegheny Passage, I complained about the very poor condition of the trail. Well, I rode this section again today just to see if it was repaired yet. Lo and behold, it was! New limestone was laid down on the entire 10+ mile length between Ohiopyle and Confluence. This made for a smooth, fantastic ride. I hope that the trail will be continually maintained like this. Congratulations and a BIG Thank You to the crews who did this work!! What a great surprise this was. The trail was fun again.
Generally a great trail. However, the section between Ohiopyle and Confluence is in dire need of repair. I don't know when the last time crushed limestone has been added to this trail, but it must have been 15 years ago. The last few years, this section has been very rough on tires. There is actually no limestone in several places, and you are riding on exposed base stone, which is very rough. Rough enough to destroy a tire if you are moving fast. On my last trip this past spring, the trail condition was still horrible. I'm hoping that the trail has been repaired by now (August 2020).
Great for cyclists of all ages and levels. Pittsburgh to Ohiopyle was a great trip; lots of shade on a 90+ degree day made the heat not be much of an issue. Riders are very respectful with covid. Bring lots of water- water stations are hit/miss at present. A+ trail!
We enjoyed riding from Ohiopyle to Connellsville. Even on a 90+ degree day , we were fine in the shade.
This trail is very diverse depending on which section you are doing, some sections are urban you have quaint towns and you have deep forest. Such an amazing blend of scenery, wildlife , and history.
We split it into two days. Pretty easy ride. A bit uphill until the ECD but not too bad being that it’s very gradual. Big time downhill into Cumberland after The Divide. Take time to stop in Ohiopyle, it’s worth the time and the Yough river is awesome there. They have a couple decent outfitters there and a good place to grab a bite to refuel. Continued on to DC after, four days total. Trail can be pretty “rooty” in places after meeting up with the Towpath.
October 2019
30 miles plus another walk up the hill to Frostburg. The trail to Frostburg is all uphill! Be aware. Great views. Had lunch in Frostburg at the Creamery - very good.
Camped 5 nice weather days in Ohiopyle State Park last week of Sept 2019. I rode alone, 1st day Steve (Wilderness Voyageurs) gave me very historically
informative shuttle to Meyersdale RT visitor center. Beautiful 41 mile 6hr slight downhill woodland bike back to Ohiopyle. 2nd day, drove my car and bike to West Newton RT visitor center, leaving car there overnight. Very slight uphill 42 mile wonderful bike trip back, leaving bike overnight at Wilderness Voyageurs, then 3/4 mile hike up steep trail to park campsite.
3rd day hiked trail down to get Wilderness Voyageurs shuttle to Point State Park in Pittsburg and 35 mile interesting bike back to my car in West Newton and drive back to campsite. 4th day I drove to Cumberland for Get Out&Play Outfitters' Tom's informative shuttle to Meyersdale. Then 32 downhill miles
of historic sites and tunnels. Was best RT bike trip of many I've done. Most
of the trail is beautiful woodland with constant river views and lots of historic signage. The small villages with RT visitor centers make for enjoyable rest stops; people are very pleasant and helpful. Would do the downhill Meyersdale to Cumberland (best part) on last day. You could do
the slight downhill from Meyersdale to Pittsburg first or just start in Pittsburg. The trail through McKeesport needs work. Had to ask in Pittsburg
where in Point State Park the GAP starts, not signed well. Also had to ask
which of the many Pittsburg bridges was the "Hot Metal Bridge" GAP crossing. You can't ride a bike from Ohiopyle State Park campground to
the trail, the car road is too narrow, busy and way too steep. The hike trail
is also too steep but you could push and pull your bike up and down it if you're young and very strong. There are a few campsites along the trail.
There are many nice B&Bs in the towns along the trail.
My overall feeling about the Great Allegheny Passage is, if you like rail trails,
you must do this one !
rode cumberland to pittsburgh rain on day one heavy fog day 2.
camped in connellsville day 1 then finnished at the point in pittsburgh,great ride. 6hrs on thursday 4hrs friday. 1st time on trail will not be the last.
flew in from arizona . cant wait for the next time,pittsburgh to dc.
Love the trail, but surface could use a little TLC though, many gravely spots for folks with three wheels on the ground.
Brings back a lot of childhood memories, I was always riding my bike on this trial, started the trial in West Newton, PA!!!
Rode from Cumberland to Frostburg and back. Uphill climb to Frostburg but reasonable, not strenuous. Easy downhill return to Cumberland. Excellent trail conditions. Beautiful scenery. One tunnel.
This is the 4th we section of the GAP trail we've done. This time we started in Garret MD and rode to the continental divide. great ride. slight grade going to the divide but nice ride headed back. trail very well maintained..
A definite on your bucket list! We rode the GAP/C&O from Pittsburgh to Georgetown. If you aren't a camper, the C&O requires thought and planning on where to stay. Riding both gives you a great perspective on different trails. When on the C&O, make sure you jump over to the Western Maryland Rail Trail for 22 miles, beautiful trail and a nice break from ruts and sticks (and turtles). Rode in late July, not many puddles.
We rode the trail with camping gear and stayed at many of the free trail camping locations. I wish there were more of them especially near the southern end of the trail. There you have to pay for camping but it isn't much and the places are very nice. The trail is beautiful and shaded once you get south of McKeesport, North of that you go through a lot of urban and industrial area. It gets a little difficult to follow the trail through Pittsburgh near downtown. The area between Connelsville and Ohiopyle is probably the most scenic but I would suggest doing it early in the morning and on a weekday. It can get pretty busy on a weekend. The ride down the mountain into Cumberland is great if you are southbound. The ride up the mountain is strenuous if you are northbound. We have done it both ways. Cumberland has a great downtown area.
Fantastic trip through wester Pennsylvania
WE DID THE ENTIRE C&O AND GAP RIDE WITH A GROUP OF 50 RIDERS IN 2007. IT WAS FULLY SUPPORTED AND JUST A WONDERFUL WEEK. WE STARTED IN WASHINGTON AND FINISHED IN BOSTON, PA.(THE TRAIL ALL THE WAY TO PITTSBURG WAS NOT YET OPEN). WE HAD PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE USA INCLUDING CALIFORNIA, OREGON AND ALASKA, AND A YOUNG MAN FROM IRELAND. THE PEOPLE NOT FROM EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI KEPT SAYING THEY COULDN'T BELEIVE HOW BEAUTIFUL THE EASTEN U.S. IS. THEY ALWAYS THOUGHT OF THE EAST AS NEW YORK, PHILLY AND WASHINGTON, D.C.. AND THE ENTIRE RIDE IS EASY ENOUGH FOR A BEGINNER.
I RECOMEND THE G.A.P. AND THE C&O TRIP AT LEAST ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, AND TAKE A WEEK TO DO BOTH TRAILS WITH A GROUP.
We rode it on a couple of sections..We parked at Deal ,road to Big Savage Tunnel & Eastern Continental Divide & little further & back..Then drove to Garrett & parked & rode to Salisbury Viaduct & Meyersdale Train Station,where we stopped . Some neat art work & gift shop. We ended up talking to a volunteer who was Brooke Folk,the local writer who writes about the trail & anyway about 2 weeks later he wrote about us ,which was cool!! He was a very interesting guy.We really enjoyed the trail. Next day parked in Harnedsville & rode to Pinkerton tunnel & little further then back..Had lunch then drove to Ohiopyle & rode about 15 more miles.We like to ride but are more casual riders,maybe 20-30 miles a day. Slight up hill in parts,but not bad.I would recommend getting the Trail Guide book. It is great & has a great map of all the high lights & towns. We will be back to ride other sections..such a great trail,nice towns & nice people..
I really liked this trail. While being a little frustrated on the Pittsburgh city trail, I discovered this one by accident and loved how nice it was. Near Pittsburgh it takes you through some nice Pittsburgh-esqe things.
My friend Tom Crotty and I rode the GAP Aug 2017-we had a great time but it was HOT!
This time we came a month later (sept 24-26) and brought along 5 riders new to the GAP!
We used same logistics again riding 1-way from Pitt to Cumberland:
* Day ONE 60 miles to Connelsville Pa -- stayed @ Seems Like Home B&B - Rick took excellent care of all of us and the breakfast he served was awesome!
* Day TWO - 45 miles to Rockwood PA - stayed @ Husqy Haven Cabin and at the Hostel-both were GREAT!
* Day THREE - 45 miles to Cumberland MD!
We hired the Cumberland Trail Connection to shuttle us with our bikes back to Pittsburgh. - Chuck was an excellent driver and took good care of us and our bikes!
The GAP must be one of the most beautiful rail-trails in the USA. Even though we got rained on for at least half of Day One and half of Day Two, none of us slipped, fell, or had any bike troubles... We still had a tremendously wonderful experience!
The sights are absolutely stunning - we heard and saw more running water than we would have if it had not been raining... the temp was very moderate
A GREAT time was had by all!
We already have a plan for the next time we return: We will stay in Cumberland and do a 4-day out and back ride to Connelsville!
Put this one on your Must-Ride list!
I had never spent much time on the Mon in years past but was more than pleasantly surprised by the quality trail starting near downtown. We went all the way to McKeesport and next time I plan on going further to link up with the Montoya trail. Well maintained and ample facilities along the way with a number of great river and city views!
We rode Amtrak from Pittsburgh to Cumberland on June 30th. Fortunately the train was very late, so we didn't get on the trail until 3:30 and were able to avoid some of the sun we likely would have had earlier in the day. The climb to the Continental Divide was long and slow, but beautiful. We stopped to take quite a few pictures and chilled for a bit in Frostburg (ice cream shop closed at 4 on a 90 degree Saturday?!?). Stayed at Morguen Toole Co. in Meyersdale and enjoyed a great meal there too. On July 1 we headed to Confluence in the AM. We borrowed a car to visit the Flight 93 Memorial and, once again, managed to avoid riding in the hottest part of the day. Once on our way again we headed to Connellsville and stayed at the Connellsville B&B, which was wonderful. On the 2nd we rode to West Newton for lunch, after an extended stop at Rachel Sager Mosaics in Whitsett. We had a stop at Over the Bars Bike Cafe in Pittsburgh before finishing up the trail just before a thunderstorm hit. We met some wonderful folks along the way and enjoyed a fantastic few days of riding at an enjoyable pace.
I rode the GAP /CO this past Labor Day weekend- best bike trip ever. 120 miles from Pittsburgh to Meyersdale (120 miles). Almost flat- never any sense of climbing, smooth trail on a road bike with 32mm tires and fenders. The ride from Meyersdale to Cumberland was easy- downhill the last 30 miles or so. Thanks to all the groups that put the trail together- what an asset to the region.
Rented bikes from Cumberland Connection (they were AWESOME!). We didn't get on the trail till 4:30 and made it to Gunter Hotel in Frostburg by sunset at 6:29. It is a lot of uphill walking from the trail to downtown Frostburg. Ask for room with new beds at Gunter and make sure and go to the mens bathroom to see the 'jail cell'. Ate at Shift which was amazing! We were on the trail by 8:40am, lunch at Rockwood (Rockwood Mills-the dessert were amazing!) by 12:30 and made it to Confluence by 3:30 for our shuttle pick up . We stopped many, many times for pictures! I hardly wanted to blink because this was such an amazing, beautiful experience!
Great trail for multi-day ride with motels or camping, or single day rides. I had to find parking locations in order to ride several days, with Round trip rides of 40-60 miles/day (20-30 each way). A few confusing spots and a couple steep spots. Quite confusing in Pittsburgh, where markings are absent, and trail goes through the city streets, but lovely to arrive at Point State Park fountain. Cedar Creek Park especially lovely area, with camping (but gates lock at sundown so don't park late). Great long ride down gentle hill from Deal, MD (highest point on trail) to Cumberland. Long uphill ride back up 26 miles from Cumberland back to Deal. Beautiful trail.
Tom Crotty and I rode the GAP 25-27 Aug 2017 from Pittsburgh (mile 150) to Cumberland (mile 0). I drove in and Tom flew in from Raleigh, NC. Approx. miles: Day1-60, Day2-45, Day3-45. We used a B&B in Connelsville and a B&B in Rockwood. The climb up to the Eastern Continental Divide during Day1, Day2, and half of Day3 was so gradual, it never worked us hard! Mile 150-128 were paved. The fine-crushed gravel trail was in excellent shape! The wild flowers were blooming and the rivers, that the GAP follows for about 80%, were flowing nicely. We stopped @ every major bridge crossing to soak in the beauty of the GAP! Because we rode in summer on Friday-Sunday, we had no trouble finding good food and ice for our water bottles. Warning - The celebratory beers for each end-of-day can only be purchased @ an eating establishment? About 730pm on Day3, we enjoyed a relaxing ride on AmTrak back to Pittsburg (it only made 1 stop @ Connelsville) - I easily biked back to 1st Ave Parking Lot where I had parked my truck. My bro, Al, and I rode 190miles of the KATY trail 3 days Aug 2016, and we had a great time; but the GAP impressed me as much or more. In my opinion, the GAP has more admirable beauty - more often! Although my goal is to ride 1-2 new rails-trails each year, Tom and I have discussed the possibility of returning in the Fall, just to ride the 2-days from Connelsville to Cumberland; I think those 2 days were the most impressive! Every Biker should set the GAP on their dream-trail list!
This was our first long bike adventure ever. I've been retired several years and my wife retired last summer '16 from teaching. She had been a complete academic and never was interested in sports except when our kids were involved. Now, she loves exercising and gym workouts. We've done single day bike excursions, but nothing like this. We started in Homewood (Pittsburgh area) and rode far (52 miles) for rookies on the first day, to Connellsville. Unbelievably beautiful natural environment surrounded us every stroke of the pedal. First night we stayed at the Connellsville B&B and were very impressed with immaculate cleanliness, delicious breakfast, and pleasant owner, Lucille. After our 52-mile day, I was worried about my wife's physical well being, but by the next morning she felt much better and we were glad we had planned a much shorter ride (28 miles) Day 2 to Confluence. There, we stayed overnight at Parker House, also a pleasant stay, though no breakfast is included. We purchased simple breakfast food items at the local grocery store. The third day was our longest ride (62 miles), planned knowing the last 24 miles into Cumberland are downhill. Our daughter, husband, and granddaughters were waiting at Mile Zero with flowers and cheers. Just a beautiful, enjoyable, and educational trip. And you meet the kind, helpful, friendly people on the trail that help make this world a better place. Outstanding scenery, cool shade on hot days thanks to beautiful vegetation, historical passageway with awesome bridges and tunnels, well-maintained trails. We can't wait to do it again!
Can't say more been riding the YRT trail for years!!
How many YEARS is it going to take to mark the trail properly through Pittsburgh? Are you kidding me? How many more stories about getting lost trying to find your way? If you want to ruin the start of your bike ride, begin in Pittsburgh. If you want to ruin the end of your GAP adventure, finish in Pittsburgh. If you don't waste your time in Pittsburgh and start or finish in say, Homestead, it's a great trail. Clearly marked, great scenery and wildlife. Many great places to stay or camp along the way. Many wonderful places to eat too. We stayed at some fantastic B&B's along the GAP and enjoyed every meal during our four day ride into Cumberland.
In 2016, it was my goal to ride the entire Great Allegheny Passage, in sections, on day trips. I live in western Pennsylvania and most of the trail is within 1.5 hours from my home. I have ridden parts of it since its earliest days in the 1980's, but until this year, never the whole trail.
I began in July by starting at Rockwood and heading for the Pinkerton tunnel. When I reached the tunnel, I took the by-pass and returned through the tunnel. It was a nice round trip of about 17.5 miles. I liked it so much that I repeated it the next day with my daughter.
The next trip again started at Rockwood, but this time I rode to Meyersdale. This ride includes the Salisbury Viaduct, the 1900 foot long, 100 foot high bridge across the Casselman River valley. I stopped in the visitor center, the restored train station, at Meyersdale for a break and then returned to Rockwood. As I recall it was a very hot day, about 90F, but most of the trail is shaded so it really wasn't uncomfortable at all. The length of this trip was as about 24 miles total.
Next trip I started at Meyersdale and headed for Frostburg. This trip takes you over the historic Bollman bridge followed by the 900 foot long Keystone Viaduct which crosses the CSX railroad and Flaugherty Creek. The trail continues through Sandpatch, Deal, and Warrens Mill eventually reaching the Eastern Continental Divide. Further on is the Big Savage Mountain tunnel. At 3300 feet, it is the longest tunnel on the trail. The tunnel opens up to a gorgeous vista of the Wills Creek valley and the mountains beyond. On a fast down hill ride comes the Mason Dixon line as you cross into Maryland, the Borden tunnel, and then Frostburg. I had a good lunch at the Trail Inn and started back for Meyersdale. On the return trip, about four or five miles short of Meyersdale, when my rear tire was punctured. It was my first flat ever on the trail. Since I had no repair kit or means to inflate my tire, I walked the rest of the way to Meyersdale and arrived at twilight. I now carry an extra tube, CO2 cartridges, and the proper tools to change a flat. This leg was about 32 miles for the round trip.
The next ride was with my brother. We started at Cumberland and rode up to Frostburg. It's a fair hill climb once you pass through the Narrows, but if you ride steady, it's not bad at all. Highlights include some great views of the mountains and valley below, and the Brush Tunnel. This section parallels the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad nearly the whole way to Frostburg, so be ready to photograph the train. Again, we had lunch at the Trail Inn. The return trip is a quick ride down hill. Total distance was about 32 miles.
The following trip started at Confluence where I headed for the Pinkerton Tunnel again. This section also includes great scenery along the Casselman River. About a half mile short of the tunnel, I came across a rattlesnake stretched across the trail sunning itself. It was a busy day on the trail and I feared that someone might ride over the critter either hurting it or worse, being bitten by it. So I stopped and shooed it off the trail with a long stick, but not before it coiled and rattled quite a bit. Eventually, it peacefully and safely left the trail. The other cyclists watching me were quite entertained. When I reached the tunnel, I again took the by-pass and returned through the tunnel. On the return leg to Confluence, I paused with some other riders in the underpass at Harnedsville to wait out a brief summer rain shower. I then continued through Confluence on to Ohiopyle. This section of the trail parallels the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle State Park and is like riding through a forested cathedral. This is also one of the busiest sections of the trail, probably because it is so beautiful. The trail and views of the river can't be beat. At Ohiopyle I stopped for lunch at the Falls City Restaurant and Pub where I enjoyed some great food and craft beer. If you've never been to Ohiopyle, take some time to explore. You'll like what you see and want to come back. After lunch, I returned to Confluence. Total mileage this day was about 40 miles.
My brother and I joined forces again on the following ride starting at Connelsville. From here, we rode upstream to Ohiopyle. On this trip I remember that my brother was counting the number of other cyclists we encountered. In this 17 mile stretch he counted over 120 on the trail until we were just short of Ohiopyle where the crowds made his informal census impossible. This attests to the popularity of the trail. This section is also quite scenic and again parallels the Youghiogheny River. The bridges at Ohiopyle offer wonderful views and always beg one to stop and enjoy. Lunch this day was again at Falls City Restaurant and Pub, my favorite in Ohiopyle. The return leg is mainly downhill and the total mileage was about 34 miles.
My next trip also began at Connelsville, but this time I headed downstream towards West Newton. This trip began the remainder of the trail which I had not previously explored. On this section I was impressed by the number of little villages and communities through which the trail passed, Adelaide, Dawson, Van Meter, and Smithton as well as long stretches of woodsy trail. You pass through Cedar Creek Park along the way as well. At West Newton, I had lunch at the Trailside Restaurant and Pub. Great food and beer and it's literally adjacent to the trail access parking. On the return trip I met two women who were through-riding from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. They were from New Jersey and California and on the first day of their journey. I was impressed by the numbers of through-riders I noticed on each of my rides this season. It is obvious that through-riding is becoming increasingly popular on the GAP. This leg of the trail was the longest at 50 miles roundtrip.
My brother joined me again for the next ride from West Newton to McKeesport. This ride was fairly rural with wooded areas and small communities until we reached Boston when the surroundings become interspersed with industry. We reached McKeesport near the Marina parking area. This is where the Youghiogheny River enters the Monongehela. From here we returned to West Newton for lunch at the Trailside Restaurant and Pub. Total mileage this trip was about 36 miles.
My final leg of this journey was on a beautiful sunny day in October. I started at McKeesport and headed for Point State Park in Pittsburgh. This is the most urban portion of the trail and begins with a crossing of the Monongehela River to the west bank. It passes Kennywood Park, the Waterfront, a shopping center at Homestead, and Sandcastle water park. Eventually, I crossed the the Mon again at the Hot Metal Bridge which has a great view of downtown Pittsburgh. This leads to the last portions of the trail ending around the Allegheny County Jail. From there the streets of Pittsburgh lead to the end of the GAP at the medallion near the fountain in Point State Park. On the return trip I stopped at the Hofbrauhaus, another favorite restaurant, on the Southside for an excellent lunch. I ended the ride in McKeesport where I began for a total of 32 miles on the day. My goal of riding the GAP in 2016 was complete.
I apologize for the extended dissertation, but I don't think that enough good things can be said about the Great Allegheny Passage. This is a wonderful trail full of great scenery, fun trail towns, nice people, exceptional bridges and tunnels, and adventure. I recommend that everyone should get out and enjoy it.
In October due to a weird work schedule, I got on the trail at Connellsville, rode to Pittsburgh, took Amtrak to Washington, DC, then rode back via the C&O Towpath and joined the GAP again at Cumberland. Did it in six days pulling my BOB trailer the whole way.
The GAP trail is terrific. Very well-maintained, seems very popular. I encountered all sorts of people, including many riding the entire Pittsburgh to Cumberland or on to Washington route. The beginning it uphill for nearly twenty miles, but very do-able if you set your pace. The Mason Dixon line monument is wonderful, as is the tunnel nearby. Lots of great scenery and wildlife--even saw 1 porcupine and a black bear darted across the trail. I stayed at the Ramada in Cumberland (fine) and had a great Italian dinner nearby, then stayed in Meyerdale the next night before heading back into Connellsville where I stayed off the trail a bit at the Melody Motor Lodge--a throwback to another era but fine. Parked my car near the Amtrak station at the Connellsville PD--they just asked that I leave them a note with my contact info just in case. I really enjoyed the more industrial areas as well as the natural ones--McKeesport, Homestead, etc. Lots of history and beauty.
I would rate the GAP among my top four bike trails--with the Katy in MO, the Greenbrier in WV, and the shorter but beautiful VA Creeper--especially east of Damascus.
This Rails-to-Trails link is for sure a great ride especially from Sutersville to Cedar Creek Park with ideal scenery and plenty of fresh air along the way it is nice n wide and well maintained also has many access points depending on what part you prefer ... biking not only adds years to your life but life to your years - your wealth is your health ... always wear a helmet and be safe.
I rode the C and O/ GAP in October 2016. It is one of the best rail trails in the USA. THE views between CUMBERLAND and Ohiopyle are fab, especially in the fall colors.
Although they are very different, the C and O/ GAP make a great 330 mile car free week-10 days. Lots to see and do along the trail, so take your time.
Get reservations for Falling Water, Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece near Ohiopyle.
If you haven't been, allow a day or two to see Pittsburgh. Take the furnicular for a birds eye view of downtown.
My personal goal for this year was to take my first bike tour of the GAP with 3 other women and all of us are 60+. Let me say this trip riding the GAP was the most awesome exciting invigorating life experience for all of us. Loved getting an early start on the trail to see a lot of wildlife every day, the beautiful views riding along the water, basking in the great weather on the bridges and let's not forget about passing through the tunnels! The people on and off the trail were friendly, helpful and cheerfully offered advice to all of us. While the first part of the trail was a challenge (Frostburg to the Summit) and was foggy in some areas, it didn't stop us as we wanted more! At all of our lodging sites, the owners were helpful and accommodating. I'm ready to go back!
I rode this trail two weeks ago and it was as good or better then all the hype. I was amazed at not only how well it was marked but also the condition of the trail over the complete 150 miles. Of course the scenery was fantastic as well. I rode from Pittsburgh east to Cumberland. Even though it is very slightly up hill for about the first 125 miles it really doesn't feel like it until the last 40 before reaching the Eastern Continental Divide. Even then it's not too bad. After crossing the divide it's all downhill for about 23 miles to mile 0. You still have to pedal but it's real easy. It took me three days to complete the entire trail. Any faster then that and you wouldn't have time to really enjoy it. It was a must do for me after reaching my 60th birthday. We did make reservations for both our stops, which I would recommend doing. I also purchased 2 books about the trail to prepare and I'm so glad I did. The information was very helpful. Even a casual biker could do this trail but I would give yourself 4 or 5 days. No matter how you do it, do yourself a favor and ride it. It is fabulous!!
My first time on this fantastic trail. I drove 3 hours from my home in Baltimore County to pick up the trail in Confluence, PA. The trail itinerary for my half-day excursion was to ride from Confluence, PA north to Connellsville, then double back past Confluence and on up to Rockwood before returning back to my car in Confluence. That was the plan, anyway.
I rode my 26" MTB with knobby tires. I would have completed the trek easily with road tires. The knobbys were fine for the Confluence to Connellsville segment. The trail in this section is, smooth, tightly packed and in excellent condition - the next best thing to riding on concrete. The grade was barely noticeable, and I made great time on this segment. The scenery is outstanding along the river and in Ohiopyle. Plenty of amenities in both Confluence and in Ohiopyle.
The second segment of my ride, from Confluence south to Rockwood, was a different story. A slight increase in grade, combined with a loose pack of dirt and fine gravel, made for a tougher ride. Fatigue was also setting in at this point. I turned around just short of the Pinkerton Tunnel, and thought I would have an easy time coasting back down to Confluence - not the story. The combination of loose pack and knobby tires made this downhill more challenging with constant pedal power needed. The segment from Confluence to Rockwood has some decent scenery, plenty of benches, but no amenities whatsoever.
All told, I logged 45 miles in about 4 hours of riding. My top speed was 20 mph. My average pace was 5:16 min / mile. Different gear, like road tires or a hybrid bike, would have made this excursion a lot easier. Nevertheless, this trail is a national treasure, soul-satisfying, and plenty of scenery. I can't wait to try another section. The people I encountered along the trail were very friendly and courteous. The pics and video that I took along the way garnered a lot of envy from friends and family. Be sure to pack plenty of water and fuel for the body, as this section of trail is remote.
Saturday Sept. 10, 2016 we started our ride with a party of 4. Drove to Pittsburgh and parked at the greyhound station adjacent to the Amtrak station. ($10 for 2 days on the weekend) a short ride to the point via the pen ave. bike lanes was quick and very easy. We arrived at Point State park around 7:10am and took our obligatory "start pics!" Alas, we started our 150 mile adventure at 7:20am. Worked our way through the city and across the hot metal bridge. I love to ride the city trails and they did not disappoint once again! We had an aggressive schedule to overnight in Ohiopyle 77 miles from the point. The last 20 miles of day one were tough as the grade gradually increased just enough to make us work for that hot shower and soft bed! Day 2 started at 8:30 am and the beauty of the trail did not disappoint anyone in our group! The trail surface was well maintained and smooth packed in well and did not experience any "rough" parts. We had train tickets to come back to Pittsburgh from Cumberland and really wanted to sight see more, but schedule would not allow an over amount of time to truly enjoy it! I will definitely do this ride again, but over a 3 day at least! The eastern continental divide was a very welcome sight! 5 stars for this trail for sure! I'd give it 10 stars if I could!!
I rode the great Allegheny passage 3 days this week. I highly recommend starting in West Newton. There is a full service bike shop, drink store, and restaurant right along the trail. You can go South or North.
The trail surface is very nice. I only encountered one puddle along my ride which was over 100 miles total.
Combined with the C&O Canal Trail that takes you all the way from Pittsburgh to DC, the GAP is definitely the better of the two trails. Well maintained, wonderful towns and great scenery along the way, it is a fabulous ride. The tightly packed gravel path is suitable for most any bike and the hospitality of restaurants and lodging along the way is wonderful. I highly recommend the GAP for any level of rider interested in doing a fun, yet serious, 150 mile trek. I did it in three days - could easily have done it in two, but saw others who did it in four - any way you slice it, do it!
Seven members of my family road the GAP for the first time the week of July 4th. It was our first tour of this type and we had a wonderful time.
We made it a point to:
1) Enjoy the scenery
2) Stop and learn about the areas we were riding thru
3) Stop and talk to people along the way
In retrospect, we wouldn't have done it any other way.
We rode eastbound out of Pittsburgh, with stops in West Newton, Ohiopyle and Meyersdale. The scenery was beautiful and we enjoyed seeing and visiting rural Americana in western PA.
I can't say enough good things about Bright Morning B&B in West Newton, Yoder's Guest House in Meyersdale, and the steak I had at Morguen Toole Company. Props also to the bike shop in Confluence for helping us with a rear tire change.
Great trail!
We did a three trail weekend 7/8-7/10. West Fork Trail, Blackwater Canyon Trail and parts of the GAP.
We did the Viaduct near Meyersdale to the Mason/ Dixon LINE. The other two trails we reviewed on their specific sites. Great points of interest-- Keystone Viaduct, Meyersdale proper (great rail trail town) Iron Bridge, Salisbury Viaduct, Big Savage Tunnel and the MD monument. The entire trail is goood this IMO is the best part of it. The ride topped off a nice weekend trip. I believe it was a 23/24 mile round trip--
I rode this train (combined with the C&O Towpath) in May 2016. It was apparently one of the rainiest May's that this area has seen in a long time, but surprisingly, this trail handles rain well. One day I got caught in a deluge between Rockwood and Meyersdale; it poured with thunder & lightning and no shelter, for about 45 minutes. When it stopped raining, I got back on the bike (cross-over) and had no issues with mud. I got a little wet, but no loss of traction or any ruts, holes or mud puddles to deal with.
I took 4 days to ride the trail. Day 1 from Pittsburgh to West Newton; Day 2 from West Newton to Ohiopyle; Day 3 from Ohiopyle to Meyersdale; Day 4 from Meyersdale to Cumberland, MD. I met several people who were doing it in 2 days, but honestly, I can't see why you would rush it - that leaves no time to stop and enjoy the scenery or check out some of the neat sights and towns along the way. My shortest day was about 32 miles and the longest was 42 miles. I generally took 6-8 hours to do this, making lots of stops.
Although cycling west to east involves climbing for about 125 miles, it's such a gradual incline you hardly notice it. Then when you have the 25 mile downhill (1.75% grade) to Cumberland, it feels exhilarating. There's also generally a tailwind going west to east (just not when I rode it).
Highly recommend this trail. It's beautiful, historical, quiet, incredibly well maintained and as a solo, female rider, I felt totally safe.
Riding from Pittsburgh to Cumberland.
Before starting, highly recommend visiting the unique Bicycle Heaven Museum. If you are interested in bicycles at all or just interested in history, it's worth the stop. Plan 1 - 2 hours max. Our trip took place mid May, 4 nights on the trail. We didn't make reservations ahead of time for overnight stays, except a few days early over the weekend. Worked out fine for us, but wouldn't do in the summer! Note: we are serious tourists who love bike riding. We averaged around 35 miles/day, riding with 25 - 35 pd panniers; stopping to admire waterfalls, rocks and the many wonderful, detailed signs with historic or geographic information. Even with rain the last two days, we loved this ride. Everyone along trail is so very friendly.
Starting from Pittsburgh you'll be riding uphill on approximately 1 - 1.5% grade for almost 130 miles. In hindsight we are very glad we rode this direction. In Pittsburgh recommend closely following the GAP signs, you'll end up on road some of the time. Be sure to get off the path near Bates Road to cross the Hot Iron Bridge. Otherwise, the trail has great signage. 90% of trail is crushed gravel, 5% each hard pack and asphalt. We saw regular road bikes zipping along, we rode hybrids, all very doable. It rained a lot so there were a few spots with a little mud, nothing bad.
Rode from Pittsburgh to McKeesport, picked up Subway for picnic. Rode on to Boston. Stopped at Betsy Tea Shoppe for hot tea and soup; they let us sit on porch and eat our own food with their drinks/soup. West Newton overnight at Bright Morning B&B. Excellent rooms, hosts, and breakfast. The Trailside restaurant was recommended to us, not sure I would tell anyone to eat there - lots of deep fried foods and pizza.
Rode to Connelsville, stopped at Martin's Grocery & Deli for great salad selection, picniced at small park next to Martin's (great place to get fruit). Continued to Ohiopyle to stay at Ferncliff Guest House. Not sure I would recommend this place; barebones, no hair dryer, no Kleenex but very clean. Delicious dinner at Ohiopyle House Cafe was excellent - options for vegetarian and meat eaters; highly recommend Sweet Potato Chili. It was so good we went back for breakfast since our Inn's breakfast was just cold muffins.Next day Ohiopyle to Rockwood with lunch break in Confluence. We ate at the Lucky Dog Cafe. Don't be fooled by exterior, great menu selection and service, fair prices.We stayed at Gingerbread House B&B - simply excellent - beautiful place, great hostess, comfortable rooms, delicious breakfast. Ate dinner at Mill Shoppes - very good pizza. They also sell wine here and you can get ice cream cones.
Between Rockwood to Frostburg there is great place to stop - Meyersdale Visitor Center, right along trail. There is cute museum - try out the trains and look very closely at the houses and people in the model railroad exhibit. They also have a room where they let us eat our packed lunch, soda machine outside or free coffee inside. During this stretch there are viaduct and tunnels. Plus, you'll cross the Mason Dixon line and the Continental Divide (2,392 ft). The trail really drops downs after this and it's so much fun to ride and coast instead of continuously pedaling.
Spent the night in Frostburg at Trail Inn - ok place with very nice hosts. Highly recommend dinner at Shift (a farm to table restaurant), good selection, wonderful meals.
When you make is towards the end of trail always stay to left, the trail will end in downtown Cumberland. No big congratulations signs :-( We congratulated ourselves!!
Took the GAP and the C&O from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. Every day was beautiful; every view awesome. I cannot say enough about it. It seems that you are always following winding rivers, through deep forests, dropping into small towns that seem lost in time, crossing awe-inspiring viaducts and carving through tunnels. Magnificent. Check out my video here:
https://youtu.be/GEAEc846buE
I had a such a wonderful experience riding the gap on Dec 12 & 13, 2015. I used a road bike and had no problems. I rode about 22 miles from Cumberland to the Savage Tunnel, about 7 miles north of Frostburg, each day. What a beautiful trail! So well maintained! So few people! Compared to biking on the Capital Crescent trail, it was heavenly. And coming back to Cumberland was thrilling downhill ride at 20 mph. the scenery was constantly varying, with lots of twisting turns and pretty views of the valley below. I am planning a trip to Pittsburg next time.
Coming from the flat upper midwest, the GAP trail was a nice change of scenery for my group. We thoroughly enjoyed the mountain views around us, the tunnels, the Continental Divide, the farmlands, the small and large waterfalls along the way, the constant view of the river far below. There were picturesque towns with restaurants and B&B's catering to bike tourists with friendly service. We stayed at the Hannah House in Confluence and the Yoder Guest House in Myersdale - both lovely B&B's with warm, exceptional hosts. The Morguen Toole Company let us special order our dinner, as we arrived after closing (small town restaurants close early). Confluence Cyclery had exemplary service to outfit us and even came out and changed our bike wheel when one had a faulty part mid-route (it was a brand new bike, must have been factory problem). The first 2 days of our 90 mile ride we went about 30 miles each, all a steady slow uphill grade that doesn't sound that challenging but at the end of the day you do feel it. The last day was almost all downhill due to crossing the continental divide, so we did the "Pennsylvania Coast," as local bikers like to call it. The automobile routes are far more hilly than the flat bike trail, but it is worth it to go see the Ohiopyle waterfall and the Falling Water Frank Lloyd Wright house. I could have stayed longer to explore the area. I would like to go back again and do the whole route from Philly to DC ...
My friend and I rode the GAP trail from Cumberland, MD to Pittsburgh over 3 days. If you need to stay overnight in Cumberland before starting your ride, the Fairfield Inn and Suites is right next door to the trail. It is a nice hotel and allows you to bring your bikes to your room.
This trail is amazing. I second all the wonderful things other reviewers have to say. I wanted to address some logistical things. If you need to park your car in Cumberland, there is a gravel lot adjacent to the trail, just below the visitors center and start of the trail. There is also a bike shop there. If you are going to park overnight, you should register at the visitors center (you can do it over the phone if necessary). For the return trip, we rented a car in Pittsburgh. It is a lot cheaper than taking one of the shuttle services. The only thing is that the rental car places close by noon on Sunday. We rode to the end of the trail at Point State Park in Pittsburgh. My friend took a cab to Enterprise while I waited in the park with our bikes. If you decide to ride to Enterprise (located 5 miles from Point State Park), it is uphill all the way. When time is of the essence, a cab is a good idea.
The trail is immaculately maintained and there are very few road crossings for the length of the trail. The surface is smooth, considering it is gravel and dirt most of the way (except from Boston to Pittsburgh where it is paved). It is easy to ride with a hybrid. Some people were riding road bikes without difficulty. Unfortunately, I was plagued by several flats, which I think might have been due to the tread on my tires. There are bike shops along the way if you need supplies or repairs. However, there are segments of the trail that have no services for many miles, so make sure you have stuff for repairs. The bike shop in Confluence is not right on the trail. You have to ride a short distance on the street (less than a mile), cross over a little bridge, which takes you toward Town Park, where the shop is. We called ahead and the owner kindly stayed open a little after closing so we could pick up some tubes. The bike shop in West Newton is located right on the trail at the street intersection.
Needless to say, the scenery is breathtaking. The most scenic leg, in my opinion, was the ride from Ohiopyle to Boston. The trail goes on the road in McKeesport but is easy to find if you follow the “Share The Road” and GAP trail signs. It gets quite tricky in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. There is part of the trail that dumps you into a mall parking lot. Once you cross over the little bridge, bear to the right toward Costco. The trail continues to the left of Costco toward the water park. (This is where the mileage markers seem to disappear). Another tricky spot is at the Hot Metal Bridge. Locals call this part of the GAP trail a couple of different things - the Jail Trail or Furnace Trail. It is marked on the ground as the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. As we got closer to Point State Park, the GAP trail signs began to appear again. The Park is very nice and Pittsburgh is a lovely city to explore.
The only criticism I have is that the 0 mile and 150 mile marks are not marked well at all. I would suggest that Cumberland and Pittsburgh have 0 and 150 mile markers that stand out. After all, riding this whole trail is something to celebrate.
Waited for several years to bike the Passage. Well worth the wait. Used a road bike with Continental Tour Ride tires and handled the surface well. Found adequate places to stay on our three day trip and friendly bikers and locals all along the way. Trail is well marked with few exceptions being leaving Pittsburgh just past Homestead area...and leaving Connellsville. Easy ride to Continental Divide and then even easier downhill to Cumberland. July weather was exceptionally pleasant in high 70's and dry. Locals from Cumberland said there is shuttle service back to your car in Pittsburgh..wish we had known...we spotted a car at each end.
What a great part of the GAP trail!! We rode from Rockwood to Confluence, parked a car at each end so we wouldn't have to ride back up the hill:) This section of the trail is nice and shaded and riding the direction we did is downhill. It was pretty hot today so we just took our time stopping for water and rest breaks as needed. The river is so beautiful in this section, lots of rapids, we got to see some deer too.
Started at The Point in downtown PIT. You have to take sidewalks from the Point to the Liberty bridge, but they are well marked with signs. Don't try to take the small path along the river. It dead-ends before the Liberty bridge. Cross over the Liberty bridge, and the trail runs between the river and a RR all the way to Homestead (also called 3 Rivers Heritage trail. Shaded and well maintained. Good scenery. At Homestead you have to go on specially marked bike lanes in Waterfront Dr for a short time, and then you join the Steel River trail that takes you to McKeesport. There are some ups and downs as you go over bridges over the RR tracks. Then you cross the huge bridge over the Mon river with a spectacular view. We turned around there since the trail breaks up a bit in McKeesport.
We made the trip over from Baltimore and unfortunately it rained that day. We were able to get in 10 miles of this beautiful trail, and we are looking foward to returning.
I rode the GAP for 4 days in September 2014, and shared the experience with my Mom. She drove the van to our meeting points during the day, and in the evening, we would find a great place to eat and share our adventures of the day. Me on the bicycle and her in the van. It was fantastic. We started in Pittsburgh, and each day my mom and I would plan to meet for lunch, then she would drive ahead and scope out a place for us to stay.
I am very lucky that my mom, at 75, was able to share this with me. I love this trail and I love my mom. It was the true gift we all seek, TIME with someone we love. :)
Oh, and the trail is beautiful. We started from Pittsburgh because the Steelers would have been in town when we finished up on a Sunday... so look at their schedule before you pick where you start.
I rode 30-40 miles a day. It was easy riding with lots of cool history along the way. Can't wait to do the C&O with mom this year!!!
After riding three days on the C&O, the GAP was a great ride. The wide clear trail was level and smooth by comparison. I really enjoyed my time on the this trail. It has some great towns along the way with plenty of stops for food water and lodging. We made over night stops in Meyersdale, Confluence and West Newton!
we only had time to do a short leg of this beautiful trail, from Frostburg to a little ways beyond the Eastern Continental Divide. Can't wait to try a longer leg in the future.
it was easy pedaling--I took a chance and rode my cross-type bike, outfitted for the road with 28mm slick tires. But the trail bed was firm (except for a few small washouts) and traction was not a serious problem. Next time, however, I will take a bike with more aggressive tread. (something like Schwalbe Marathons would be perfect--knobbies would be overkill, and hard on the trailbed) Many thanks to the folks who maintain this trail--you're doing a great job!
the most fun was going through the tunnels. One of them was unlit, and as soon as you enter you are enveloped in rich, velvety darkness. You can see the opposite opening ahead, but not the sidewalls, or the trailbed underneath your wheels. Or, for that matter, oncoming cyclists. That's another thing to remember--next time, bring a good headlight!!!
One more tip--since you cannot pedal hard--the speed limit is 15mph-- dress warmer than you normally would for a rigorous ride. The return ride to Frostburg was almost entirely down hill--pretty much coasting--and I got thoroughly chilled--even though my concern before the ride was that I would be over-dressed.
I rode the entire GAP trail from Pittsburgh, PA, to Cumberland, MD, with two friends in June 2014. We stayed at inns along the way, averaging about 60 miles a day. I was very impressed with the trail, from the riding surfaces to the scenery and attractions along the way. Towards Pittsburgh, the scenery gets quite industrial but still interesting in its own way. My favorite section was along the "Yougho" River near Ohiopyle, but the Continental Divide is a definite high point. We also enjoyed stopping for lunches in small towns along the way.
We continued on to Washington DC along the C&O Canal Trail after Cumberland. Both trails are nice in their own way, but the GAP provides a much better riding surface and generally nicer scenery.
We came down from Maine to attempt the whole route from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. What an amazing experience it was! The surface of the trail was great the whole way. The stretch between Connellsville and Cumberland was particularly gorgeous. The hospitality along the trail was top notch and everyone that we stopped and talked to were very friendly. This trail will always hold a special place in my heart. I highly recommend it to everyone, regardless of ability. I would do the trip all over again tomorrow if given the opportunity.
Trillium were in full bloom. We enjoyed the solitude. Frozen water bottles were an issue but worth it to be so alone. Wild Ramp tasted so good. We met a man from France who rides 9 months out of the year and works 3 months and he has done this for over 30 years. He has ridden most continents! He was going to see all the national parks and then heading to South America!! He thought this trail was very special as well. We connected with the C and O and the Blue Bells were a carpet of blue. What more could you want? No bugs, just spring budding forth.
I have ridden this trail from Pittsburgh to Homestead almost daily for months now. Yesterday I was able to ride from Confluence to Ohiopyle and also 5 miles the other direction. The trail is beautiful and well kept. A perfect ride. I can't wait to ride all of it. It rained on me yesterday and still it was a great ride.
Hello! I want to warn you before you get too far: this trip report may be a little too detailed, or too long, for some. Please read at your own risk!
Our bike trip on the GAP took us from Cumberland, MD to Connellsville, PA. We went over the July 4th weekend in 2014.
With our bikes loaded on the back of our vehicle, my wife and I left New Jersey around noon on route to Cumblerland, MD. We checked in the Cumblerland Ramada, about 8:30 PM.
As a bike enthusiast, checking in the hotel was a joy. The desk rep seemed interested in which direction we were biking in the morning, (C & O or GAP). There were granola bars and fruit at the front desk which was a nice touch. A new, large bike rack was out front. You may read a more detailed review of the property on Tripadvisor. My username is “IslandWayne”.
It was the night before our big trip! I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve.
The hotel allows you to take your bikes to your room which, as you can imagine, was great! I removed by hitch-mounted bike rack and placed it inside our SUV. My wife and I rolled our bikes into the elevator, down the hall, and into our room. We started to get them ready including attaching panniers, etc.
Another nice plus is the hotel allows you to leave your car in their lot until you return from your trip. I’ll talk more about how I took the train back to pick up the car a little later.
After a nice hot breakfast which was included we coasted down to the trail which is only a few blocks from the hotel. It was the Thursday before July 4th weekend. The trail was not the least bit busy. It was a beautiful sunny day!! Helmet – check. Gloves – check. Starting Mapmyride – check. We had overnight reservations in Meyersdale however planned a stop at Frostburg for lunch. After months of planning the big day was finally here! Freedom! The stress of life started rolling off my back and onto the hard packed surface below. We took our time enjoying the eye candy which seemed to be around every bend. From rolling hills, to farmland, to windmills, it truly was a beautiful ride.
It should be noted, what you may have read with regard to the “trail grade” is completely, completely false. Some will tell you it’s about 1 to 1.5% grade. Others will tell you it’s totally unnoticeable. We are experienced bikers and we want to assure you, it’s an uphill climb for just short of 25 miles. I talked to people on the trail and we estimate the grade from Cumberland to the Continental Divide to be at least two percent. If you don’t think you are up to climbing for 25 miles please consider biking in the other direction.
As planned, we rolled into the town of Frostburg around noon. We laughed as the “town” was actually up another rather steep hill. It was so steep the town created a “switchback” allowing you to zigzag your bikes back and forth to the top. From the top you’ll have a short ride to yet another “level”. Here you’ll find the old Frostburg Railroad Station, a motel, eatery, and a Carriage Museum. It was here we locked our bikes and made our way up the stairs to the small town. As mentioned earlier we are from New Jersey. If you don’t know our state, for the most part, it’s very flat. If you stand on a parking bumper you can see Bermuda!! The hills on this trip were definitely keeping us in shape!!
We found a little pizzeria on the corner which was extremely clean and inviting. There was even an all you can eat salad and pizza buffet. I liked being able to order at the counter and seat yourself. My wife and I split a small pizza before heading back to the bikes. We wanted to spend some time looking around the town however it started to rain so we went down to the Railroad Station to roll the bikes under cover. After about thirty minutes the rain passed and we were once again on the trail.
We passed many people on the trail during our hundred mile plus trek. If I had to estimate, about a third smiled and said “hello” back when we said “hello”. The other two thirds barely gave us a nod. And please believe me, my wife and I are very nice people!! On this particular long weekend the bikers were not at all friendly. That didn’t stop us however from having a good time, or saying “hello” to everyone we met. If you are an avid biker it’s important to represent your sport in a positive manner. Be friendly!
Speaking of people, we saw less than a half dozen people traveling in our direction. Most likely they got the memo about the “uphill battle”.
More bridges, more scenery, and more serenity. According to my wife I was making too many stops to take photos!
Sometime around 3 we arrived at the quaint town of Meyersdale. The old railroad station has been completely restored. This town has it together! They created an absolutely awesome “Welcome Center” with restrooms, a gift shop, displays, info about the town, and some of the nicest staff members you will ever have the pleasure meeting. The station is so beautiful we noticed many bikers just hanging out taking a well deserved rest.
After checking out the station we rolled down the hill to Yoders Motel and checked in. A lovely Innkeeper and clean and charming rooms. What more could you want? Again you can read more about the motel at Tripadvisor. My review is under “IslandWayne”. The shower sure felt good after a long day on the trail. We then made our way to a little pub/restaurant called “Take 6” which proved to be the perfect choice. The ice cold beer truly hit the spot! Upon returning from dinner I took a ride around this historic town. It was as if time had stood still. Later that evening I planted my butt on the front porch and pretended to be an old fart waving at the people walking by. Residents were out, some walking with friends, others walking with their dogs. Everyone said “hello” as they strolled by. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.
The next morning we walked down to Sheetz, which is a gas station/convenience store chain. My wife grabbed a coffee to go and we headed back to the room to finish packing. We made our way back to the Meyersdale Train Station. I found the place so fascinating I wanted to take another look. There was even a restored caboose you could walk through.
I would like to pause for just a second and talk a little about the bikes we used and what we packed on the outside chance it may be of interest to anyone considering taking this trip. We have Cannondale hybrid bikes. Hybrids have to be the bike of choice for this trail. Our tires are 700 x 38. The seats are gel with springs. We have front shocks.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent. Back to the trip. After a little time at the Meyersdale Station it was off to our next stop, Rockwood.
After a few hours of delightful scenery we arrived in the most friendly town of Rockwood. Right on the trail is a bed and breakfast and bike shop. The owner of the shop was working feverishly on everything from tires to gears. What a lifesaver this person was for many. In addition he was very personable. He loved his job. He loves bikers. God Bless him. After checking out his shop my wife and I ventured into town. Our first stop was Dollar Tracks a store catering to locals and riders a like. Water, soda, snacks and more can be picked up here. We went a little further down the road to the old Opera House which is a luncheon/gift shop. The gift shop was cute. The food was awesome. I’m embarrassed to say we split a small pizza again because the special of the day was “Hawaiian pizza”. We found the establishment clean and friendly. After lunch I picked up a couple snacks and returned to the trail on route to Confluence.
Being originally from New York and spending most of my career in New Jersey I must admit I never saw anything quite like Confluence. Small, friendly and in some ways sad, it was another town where time had stood still. I felt bad for some of the kids who didn’t have much to do however it was refreshing not seeing people staring at their phones. Kids were playing with kids. Neighbors were talking to each other, not texting.
Overnight reservations were made at River’s Edge which turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Inn and Café were very nice, however the staff needed a serious seminar in customer service. The first floor of the Inn was similar to a small three bedroom cottage with a small living area, kitchen area and shower/bath. I believe one of the three rooms had a toilet and sink whereas the other rooms only had a sink. Breakfast was included but not what you would expect from an Inn. Everyone was allotted one muffin and some no-name cereal. The price was a little high. There was no a/c which is not a big deal to us, however I would guess for many it may be a deal breaker. Again, you may read my detailed review on Tripadvisor.com.
We placed our bikes in the garage and unpacked before venturing out to the “Smokehouse”. We would have loved to have dined at River’s Edge however as mentioned the staff was so rude we decided to pass. The Smokehouse was a cute barbeque style restaurant catering mostly to the tourists. Prices were a little high however the food was good. There is no inside dining so if you are someone who can’t live without a/c this would not be for you.
After returning to the Inn my wife visited with the other guests while I took my usual ride around town. I just love seeing new places. For me, it’s not about how many miles I travel, it’s about what I see in the miles I do travel. When I bike in Mexico, my favorite biking destination, there are days I don’t get very far between playing with the kids or talking with the locals. I believe the true definition of “biking” is your definition of biking.
When I returned I spent some time cleaning our bikes in the garage. I then found a spot on the lawn by the river and got some vitamin D as I let the sun shower me with warmth. For the next hour I listened to the music of the river as it rolled over the rocks. I thought to myself, “it doesn’t get any better than this”.
With no TV or internet I was forced to talk to my beautiful wife. I asked her when she dyed her hair blonde? She said she was always blonde. Go figure.
After the allotted one muffin each we spent some time talking with a beautiful couple also staying at the Inn. They were fascinated with our journey as they were there kayaking. It was pretty cool talking with strangers as being from New Jersey we have learned if someone starts talking to you, you should immediately grab your wallet as something is going down. Thankfully, as mentioned, it was a cool experience.
After we said goodbye to our new friends it was on the road again. We were headed to what I loving refer to as “Bike Heaven”. (More on that in a minute.)
The ride to Ohiopyle hugged a river for most of the way. Views didn’t chance drastically but the river was checking on you, through the trees, every chance it got.
If you have ever pulled into Ohiopyle on a busy weekend you can relate. Bikers are everywhere!! It’s a happenin’ crazy place. It’s a little like Key West meets the mountains. With a couple of bike shops, several places renting bikes, an assortment of outside eateries, some pretty cool and funky shops, it’s definitely a place to spend several hours or several days. In addition to being a bike mecca it also offers white water rafting. You may want to consider taking a couple hour rafting trip. Reservations however are suggested on busy weekends.
The train station is beautiful however bathrooms are limited and there is a line. However to be fair, it was a very busy day. The gentlemen inside the information desk was one of the hardest working people I have ever seen. He was helping tourist after tourist after tourist with questions ranging from, “Which direction should I bike?” to “Where can I go rafting?”
My wife and I spent much of the day wandering around. The river with its rushing water and series of mini waterfalls was worthy of lots of photos! Everyone had forgotten about their awful jobs and problems back home. Everyone was outside having fun. We spent time taking in the beautiful scenery, checking out the shops and eateries, and just enjoying the day.
It was hard to leave however we wanted to make Connellsville before nightfall.
As our tires rolled over the packed dirt and the canopy of trees protected us from the sun it was a little sad thinking this was the last day of our awesome adventure. Tomorrow I would be taking the train back to Cumberland to pick up the car, return and pick my wife and bikes, (yes in that order), and then heading home. It was clear I did not take enough time off from work, however the time we did have on this trail was truly a memory that would last a lifetime.
As we pulled into Connellsville we knew the Melody Motor Inn was not on the trail however we had no idea how far off the trail it really was. On bikes it was worse as once again it was all uphill. Did I mention all up hill?
I would like to pause again and say that I travel for business and pleasure on a regular basis. I have been fortunate to see many places and experience many things. I would like to take this opportunity to say I don’t think I have seen such a dirty and disgusting town as Connellsville. The sidewalks and shoulders have never ever been cleaned. Garbage and debris are absolutely everywhere. The town has done absolutely nothing with regard to the first class bike trail at their doorstep. The traffic rolled through town and unsafe speeds. Nobody had any regard for people on foot or on bikes. I’m sorry to report, the one thing you want to do on the trail as you approach this town is to keep going!
The Melody Motel was one of those “Motor Inns” you may have seen on old postcards at a flea market. Though clean, the rooms haven’t changed much. Wood paneling and pink and blue tiled bathrooms were much like they were when the place opened a long time ago. The Owner was nice and a full detailed review can be found at Tripadvisor.com.
With limited restaurants by the motel we hit Wendy’s. The hill was too ridiculous to deal with after a long day on the trail so we made the thirty minute walk.
In the morning we rolled down to the Amtrak Station where even the signs to the station were pointing tourists in the wrong direction. With no bathrooms in site my wife stayed at the station with our bikes as I took the train, which was over an hour late, from Connellsville back to Cumblerland. We asked several train officials why bikes were not allowed and they said “they are working on it”. Only in America would a company like Amtrak miss an opportunity to transport bikes and people on this highly used bike trail.
The train was far from clean. The reservation system should be investigated by authorities as apparently the price increases with every ticket that is sold. Can you imagine if movie theaters did this? The first two people pay $11, the third and fourth pay $15, the fifth and sixth pay $20. Why do we let these things happen? The reason is, (in case you are interested), you don’t speak up. You don’t complain. After all, usually when an injustice happens to you it’s because the person before you didn’t speak up. Please, speak up!
There was only one train going to Cumberland and it was scheduled to depart at 7 AM. I understand it comes from Indiana. The conductor assured us it’s always late, in some cases, five or six hours late. However ridiculous it was, it did manage to grunt and groan most of the way finally making it to my destination. The Ramada Inn is across the street from the station. Upon arrival I hopped off the train like a hobo, jumped in my car, and returned to the dirty town of Confluence to pick up my wife and bikes.
We spent much of the ride home talking about the beautiful sights and people we met along this incredible journey. It was a breath of fresh air on every level. The weather was perfect. Most of the towns were a delight. We can’t wait to do it all again.
I would be very happy to answer any questions you have regarding this trip.
Until next time, Enjoy the Ride, It Goes By Fast!!!!
Here are a couple of links to the 2014 Rails to Trails Sojourn we rode June 22dn to the 27th.
http://vimeo.com/99562408 A short video recap of the last day.
A day by day review with videos.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=14422&v=4r
My friends and I just rode from Pittsburgh to DC in mid-April. This was our first time experiencing the GAP trail. The trail is a little confusing the first couple miles with several trails all connecting in different spots. It is not as well marked as some of the trails I am used to in the DC area but is still nice for the first 10 miles then it goes into some sketchy areas as you leave Pittsburgh. Especially through McKeesport and just after where you find yourself sharing an access road to some industrial plant with dump trucks and the like.
Once out of the city you are in small town, country side PA. The trail is nice but there is a lack of accommodations for the first so be prepared to bring you own meals if riding a long distance. We expected to be going through small towns with restaurants and convenience stores but there were few and far between until we got close to the continental divide. The trail follows close to the river so to get into many of the towns you have to climb up a ridge not knowing what you may find. Between Boston (mile marker 125) and Connellsville (mile marker 90) you should plan you stops well.
Once you start climbing the mountain from Connellsville on up the trail just gets better and better! That is where you will see spectacular railroad bridges, tunnels rock formations and the views heading down the mountain on the MD side are beautiful. Make a point to stop in Confluence and if on a bike there is a shop called Confluence Cyclery, they will record where you are from and post your picture on the wall.
This a great scenic trail which I hope to visit again, next time I will just take it a little slower, 50-65 miles in a day doesn’t give much time to take in the scenery.
We rode a portion of this trail last week between Pittsburg and the Eastern Continental Divide. The trail offers fantastic scenery once you are away from Pittsburg. The area of Ohio Pyle was the most scenic area for the stretch of trail that we rode. Shortly after Pittsburg you will enter the Ohio Pyle State Park. The trail offers plenty of rest areas. Benches are also plentiful along the trail. It is quite the achievement to reach the summit. The climb from Pittsburg to the Eastern Continental Divide. The path follows a river and has quite a few old railroad bridges to take quality photos of the river and the hills surrounding the river. All thought the grade going up is very slight it is just enough to let you know you are going up hill. Gradually. The town of Ohio Pyle is a great rest stop and offers a bike shop, lodging and great eats that offer a verity of menu items. We look forward to going to Cumberland Maryland and beyond on our next leg of the journey in the near future. A great trail with fantastic views. Not a trail to disappoint.
Great trail the best ride of my life I can't wait to do it again
The Mrs. and I drove down to Meyersdale, PA to pick up some syrup at the Maple Festival and since we were headed that way, tossed the bikes in the back of the truck and decided to ride from the train station at Meyersdale to the Big Savage Tunnel. It's around about 9 miles to the western tunnel portal. There are a lot of little bridges on this section and had the trail not been quite so mushy (give it another week or so) it would have been phenomenal. I had ducks and geese in front of me in several sections and even had a red-tailed hawk take off less than 25 yards from my front tire. Trail surface will be excellent when it firms up, trail is plenty wide and mostly very well groomed. Big Savage is open so we rode through the tunnel, which is the only long tunnel like that I know of that's lit. Just remember that your photochromatic glasses will take time to adjust. Oops on me. The surrounding scenery is beautiful and when we exited the eastern portal of the tunnel there were 8 or 10 hawks in that beautiful valley soaring around, looking for some lunch.
Enjoy the ride!
The Mrs. and I decided to ride the YRT from Little Boston towards West Newton, going upriver and then back to Little Boston. The trail starting out from Little Boston headed up the Yough isn't bad, but the winter has been unkind, especially given that some riders decided to ride narrow cyclocross and even narrower road tires before the trail had firmed up. There are some serious grooves to be worked out that can shunt your bike left and right. The trail is pretty quiet, there are several parks and places to stop and rest, and this would be an excellent summer ride as the tree cover will be significant. We rolled all the way till we were about 1.5 miles short of West Newton where the trail became a little too mushy for us and turned back around. Up around Industry and Blythville be aware that some of the local hooligans have been on parts of the trail with quads and whatnot, creating some areas that ride like washboard. Little Boston trailhead has lots of parking when the ballfield isn't in use. Have fun and go ride!
The Mrs. and I rode from the Pumphouse in Homestead up the Mon to McKeesport and turned around where the trail shares the road. There are two bridges that the trail uses to cross over the active tracks, one just before McKeesport, and one just after the Rankin Bridge. They'll both make you know they are there. Otherwise, a beautiful ride today. there are sections where if you look up the hill you can see the coaster tracks for Kennywood. The trail also goes right behind the old roundhouse in McKeesport. A shame nobody has found a good use for that building yet. Lots of people were out today riding and you could tell we were all trying to work out our cabin fever. Lots of parking at the Pumphouse, and a great ride to get the season going.
I rode this trail with my Boy Scout troop. We stated in Cumberland, and finished the week with a Pirate's game in Pittsburgh. It was a truly amazing time, and a great ride.
I rode about 65 miles on this trail in June, from Cumberland to the museum and back. It was one of the best rides I've had, and the scenery was often breathtaking. Unfortunately, I stayed too late and broke my arm when it got dark and I hit a patch of dirt on the way back. I can't wait to get back on it this year and ride a little longer/safer.
I've consolidated four trip surveys here, as I continued northward toward Pittsburgh from Washington Run (Layton) to Smithville, 3 miles north of West Newton. The almost continuous string of those beautiful concrete ex-P&LE mileposts continue over this span, specifically markers 45 (at GAP MM #102), 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, and finally, MM 30, just north of Smithville. In addition, several original P&LE whistleposts ("W" markers) remain in place for the nearby grade crossings, 1) 0.3mi. north of MM 45 (Whitsett), and 2) at MM 29.5 (Smithville). One of only two of the former P&LE CTC signal masts on this line remains on this trail segment. The southbound home signal mast which was former P&LE CP34Y, including an intact access ladder, remains in place at P&LE Milepost 34.7, 1.5 miles south of the West Newton trail parking lot. Counterpart CP33Y was located 0.1mi. north of the former West Newton station site. My conjecture is that the trackage between these two Controlled Points was double-track, with the main track and a passing siding, the only one of those down here. There is a WIDE former right-of-way between thse two CP's, apparently including a multi-track yard. What is NEAT is the new installation of a LIVE color light signal, adjacent to the trail office at West Newton, a replica of the former brick (freight?) depot here. The new signal is solar-powered, and was set to GREEN ("Clear") when I arrived there, and RED ("Stop") when I returned from my northernmost tour! Cool!... VERY cool! It is a "Western Maryland"-style, high, signal mast! Kudos to the trail people down here! Other utilities remaining include a rusty relay case at Milepost 30.8. Bridges passing overhead on the trail include that of the former Washington Run Railroad (now an automobile bridge between Layton (on the CSX [former B&O] side of the Yough River. You've gotta drive over this one! The multi-structure former railroad bridge dives into the narrow, brick-lined former railroad tunnel, and you ride on the old railroad grade for a mile or so west of the tunnel, approaching Perryopolis! Again, very COOL! The old (relatively NEW by railroad standards) Pittsburgh & West Virginia (now Wheeling & Lake Erie) multi-structured bridge passes overhead at Milepost 42.2, and the Interstate-70 bridge is above the trail at Milepost 39.5. A depot-facsimile park office has been built at MP 37. There are also several beautifully-designed and detailed mining and mine tragedy historical plaques along this stretch, well worth the stops. -Rich Ballash, Latrobe, PA Nov 9-25, 2013.
My tour of the old P&LE continued northward from the obviously once massive Dickerson Run Yard. The railroad property width here is astounding. The span of continuous P&LE concrete mileposts continues, with MP52 near the west end of the yard. Google P&LE Pittsburgh CTC to access a great photo of the classic Union Switch & Signal Centralized Traffic Control machine (installed 1968) which controlled this line, Connellsville to McKessport, visible at the far left side of the panel. One of the concrete bases for the signals at CP-51 still exists, 1.3 miles west of the Dickerson Run trail parking lot. This line was obviously double-tracked until the installation of that CTC, as the trail is very wide. As you wind along the river, you will encounter P&LE mileposts 51 through 46. Again, the barren winter season provides excellent CSX train watching on the old B&O on the other side of the river. Note the new CSX solar powered signals, an example at P&LE milepost location 49.2. You will also observe that the white Great Allegheny Passage mileposts run just a few yards west of the P&LE posts. GAP Milepost 100 is located near P&LE marker 47. We'll end this report segment at the former Washington Run Railroad bridge, a really neat combination railroad bridge (1899) that since 1932 has been carrying automobile traffic over the P&LE, Youghiogheny River, and former B&O, the latter of which it carried passenger and freight traffic to and from Star City, along PA-51. Note the brick tunnel portal above you at the west end of the former railroad bridge (Google Washington Run Railroad to see a photo of a steam-powered passenger train crossing the bridge). -Rich Ballash, Latrobe PA 11-9-2013
This 5-mile section of the Youghiogheny Branch of the old P&LE is truly a railroad historian's rail-trail. Connellsville was the southern terminus of the branch, but the railroad continued eastward as a through freight route via the Western Maryland Railway. It is a real shame that the viaduct through Connellsville has been removed. It would have made a great bike route. CP (Controlled Point)-58Y was at the tower you see on the old P&LE depot at Main Street. This was the physical end of the P&LE, right at that point. As you ascend the incline to access the trail west, you encounter classic concrete P&LE Mile Marker #58. Station Square in Pittsburgh was the P&LE's headquarters, at Milepost 0. As you head west, all the P&LE mileposts from 58 through 53 remain intact. So many rail-trails have been denuded of these markers. Kudos to the Yough Trail people for preserving these! The abandoned railroad bridge over the incline was the eastern end of the Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway, a modern freight line west to Toledo, Ohio. It still exists, west of town, as the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway. Its interchange point junction with the P&LE and the Western Maryland to the east was right over there where the B&O caboose sits. I am almost certain that the concrete block trail building at the top of the incline was the old P&LE yard office. One mile west of Connellsville, at MP57, was "West Yough" on the old P&LE. Here was one of many interchanges with the old B&O (now CSX). The thru-truss span was at the center of this interchange track. If you carefully cross this combination thru-truss / deck girder bridge, you will see that CSX still calls its interlocking installation "West Yough" (MP271.50 from Baltimore). These many interchanges offered the single-track P&LE reroutes using the B&O (or vice-versa) at many points between Pittsburgh and Baltimore. The lines ran parallel for most of the way, and that offers the rail-trail railfan continuous live train watching from the safety of the trail. Another 5-star rating point. The "Chessie System" consolidated the B&O and WM into basically one railroad, a big part of the demise of the P&LE. Although single-tracked, the P&LE was a modern, lower grades freight railroad, a half century newer than the old B&O. Another classic preservation highlight are those three P&LE shield-topped whistleposts at the grade crossings on this trail segment. On so many trails, all of these have been removed, too. You might find one forlorn renegade elsewhere, but the Yough Trail has preserved many of these markers. These were the signal posts for the train enginemen to blow that 2-long, one short, and 1 long ("14-L") whistle (later diesel horn) blast sequence to warn oncoming auto traffic that a train was coming. I find it odd that "railroad" traffic now has to yield the right-of-way to auto traffic! You will notice the railroad property narrowing 0.2 miles east of MP56. This was P&LE's "Broadford Junction", where all those interchange and yard tracks ended heading west. The beautiful historic plaques on this trail, like the one at MP55 (Adelaide) are another reason for my 5-star rating. The coal and coke history of this region is displayed and detailed beautifully along the way. Notice the long line of intact coke ovens on your left as you head west from Adelaide. This was the bread and butter which once supplied the steel mills of the Pittsburgh area and beyond. As you approach the Route 819 overpass at the Dickerson Run parking area, note the very interesting steel lattice railroad structure in the trees on the river side of the trail. It was obviously some type of yard structure (maybe a yard light?) at the east end of the once massive Dickerson Run Yard. -Rich Ballash, Latrobe PA 11-3-2013.
I rode from Pittsburgh to Cumberland in August 2013. I wanted to see the scenery and was not disappointed. I started in downtown Pittsburgh in Point State Park. The trail is not marked well or not at all. I tried biking along the Monongehela from the park and quickly discovered that it was the wrong way to go. From the park it is best to follow the city streets along the river until you get to the Hot Metal Bridge. It's over a mile from the park, but you can't miss it because it is for foot and bicycle traffic only. From there the trail is easily recognizable all the way to Cumberland.
I have read some concerns about biking through some of the towns south of Pittsburgh, but I did not feel threatened or unsafe as I rode through them. You will pass through industrial areas until you pass McKeesport. After that the trail is mostly wooded.
The uphill grade is very slightly noticeable up to the eastern continental divide. I was carrying about 50 pounds of gear and the grade was not a factor. On the other side of the divide the grade was significant enough that I was able to coast at 12-15 mph most of the way to Cumberland. Biking in the opposite direction would not be significantly challenging, but a factor when travelling self-supported.
There were many opportunities to camp along the way. I preplanned my stops at mile 92 and mile 43. There are long stretches where there are no towns or services, so you should take snacks and plenty of water.
The trail condition was excellent. My thanks to the volunteers who maintain it. There have been heavy rains and some landslides over the trail near Pittsburgh, but they were quickly cleared and the trail was passable when I went through. There are very few on-road segments and remarkably few road crossings.
Take time to stop and enjoy the scenery and some of the towns along the way. Imagine the challenges that were overcome when the railroad was built through there in 1911. Also imagine the huge amount of industry that has disappeared.
I will do this ride again.
Saturday, Aug 10, 2013
NOTICE: Riding south from Cedar Creek Park (MP110) to near Layton (~MP101) there were several areas where trees or tree litter covered at least a portion of the trail. This ~ 9 mile section is rougher than usual right now. Extra caution is recommended. There is one point where a downed tree requires bikers to ride around it into the grass. The fallen trees are a result of wicked wind and rain which passed through that area last Wednesday.
KUDOS: to the trail clean-up crew(s) who had already been out with their chain saws after Wednesday to clear as many trees as they did by Saturday. It was a beautiful weekend, with events both days in Cedar Creek Park, and those riding the trail very much appreciated having a rideable trail.
In June, whilst on holiday from the UK, I read that the trail had finally been completed linking Downton to the rest of the Great Allegheny Passage. In my rash old age I decided to hire a bike from Golden Triangle Bikes and embark on what most people would think of a marathon 85mile ride which included the Three Rivers Trail, Steel Valley Trail and finally the Montour Trail. Here are my thoughts, and apologies if you read this again on the other routes:
I found The Steel Valley Trail great from a surface and terrain perspective that wasn’t taxing and was generally well maintained. The interesting points from a tourists veiwpoint was looking at the steel mill towns from the trail although I have to say that when I got lost looking for the Steel Valley/Montour connector and ventured in to McKeesport I found it quite intimidating, so much so that I was very weary to ask locals for directions! The trail does go on to the roads for a couple of miles in McKeesport touring the old mills but I found the motorists most courteous and this didn’t impinge on my enjoyment of the trail at all!
I mention the signage being poor for the Steel Valley/Montour Connector. When you do eventually find it [by going over the bridge in the opposite direction to where you think you should be heading!] you will find yourself on a few miles of grim back streets/service roads. I appreciate that there may not be an easier way to link the two trails but honestly, there has to be a better alternative than riding round the back of someone’s house dodging the rubbish bins and bunny hopping the potholes. The surface along here was the worst of the whole ride and I have to say, I would not have felt very comfortable mending a puncture in Clairton - hence only rating this rail 2 out of 5!
The GAP is a 150 mile well-maintained, scenic, fantastic, smooth, rail-to-trail bike path. A friend and I started in Pittsburg since the section from Pittsburgh to Homestead recently opened (celebration is scheduled for June 15, 2013). The first 30 miles were not as well marked as they will be when all is done. The new section is great! We had trouble finding the trail head in Point State Park – so we started from the beginning of the Eliza Furnace Trail (part of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail system) near 1st Avenue in Pittsburgh. Didn’t see a mile marker until mile 136 and had a bit of difficulty staying on and finding the trail in the McKeesport area. We also missed a bike route sign to turn left near the Costco in West Homestead and ended up in a shopping center parking lot. The section from Pittsburgh to West Homestead is city. The section from West Homestead to McKeesport is a bit industrial crossing over railroad tracks on nice bridges.
After McKeesport, the trail is wooded, beautiful country and easy to follow, well marked and goes through/near some very fun, scenic towns: Boston (definitely try a pizza at Generoso’s), West Newton (great service & breakfast at the Bright Mornings B&B), Connelsville (good pub food at the Mile Marker Café), Ohiopyle (Yough Plaza Motel is great and the House Café perfect for dinner!), Rockwood (lots of food options, shops and tour of the old Opera House at the Rockwood Mill Shops), Meyersdale (a to-die-for B&B at the Levi Deal Mansion), Frostburg and Cumberland (A must to stop at the Crabby Pig) to name a few.
It’s a tad bit of a climb up to the Eastern Continental Divide, but not strenuous and once there, you get to go downhill some. Fun sights along the way are the Mason-Dixon line and the divide itself! The trail ends sort of abruptly in Cumberland and has no visible “End” sign…you just pop out on the street near the Visitor’s Center after a fantastic downhill ride from Frostburg. We were lucky enough to see the scenic train coming up the hill towards Frostburg as we biked down – a sight to see with tons of steam billowing over the treetops, blowing its whistle and just chugging along. This is a great trail and I’d definitely ride it again!
We cycled the trail in late April and got to experience the unfolding of spring in the Appalachians - from the budding trees in the highlands to full leaf-out lower down. We timed our day in order to cycle in the waning light at the end of day in order to savour the play of the light on the river - a magic time, especially for photographers.
While the scenery is outstanding and trail features such as towering bridges and long tunnels provided some excitement, the real treasures of the route are the wonderful people who live in nearby communities. Make sure to breakfast at local restaurants and chat with the locals who gather there each morning. You will get a sense of place that simply cannot be accessed by reading books. We also made it a point to stop and chat with most of the local walkers we met along the way: such stories we heard about old times and current developments!
For a special overnight experience, visit the B&B in Connellsville. Lucille is an absolute delight and is a force for the re-invention of the town which once had the highest concentration of millionaires in the U.S.
The Yough Shore Inn in Boston, another highlight of the trip, notes that it is "a fun place to sleep." And so it is as there are seven rooms, each decorated ingeniously. If you get the Western Room, note that there is a ritual that you will have to follow. Ditto for the Hawaiian Room where many previous male guests have been photographed for posterity wearing grass skirts and coconut coverings up top. Rumour has it that some west coast cyclists from Vancouver developed this tradition ... makes one proud to be a Canadian.
For dinner, visit "Take Six Pizza and Subs in Meyersdale. The food is good and one of the waitresses is Annie Hall reincarnated. Missy's Cafe is the place to go for breakfast to load up on carbs and chat with the locals who are incredibly friendly.
Unlike the C&O towpath, the Great Allegheny Passage is maintained by volunteer clubs along its length. They deserve your support. There are many places (e.g. interpretive centers) where you can make donations as a token of your appreciation for their fine work.
The part of the trail from Hays to Homestead is now open. Rode it today. Great job
I drove to Cumberland and started out about 11:00 am. Stopped in Frostburg for lunch and arrived there just after the train. It is all uphill, but not too bad, but the highlights are well worth it. Crossing the Mason-Dixon Line, the great view just before the Big Savage Tunnel, the tunnel itself is awesome and the Continental Divide. I traveled about 45 miles and stopped the first night in Rockwood. I stayed in the Gingerbread House and was lucky to have the whole place to myself, it was clean and breakfast was good.The only place for dinner within walking distance was the Mill Shoppes. They offered sandwiches and pizza. The next day I crossed some really great old bridges and the Salisbury Viaduct. Stopped in Ohiopyle for lunch and visited the falls.Stayed the second night at the Connellsville B&B it is very upscale and fairly new. Breakfast was great. Here again dinner options were limited. I had to walk about 3/4 mile and ate at Bud Murphy's pretty good food. The third day I traveled to just south of McKeesport and rode to the Allegheny County Airport. I had to cross two bridges, but the worst part was the steep hill. I had to walk about 1/2 mile uphill. The next mile to the airport was pretty easy, but on a fairly busy road.I rented a car (Hertz)and drove it to Cumberland to retrieve my car. It cost about $200 to rent the car about equal to a shuttle service.Each day I rode just about 45-50 miles and had a great time.
I drove to Cumberland and started out about 11:00 am. Stopped in Frostburg for lunch and arrived there just after the train. It is all uphill, but not too bad, but the highlights are well worth it. Crossing the Mason-Dixon Line, the great view just before the Big Savage Tunnel, the tunnel itself is awesome and the Continental Divide. I traveled about 45 miles and stopped the first night in Rockwood. I stayed in the Gingerbread House and was lucky to have the whole place to myself, it was clean and breakfast was good.The only place for dinner within walking distance was the Mill Shoppes. They offered sandwiches and pizza. The next day I crossed some really great old bridges and the Salisbury Viaduct. Stopped in Ohiopyle for lunch and visited the falls.Stayed the second night at the Connellsville B&B it is very upscale and fairly new. Breakfast was great. Here again dinner options were limited. I had to walk about 3/4 mile and ate at Bud Murphy's pretty good food. The third day I traveled to just south of McKeesport and rode to the Allegheny County Airport. I had to cross two bridges, but the worst part was the steep hill. I had to walk about 1/2 mile uphill. The next mile to the airport was pretty easy, but on a fairly busy road.I rented a car (Hertz)and drove it to Cumberland to retrieve my car. It cost about $200 to rent the car about equal to a shuttle service.Each day I rode just about 45-50 miles and had a great time.
We rode on the Great Allegheny Passage, starting in Meyersdale, PA, and then travelling both north and south, in August 2012. This is a great trail, and it is in great shape. We crossed the Salisbury Viaduct, the Keystone Viaduct and the Bollman Truss Bridge. (We didn't quite have the energy to get to Big Savage Tunnel with all the riding we had done.) We look forward to returning! By the way, Meyersdale is a fantastic place to start your ride on the Great Allegheny Passage. All of the landmarks listed above are in relatively close proximity, and the old train station in Meyersdale now has a small museum, gift shop, restrooms, etc.
My wife and I have only been riding trails for a year and a half now, but have put on about 2000 miles in that time (we have no lives outside of riding). Most of our riding is done in Eastern Pennsylvania/Northern Md. and have hit most of the trails in this area. Up until now, our favorite trail had been the Pine Creek trail (from Jersey Shore to Wellsboro). That was until we did this trail. As other reviewers have said, the section from Confluence to Ohiopyle is especially nice. The views are incredible, and the trail it's self is a very nice riding surface. One note to anyone reading this, don't be too alarmed by the overcast skys first thing in the morning. It looked like it was going to rain hard, (even thought the forecast called for a beautiful day), but just like that, it cleared off around 9:30 A.M. One of the locals said this is very typical for this area, I guess because of the way it's situated in relation to the nearby mountains. We were planning on doing the Pine creek ride this October to see the leaves, but now are reconsidering, and will more than likely come back to the Youghiogheny River trail instead. As beautiful as it was in the summer, it has to be spectacular in the autumn. For us, it was a 3 1/2 hr drive to get to, but worth it. Highly recomended, DON'T MISS THIS ONE!
Started Around The Bridge in The town Of Ohio Pyle. Rode North Around Seven Miles. A quick ride out with crazy amounts of cliffs and rapids you would need an all day hike to see. 2 Hours out we turned back and found the return ride to be just as Awesome. We could not take the Mt bike trails because we pulled my son in a tow behind, But want to return when he is bigger to take the more challenging off shoots. A lot of cool pull off spots with shade and access to the River. With great photo ops all along the way as well. Benches Provided a great place for lunch.
My wife and I finished the trail from Georgetown to Pittsburgh last week. But at Homestead it just stops! No warning, no signs, nothing. We had to trespass down an active railroad line to get into Pittsburgh. Rails to Trails is doing folks a serious disservice by promoting this as a completed trail!
We rode on a hot, humid Memorial Day from Cumberland through Frostburg, on to the Big Savage tunnel and then the small crossroads of Deal, PA, 50 miles round-trip. The surface is in excellent shape with only a few very short stretches of loose gravel. I rode it on my road bike with 700x23 tires with a little bit of tread, but it would have been fine with narrower slicks.
On a map of the route from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC this climb looks to be monstrous. Actually the grade going uphill is not very severe, but it is relentless! Only one brief downhill in over 23 miles to the subcontinental divide separating the Great Lakes and Atlantic basins.
We had no problems riding through the tunnels, which were wide and easy to see in, unlike at home in Wisconsin where every tunnel seems to be curved (so you can't see the other end) and lined with flat black rock that absorbs every bit of light.
There is a row of concrete barriers at the state line, presumably to keep Pennsylvania ATVs from crossing into Maryland, a helipad and a big "Crossing the Mason-Dixon Line" sign. The surface in Pennsylvania was just as good as Maryland. Deal, PA had a picnic table and porta-potty, as did a few other places along the way, but there was no water anywhere along the trail. We had several bottles in a pack on my bike, and refilled afterward at the C&O Canal visitor center in Cumberland.
Temperatures were noticeably cooler at the higher elevations, and the downhill ride back to Cumberland was easy and fast. I hope to come back some day and ride the more of the route in Pennsylvania.
My family and I decided to ride from Monroeville, PA to Cumberland, MD with a lunch stop in Frostburg, MD. When we started, we had 6 adults, a 13 year old, a 9 year old and a 6 year old with us. We started at Monroeville, PA and as we started, the younger kids did fine for the first few miles but then it was evident that we were going up a slight grade. We continued on, but it was a struggle to keep the youngest one rolling. She was a trooper until we got to Deals. It took us an hour and 15 minutes to go from Monroeville to Deals. It was painfully slow but she kept going. We picked up more of our family members in Deals, 3 more adults and 5 more kids. Then we had the short climb up to the Continental Divide. It was so much fun to finally make it up to the Divide and it was all downhill from there. We stopped in Frostburg (an hour later than anticipated) and watched the Western Maryland steam engine depart for its return trip to Cumberland. Had pizza and then 6 of us, 4 adults and the 2 older kids, continued on into Cumberland. The downhill ride was amazing and fun.
However, I must say the the surface was a lot more rough than I am used to riding on. The gravel isn't packed down and is really loose in some places. If you have a road bike, be careful getting out of the right tire groove because it can get tricky. Also, we saw a 24" rattlesnake slithering across the path. So if you see one, just stay away from it and keep riding. The overlooks from the bridges are amazing, so bring your camera. The tunnels are fun to go through but you really need a headlight. I had a headlight in my bag in my car, but none of my family told me that I should bring it. It would have been ugly if I would have met up with another rider coming northbound in any of the tunnels because I couldn't see anything even with the lights in one of the tunnels.
All in all, it was a great experience and I want to ride it from Pittsburgh to D.C. Maybe next year.
It was a pleasure to return to the south end of this trail for a third and final time to close the "GAP" (pun intended!) on this trail which I began my rail-trail adventures on some four years ago. Yes, the third time was a charm. Fellow local historian friends tell me that the Mon River Bridge at the northern end of McKeesport WAS indeed originally a PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD structure, later taken over by the Union Railroad, originally built to serve the Pennsy's McKeesport Branch. The gutted roundhouse at the foot of the bridge ramp was built by the McKeesport Connecting Railway, which serviced the National Tube Works formerly surrounding it. (I did note a string of hopper cars marked with the that railroad's identification marks on the few remaining tracks adjacent to the trail near this structure) Next came the "official" route of the Great Allegheny Passage, south of McKeesport. This leg of "The Loop" carries the trail over the 15th Street Bridge, over to the west side of the Youghiogheny River, where the trail will remain for the duration of its run to the foot of Allegheny Mountain. Descending back to river level, you will meet the intact south end of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, the "Little Giant", as you will read on the plaque down at Boston. CP-17Y (Controlled Point - Milepost 17 from Station Square, downtown Pittsburgh's grand P&LE station - Youghiogeny Branch) is where the B&O's "McKeesport bypass" trackage use ends (as does the former P&LE Yough Branch which the B&O pirated here). At this point, the old B&O (now the Pittsburgh-Baltimore CSX main line), swings back over to the east side of the river on its "new" concrete viaduct, while the forlorn host railroad P&LE ends in the DuraBond steel pipe plant complex. The tar-paper "16.30" is of classic B&O milepole marking, while the "CP17Y" on the remote box is of classic P&LE design. The signals here are searchlight, with mechanical moving lenses, fast-disappearing, both as a signal design itself, and as a trademark of the P&LE, and of the railroad's New York Central Railroad family ownership heritage. To get around the pipe plant complex, the trail makes a steep, switchback attack on the adjacent riverbank, and descends back to railroad and river grade level at the south end of the plant. The rusty, 1945-era heavy Carnegie steel single track you level out at is the very southernmost stub of the intact trackage that was once part of the "transcontinental" "Alphabet Route" (from Toledo, via the Nickel Plate, Pittsburgh & West Virginia, P&LE, Western Maryland, and Reading Railroad's legendary through freight route from the Great Lakes to the East Coast). You will ride on the P&LE from here to Connellsville, and from there to Cumberland on the WM portion of this historic route. This is also where the asphalt from Pittsburgh ends here at GAP Milepost 129, and it's back to crushed limestone from here to Cumberland (The asphalt pavement sure was nice!) Look right behind you to see the first of many classic, "domed" P&LE mileposts (#16), so nice to see have been lovingly restored! The "skeleton" of the now-trackless P&LE stretches out in front of you, hard to believe what was a busy, Class-1, centralized traffic controlled industrial main line! At P&LE Milepost 15, you approach the town of Boston, and the Boston Bridge, with its beautiful little cluster of railroad artifacts and trail amenities. Adjacent to the passenger shelter-styled trail information station is a beautifully restored, green P&LE boxcar, and its previously mentioned railroad history plaque. You are now on the GAP's "Youghiogheny River Trail", and trail facilities are BEAUTIFUL and quite adequate from here to Connellsville! The Great Allegheny Passage is truly the region's "rail-trail gem!" As for me, this is where I crossed back over to the "Loop"s eastern "B&O" side, and returned northward to McKeesport on my previously covered trail report route. This "official" GAP leg of the trail is a slightly more challenging, but more scenic route (Don't be scared off by those trail signs!). If you prefer a totally flat route, with incredible old industrial ghost backdrops, choose the "unofficial" connector along the east side of the river. If you are limited on time, or for a neat afternoon ride, park up in Duquesne, ride south, and circle around BOTH legs of McKeesport's "Loop!" Nice work down there, guys!... Again, a fascinating trail experience! - Rich Ballash, 12-26-11.
I continued my survey of this trail southward, beginning at the (corrected) UNION Railroad's Riverton Bridge (which I thought was that of the PRR), on the south side of the Mon River at McKeesport. Descending the new ramp off the former railroad bridge dumps you into the now wide-open land, under redevelopment, once the middle of the massive United States Steel National Tube Works. closed in 1987. The trail wanders a right of way still partially occupied by what's left of the Union Railroad's steel mill yard here, then turns 90-degrees left into the downtown McKeesport main east-west street (PA-148). It's fun riding down the sidewalk for a few blocks westward, until the trail turns 90 degrees southward, at/under the former Pittsburgh & Lake Erie curved bridge. The trail runs along its east bank from the mouth of the Youghiogheny River for a few blocks, then joggles around a couple more 90-degree turns to access the old Baltimore & Ohio main line right-of-way to head south. (Read a WONDERFUL account of B&O's move out of downtown McKeesport in "McKeesport Union Station", under the "History" tab of tubecityonline.com) At a wye split at Trail Milepost 131.0, you choose either the "official" Great Allegheny Passage trail (left and up over the 15th Street Bridge and down the WEST side of the Youghiogheny River), or the flat, river-grade old B&O main line right of way (down to the river level right and along the Yough's EAST bank. Being the ferroquinologist (railroad historian) and industrial archaeologist that I am, I naturally chose the old B&O main route, and boy, was this a fascinating place! Spooky old abandoned steel mills under partial collapse, and old freight terminals once obviously served by the old B&O! At Trail MP129.3, you duck under the B&O's curved, plate girder McKeesport realignment bridge (crossing the river to the old P&LE's alignment), and emerge along the shiny CSX (former B&O's) main line. Riding on the river-edge access road serving several local heavy industries feels kind of strange, and you kind of feel like you're riding "on the wrong track", so to speak! At GAP Trail MP 128.7, you cross over the 3 shiny tracks of the CSX main. Stop at the grade crossing and observe the creme and tan structure in the southwest quadrant of the crossing. You are looking at what was one of the very last manned "railroad control towers" in the Pittsburgh megaplex, "MK" Tower, in the old Versailles B&O train station. Adjacent south observe the weeded platforms and parking lots of the farthest distant stop of Pittsburgh's very last commuter train, the PatTrain (Port Authority of Allegheny County), operated until mid-1990. (It is unbelievable that Pittsburgh once boasted a MASSIVE commuter train fleet, operating over both sides of all three rivers, with 666 PCC trolleys duplicating those services!) Your final stretch of the "alternate GAP" route parallels the CSX mains down to the Boston Bridge (MP128.0). At this point, you cross over to the west side of the Yough over the bridge, and rejoin the "official" GAP, the Youghiogheny River Trail, which was the old P&LE main, south to Connellsville, and beyond to Milepost 0, via the old Western Maryland Railway main, at Cumberland, Maryland. This is truly a marvelous ride through Mon Valley industrial history! Do read up on these towns before you take the trip, and you will find it to be an absolutely fascinating journey! Rich Ballash, 12-13-11.
This trail indeed "has it all." Here is a history lesson alive... What WAS, and what IS. If you are a student of industry, industrial archaeology, a railfan, or, like myself, all of the above, this trail is a winner! We based our study at the Homestead Pump House, Great Allegheny Passage Trail Milepost 139.0, easiest place to park, right along 837 in Homestead. Across the river, the old Carey Furnace, a dead, but mostly intact blast furnace... And DO by all means grab any chance to TOUR the facility. It is FASCINATING! As one starts south, you quickly approach your first feature of interest... (MP138.2) -The hot metal bridge that carried the molten steel from the Carey complex over to the USS Homestead Works. Note the heavy construction of the "Y" bridge, its high sides to prevent molten steel oversplash, and the unusual heavy track construction. Fortunately, THIS hot metal bridge has not been modified for modern traffic like its nearby cousin. At MP137.7, you cross Norfolk Southern's (double stack and coal train route) ex-Pennsylvania Railroad Mon Branch, on a beautiful built-for-trail thru-truss bridge. This first bridge of two carries the trail onto a mild roller-coaster hillside grade following a gas pipeline. The view from up here is awesome! At MP136.8, you get a fine view of the still quite active USS Edgar Thompson Works on the north side of the river, and, in the background, the majestic, 1930 Art Deco Westinghouse Bridge, which carries US-30 over the Steel Valley. At MP136, the trail drops back down to railroad grade at the big "multi-wye" occupied by NS and the Steel Valley's Union Railroad (above). This is "CP (Controlled Point) PERRY" on NS. One of the PRR's once 463 classic manned interlocking towers, "PG", stood in the crotch of the ground-level wye, until not too many years ago. Now it's all controlled by computers at Greentree (NS), and at Duquesne (URR). And note those two "lollipop" signals governing southward and northward NS movements... Those are classic (1930's era) PRR position light signals, which duplicate the old semaphore signal aspects used from the 1850's through the 1930's. A dying breed! The little one at the south end of the complex is a position light "dwarf" signal... Even rarer now! MP135.8 brings you to cross back over to the east side of the NS railroad, on a twin thru-truss structure just like the one two miles behind you. Now comes the melancholy part of the trail. You are now passing through the once thriving US Steel Duquesne Works. Do Google up some internet photos before you get here to give you at least SOME idea of what was here until the mid-1980's! Around MP134.9, You pass INSIDE the long, decaying, concrete wall that guarded the plant complex. Sadly, they tore down the long, overhead walkway which was the main plant entrance from the opposite (west) side of 837, (It was standing until a few years ago) at the red light you approach. Tiny vestiges of a once-mighty complex... a few pieces of steel mill heavy machinery, marked for saving by Homestead's "Rivers of Steel" preservation group, and a few lonesome tracks wandering off from the interplant railway you are riding on or along, curving off into the recontoured grass now... But once to supply gargantuan blast furnaces like the historic "Dorothy 6", which they tried to save, but ultimately failed to do. As you exit the plant, you pass through a little tunnel designed to carry the trail under South Linden Street, at MP134.6. A short distance further, and you cross the abandoned, 30-years' rusted tracks of the southbound Union Railroad, which carried the supplies and products to and from the McKeesport mills to the south, now all gone, too. And finally, the gem of this trail, at MP133.7, the old Pennsylvania Railroad McKeesport Branch Bridge (once spurring off the Mon Line you have been following), an old, thru-truss bridge (1898) over the Mon River, truncated at its south end (No more steel mills here to go to now!), and you drop down into McKeesport. And if you HAPPEN to like trains (obviously most people could care less, or even do without them!), this trail is a real treat! I saw TWO, LONG NS hopper trains heading south at the south end here, TWO Union Railroad movements at "PERRY." And it won't take TOO much luck to see a few double-stack freights bypassing the low train sheds of the Pittsburgh Station, between the "PERRY" wye and Homestead! This "Rails-WITH-Trails" masterpiece is a REAL gem! Hey, and it's PEACEFUL, too! The secluded gas pipeline and the old concrete wall at Duquesne, effectively dampen out that dreadful traffic noise created by busy (and annoying) PA-837! Kudos to the people of the Steel Valley Trail for a job MORE than well-done! -Rich Ballash - 12/4/11.
The Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal Path are incredible. I made this ride this past summer and had a great time. Both trails were in great shape. I met lots of great people along the way and would recommend this trip to everyone.
Just finished (9/19/11) riding the the GAP from Cumberland MD to Pittsburgh PA. It is great. Best trail I have ever ridden.
Some minor points: there is no good overall place to book everything - that is both B&B's, bike shops to ship bikes to and baggage transfers. Most B&B's are not set up to transfer baggage (why not - there is not much to do between morning departures and afternoon arrivals). Also in some towns, e.g., Connesville, there is no decent place to go for dinner if you don't have a car; check with your B&B there to see if they can drive you to something decent. Its not clear where the GAP actually ends in Homestead; you end up in a shopping mall (albeit one that has a Starbucks) with no sign that marks the end.
These are minor points; the Trail is gerat. The surface is the best I have ridden; hard, even clay ( I think) with a covering of small size stone dust. Very easy riding. Very interesting new section from Mackeesport to Pittsburgh. This is a once in a life time event for those who love riding rail trails. A lot of people did a lot of hard work that to make this possible.
Alex Bernhard
On Sunday August 28, had a great day on the GAP. Started by riding Mountain Thunder of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad from Cumberland to Frostburg (took our bikes with us). Then jumped on the bikes and did the 7 mile uphill to the Big Savage Tunnel. The wife and I then had a picnic lunch at the overlook. We then rode through the Big Savage both ways before enjoying the 23-mile downhill back to Cumberland. Another perfect day on the GAP.
"Passage makes big stride
A three-mile section of the Great Allegheny Passage opened earlier this summer to bring this internationally recognized trail a big step closer to completion. This section crosses seven active rail lines and stretches from an industrial park in Duquesne to near The Waterfront shopping area.
With two long bridges and several obstacles to get around, this complex trail section cost $6 million to complete.
Only two miles remain to complete the connection from the Point in Pittsburgh to the C&O Canal, which connects Cumberland, Md., to Washington, D.C. Completion now is expected in spring 2012."
Rode this section of the trail as day 1 of a 6 day Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) - Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) canal trip. This section was wonderful. Rode through Buena Vista, Sutersville, West Newton, Smithton, Whitsett, Perryopolis, Dawson and Connellsville PA. Trail felt like it was mostly level, even though we gained over 500 ft. of elevation during the day. The steepness and roughness picked up between Connellsvile and Ohio Pyle where some sections are shared with cars to access Private homes and camps. The rise was only about 20 foot per mile. Overall the trail was dry, smooth and well maintained. This section of the trail was mostly tree covered with small gaps in the open. The shade cover was very welcome on a 50+ mile day in 85+ degree F weather. Saw a lot of wildlife (Deer, Groundhogs, Mockingbirds, Squirrels, and Rabbits) along the trail. Took a short side trip across the river to Dawson, PA to see some nicely maintained Victorian style homes. Next trip I plan to ride at a more leisurely pace and explore the small towns more thoroughly. Ohio Pyle, PA was bustling with lots of swimmers, rafters, and kiyakers in the river cooling off on a hot sunny Summer Sunday. Stayed at a bed and breakfast in Ohio Pyle and rode the GAP to Frostburg, MD the next day.
As of 6/2, the new section of trail from Homestead to Duquesne has opened! It's paved, it's cool because much of it is wooded and in the shade of the bluff, and you can see the Kennywood rollercoasters from below, the lock on the Monongahela River at Braddock, and Edgar Thomson steel works across the river. This now brings Pittsburgh several miles closer to being fully connected to the Great Allegheny Passage, and a continuous bike trail all the way to Washington DC!
To get there, from Pittsburgh, drive to the Waterfront development in Homestead/Munhall, park either at Lowe's home improvement store or at the Homestead Pumphouse (site of the famous 1892 steelworkers' strike) bike east (upstream) along E Waterfront Drive for a bit, either on the sidewalk or in the road, and after you round the big blue Marcegaglia building, the trail leaves the road on the river side, and it continues paved and nearly uninterrupted to Duquesne, to McKeesport, to Boston, to Ohiopyle, to Cumberland MD, and to Washington DC!
We rode this trail from Ohiopyle to the outskirts of Confluence and back, about 20 miles. Beautiful and shaded trail from start to finish. Stopping to watch rafters and kayakers going through the rapids was entertaining. The trail follows the river the entire way. The opposite bank had trains going by occassionally. We saw 2 deer and 2 snakes next to the trail plus a suicidal chipmonk that I managed to avoid. The trail is wide and packed limestone surface which was fine because there had been no rain. I think if you were there after a good rain the trail would be muddy. This is one trail that REALLY needs to be paved. From what we heard from people using the trail, it is very popular with locals and attracts lots of vacationers. Weekends are really busy, so if you can weekdays are better.
My hub. and I biked from Ohiopyle into Maryland and back over 3 days. We covered about 120 miles round trip. The trail was in wonderful shape and we saw few people. We signed in at the trail head ranger office and got the combo for the locked overnight lot to leave our minivan. As we left Ohiopyle, we saw 2 large doe just alongside the trail - we were able to get several pic. Our first night we biked to Meyersdale, which according to our odometers was about 46.52 miles. This was a bit farther than the maps seemed to indicate. During this part of our ride we saw a timber rattler crossing the trail on the Pinckney Shoofly and we almost ran over him! He streched almost across the entire width of the trail. My family lives about 1 1/2 hours from this area and told us that due to the dry weather they are seeing a lot more snakes coming further down the mountains.( I will try and post a pic. of Mr. Snake but since I don't have GPS - it may not get pub.) We stopped at Rockwood and ate pizza at the Milleshoppes. The pizza was very good and we also had GOBS! If you are not from Penna. ( I grew up here) then you may not know what these are . In Indiana where I now live they call them whoppee pies. There are different kinds - but if you are from Western PA. chances are you like yours with a rich butter cream filling not marshmallow goo. If you have never had this choc. cake sandwhich cookie try them here - they are pretty darn good! We crossed the Salisbury Viaduct on a beautiful sunny day. It is a marvel. The wind turbines up on the ridge above make it a perfect photo op. We stayed at the Levi Deal Mansion, in Meyersdale. We had a wonderful room! The bed was super comfortable and the service great. We had arranged for the innkeepers to make us dinner and it too was very good. The only point you should be aware of is that this is an active Railroad town. In other words in the middle of the night you will hear a very LOUD trail several times as you sleep. Earplugs were provided by our hosts and the bed and room was so comfortable that even though I woke up several times to hear the train I went right back to sleep and woke up refeshed. Breakfast was also delicious. Choc. Mocha Bundt cake, blueberry pancakes, eggs, fresh watermelon etc... I didn't want to leave! In fact next yr. we are going to try and arrange our bike trip so we can stay there twice and really have time to sit on the porch and relax. There are some very interesting old homes on the street with the "mansion" and we enjoyed walking around taking photos of them. Tuesday we left and biked over the Eastern Continental Divide and then through Big Savage Tunnel and on into Maryland. We had lights on our bikes and even though Big Savage is well lit some of the lights were out and I am glad we had the lights. Once you leave Big Savage you are only 1-2 miles from the Mason Dixon Line. We crossed into Maryland for a bit and then turned to bike back. We biked to Rockwood about 38 miles, and stayed at the Rockwood Trail House B and B. There is a very nice bike shop there that is run by the owner of the B and B. There is also a shed where there is a cellphone reception point. This is right on the trail head. The bike shop has coke products and snacks ( most places only carry Pepsi products - so if you are having a coke fit -...) The B and B is an old restored farm house. It is very clean. There are 5 bedrooms and some are larger than others. Our room was very small and had a very small bathroom inside it. We were lucky as we were the only boarders that evening so we had the entire house to ourselves. However, if you don't like really small spaces be sure to request the largest room. My hub. is 6'6" and built like a baseball player ( nonroiding) and he fit in the shower. But if you are a larger person you may not be comfortable in the smaller facilities. The host and hostess were super friendly and the breakfast was sausage and pancakes and scrambled eggs, and very good. We enjoyed sitting on the porch and playing cards in the evening. We will stay here again, it is very convenient, very clean and the owners are extremely nice. They don't live on site so if you are the only boarders you have a lot of privacy. Wed.( August 17th) we headed back to Ohiopyle. The ride is all downhill and pretty easy. You do see more people the closer you get to the trail head. It is a lovely trail and we hope to stretch our ride and add another 40 mile day in 2011!
My wife and I biked the GAP from McKeesport to Cumberland this summer and back and it was truly "the ride of your life." If you can't do the entire GAP I think the section from Meyersdale to Cumberland is the best part since you get to ride over the Salisbury viaduct (if you do a little backtracking) and the Keystone viaduct. You get to go over the Bollman Bridge (cast iron) and through the Big Savage tunnel. You get to cross the Eastern continental divide and the Mason Dixon line. And best of all you get a 15 mile downhill coast from Frostburg to Cumberland and if you time it right you will pass the Western Maryland steam engine chugging up from Cumberland. Of course you should pedal the 15 miles back up (1.6% grade) just to do it. Hey, I'm 63 and I did it. We met great people including a guy who biked here from Oregon (he had a recumbent and support) and a group of Eagle scouts on a 33 day trip to NY to do the Erie Canal. One note of caution, we did see 7 rattlesnakes within three to four feet of the trail coming down from the Big Savage tunnel so be careful if you step into the grassy areas or go deeper into the woods. Let me briefly add Meyersdale has a restored train station where you can load up on souvenirs. All in all you won't be disappointed. You will see interesting features, meet interesting people, see a bunch of wildlife, and get great exercise. What could be better?
On Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend my wife and I did an out and back of 37 miles from Smithton to Connellsville. The only thing better that the weather was the condition of the trail, it was in perfect shape with thousand of beautiful flowers in full blossom. As we expected the trail was full of bikers and walkers and the Youghiogheny River was packed with rafters. The annual Geranium Festival in Connellsville was an interesting mid-ride break which hilighted the charm on the small towns along the GAP. Overall a great day to be riding the Great Allegheny Passage.
We rode this trail in April of 2010. Great ride in either direction. Going up river you can "hear" the waterfalls but can't see very many. Going down river you stay close to the river for a distance. There are a few local history display boards along the trail. Ohiopyle has a nice park and picnic area, an ice cream store and grille, as well as many souvenir and white water rafting places. Great parking facilities, we had an RV. There is also a very nice peninsula, called Fern something that you can walk on. It takes you right out onto the river in one spot. Very well maintained.
On April 27 through 29 my wife and I rode the Allegheny Highlands Trail of Pennsylvania, which is part of the Great Allegheny Passage. We stayed in Somerset and rode 3 out and backs. Day 1 was from Confluence to Rockwood, a 38 mile round trip, day 2 was from Rockwood to Meyersdale, a 28 mile round trip and day 3 was from Meyersdale to the PA/MD state line, a 24 mole round trip.
Day 1 started out cold and windy and stayed that way. The temperature was in the high 40’s with a wind of 15 to 25 mph. To complicate maters the trail was soft from 2 previous days of rain. We only saw one other brave person riding that day.
On day 2 we arrived in Rockwood around 11:00 in the morning and decided to wait a couple of hours before riding because the temperature was still in the 30’s. We just started to explore the town and what a surprise. Rockwood is delightful. We found the restored Opera House, which is full of small, interesting shops and a “Pizza Parlor”. We ordered our pizza and explored the shops. One of the shops had a great selection of Great Allegheny Passage T-shirts (up to size XXL). We both got a shirt and went back to the Pizza shop and enjoyed one of the best hand made pizzas we have ever had. Now on to the not so pleasant part of the day, the bike ride. Conditions did not improve much, still cold and very windy but the hard pack was not as soft as the first day. The scenery was beautiful and the Salisbury Viaduct was worth the ride in the cold.
Day 3 was much warmer and the sun came out. The ride from Meyersdale to the Eastern Continental Divide was perfect. We did not feel deserted as we passed many other riders. The trip down the eastern side of the divide featured the Big Savage Tunnel. What a thrill to ride through a 3300 ft tunnel and the view on the east side is breath taking.
Overall we had a great 3 days of biking and would highly recommend the Allegheny Highlands Trail of Pennsylvania to all who are up to 3 days of uphill travel. We will return to the GAP.
21 March, 2010
Just to note that the trail is impassible in both directions from Sutersville due to fallen trees. There are many, many trees that are going to have to be removed, and I can only imagine that this is true for a very long section of the trail because of the heavy February snowfall.
This is a great trail, and hopefully it can be restored soon to where is can be safely travelled.
It's not clear who to contact for additional information regarding the status of other segments of the trail. youghrivertrail.com web site domain name expired at the end of February.
The Steel Valley Trail section of the Great Allegheny Passage has set the date 11.11.11 as a goal for completion. Currently, the Trail is open from McKeesport, PA to Grant Street in the City of Duquesne, PA. This section includes a beautiful crossing of the Monongahela River on the Riverton Bridge, a converted RR bridge used solely by the trail. The section of the SVT between McKeesport and Clairton is a shared road route to connect the Montour Trail (and eventually the airport) to the Great Allegheny Passage. The roads between the completed sections at Duquesne and the Waterfront retail area are hazardous. The roads from the Waterfront area to downtown Pittsburgh are dangerous for bicyclists and should not be used. For updates and more detail visit the Great Allegheny Passage web site for links to the Steel Valley Trail.
The Great Allegheny Passage in Maryland is a great trail to ride. As the first of 22 miles of the 130 mile Great Allegheny Passage to Pittsburgh. It is a nice packed lime stone surface, It is a 1.5% grade headed between Cumberland the the Mason Dixon Line.
It is also the only trail in the USA that you can ride with a Steam Engine, right beside you on the track.
Enjoy this great ride.
Larry
My hub. and I on a lark decided to bike the GAP on August 11th 2009 while in PA. visiting relatives. What a blast!! I had brought my mt. bike along just in case and he rented one in Ohiopyle. He is 6'6" and got a bike that fit him well. Since we didn't realize how fun it would be we didn't arrange for a pick up crew so we had to bike out and back. However, we started in Ohiopyle, parking at the trail head by the RR station. We biked toward Confluence and on to Fort Hill and then we returned the same way. That route is just under 40 miles round trip. We then biked past Ohiopyle a bit over the bridges above the Youghiogheny river toward Connellsville as a cool down. It was such a nice ride! We saw very few people once out on the trail. The grade is mostly very gentle and the surface pretty smooth except for a few places where it appears old lumps of coal popped up from the surface. We ran along side the Yough. River for quite awhile in dense forests and then we opened out into grassy areas. We crossed some long bridges over the Casselman River as we worked our way to Fort Hill. We could in some spots see the white water and the kayackers taking their runs. We crossed roads in only one or 2 places so it was a very relaxing trip. We stopped for a lot of pictures and had a lot of fun. I am glad we carried extra water with us as I didn't see any place right on the trail that had fresh water. You could bike into Confluence which had well marked signage for food and drink if you needed a refill. While in Ohiopyle we ate in a really nice little cafe and I had a great steak sandwich. One bummer is we couldn't find any( NOT ONE!) bike trail shirt or hat in Ohiopyle to take home as souvenirs of our trip. We did order some online on the GAP website though, so all is well. We hope to return next summer and bike the trail for 3 days and get to see the Eastern Continental Divide and Big Savage Tunnel. Oh, from Fort Hill back to Ohiopyle it is really an easy ride - downhill all the way except for one hill. SO go have fun!!!!
My wife and I enjoyed a cool August day on the GAP at Ohiopyle, PA last Friday. We parked at the train station trailhead and headed out Northwest. The two bridges crossing the Youghany river are as spectacular as they are different. The 2nd, at least 150 feet above the river, crosses a section of whitewater being enjoyed by a slew of rafters and kayakers. The trail is suspended on the hill side well above the water. You can hear the rushing rapids and hear shreeks of joy from the rafters but only catch an occasional glimpse of the river below.
This R2T has a very well groomed crushed stone surface, with very little of the original ballast stone popping through. The only "issue" I had was the fact that the State Park had just brush hogged the shoulders of the trail and managed to really trash the whole thing with grass, sticks and stones kicked up by the mower. I would have thought a large tractor mounted leaf blower would have come along for the ride to finish grooming the trail. We turned around after 6 pleasant and shady miles to have lunch at one of the many trail side establishments in Ohiopyle.
After lunch we headed out in the opposite direction. It was almost like being on a different trail. This time you are riding right along side the slower moving river, with several old open orchards and many views of the water. The bottoms were getting sore so we turned around after 4.5 miles at a picnic/camp site.
Just finished biking both ways between the PA/MD border and Spring Gap in 3 rides. Would have gone farther but it got too hot. The GAP is in great shape, the views are great. The B&O was wet & muddy from rain the previous night, but worth it. Walked through the Paw Paw tunnel. Should have had a flashlight! Stayed at 3C's cabins in Flintstone, a great new place for close access to this trail section.
Biked the GAP from PA/MD border to Confluence last fall. Another great ride. The scenery there is the best.
Stayed at Country Dreams B&B. Good food & great hospitality.
During the third week of April 2008 I rode the GAP with a group of cycling club acquaintances hailing from Richmond Virginia. One of our group managed to find a very nice man named Charles who operates a shuttle from the Washington DC area for riders of the GAP and the C&O Canal. We were dropped off at McKeesport with our bikes and camping gear to start our seven day trip on the GAP and then on the C&O Canal towpath. Our goal was to do the do 45 – 50 miles a day on our loaded bicycles, which we accomplished with no problem.
We managed to ride about 25 miles the first day after shuttling all day (Richmond to DC, DC to McKeesport) and camped at the Cedar Creek Park campground around milepost 110. This stretch takes you through old mining and/or steel communities and shows its industrialized past with a mix of rural scenery along the river.
Both the approach to and ride away from Ohiopyle are the most scenic portions of the GAP, with the Yock on your left and small waterfalls and wildflowers gracing the western side of the trail on your right. We rode from Ohiopyle to Myersdale in a steady, cold rain. The crushed limestone surface was like a big sponge and the travel was uphill and slow going. The Salisbury Viaduct over Highway 219 at almost 2000 feet long was quite impressive. Approaching Myersdale you can also see the windmills that dot the skyline. On a misty, cool day they were quite surreal. I began to think I was Don Quixote, or maybe it was just my blood sugar dropping. At Myersdale we had the honor of being the first guests of the season at the Myersdale Trail Side Hostel, which really is not “trailside” and is about a mile down a steep hill from the trail. But at $10 a night with hot showers we were in hog heaven! It doubles as a Community Center and we woke up in the morning to voters arriving for the Pennsylvania presidential primary election.
About 7 or 8 miles south of Myersdale is the Eastern Continental Divide, a celebratory milestone as it meant the end of the continuous uphill on the GAP. With a fully loaded bike, spongy crushed limestone, and a continuous uphill, we were happy to heading downhill. Not long after the Divide is the Big Savage Tunnel, one of the highlights of the GAP. The Borden and Brush Tunnels followed on the way down the hill in to Cumberland. There were several scenic overlooks worth stopping for on the way down.
After a lunch break in Cumberland it was on to the C&O! I would love to go back and redo the GAP from Cumberland up to the other side of Ohiopyle to Connelsville, in either direction. This is by far the most scenic portion. Kudos to the folks who were able to create the Great Allegheny Passage Rail Trail, one of the nicest and most scenic rail trails in the eastern US. They deserve our support!
"Team Busted Ridge rides again. In mid-July ’07 three of us rode the GAP on the Yough River Trail from McKeesport to above Ohiopyle, drove over to Frostburg, MD, and biked the summit to Meyersdale, and had a great time. The trail was beautiful and the “scenery” was interesting as we biked past everything from a pipe plant in McKeesport to a very old cemetery to a windmill generating area near the summit to abandoned railroad bridges crossing the “Yock.” (For those of you who -- like us -- are not from the area, Youghiogheny is pronounced Yock’ yeny.) The summit area was expecially scenic. The people we met were all very welcoming and proud of their hometowns and the trail.
In McKeesport stay on the west side of the river. It’s far more scenic and easier to follow.
In West Newton be sure to stop at the new trail HQ in restored station. When we visited the HQ was scheduled to be moved the next week, but we poked our heads in the building. They’re doing a great job.
Of particular note is Connellsville and the Bikes Unlimited shop right on the trail at Crawford Avenue. The folks at the shop were friendly and helpful and had a great handle on the trail and its history, as well as the local eateries. We recommend a stop there.
Watch for wildlife. We saw plenty of non-threatening animals and found a copperhead at one of the scenic pull-offs between Connellsville and Ohiopyle.
Get off the bikes and walk around Ohiopyle. Be sure to make the short walk to the falls. Plenty of good food in town. Be aware Ohiopyle caters to river rafters, and bike equipment is in short supply. Get your bike needs in Connellsville.
The day we rode the summit the weather was stormy and fog was rolling out the Big Savage tunnel early in the morning. After a healthy thunderstorm and plenty of wind, the tunnel was clearer on the return trip. In Meyersdale you’ll find plenty of lunch stops. We heard the GI Dayroom was highly recommended, but couldn’t find it as we went down the steep Main St. hill in the rain. The Dayroom’s sign is obscured by trees. Watch for it on the right as you bike down the hill. We wound up eating in a little restaurant at the corner of Main St. and Bus. 219.
All you bicycling railfans out there will have a great time on this trail. The old B&O (now CSX) runs along the east bank of the river and it is well used. Although foliage obscured the view of the tracks below Ohiopyle, you still see (or hear) plenty of trains. CSX was running loaded 10,000 ton coal trains with two GE CW44s on point and three pushers, as well as mixed freights, autorack and container unit trains.
GAP’s website http://www.atatrail.org/index.cfm is very well organized and was helpful in planning our trip.
We drove nearly a thousand miles from the great southeast to ride the trail and it was worth it.
"
"We completed the entire route from McKeesport/ Boston to DC, 5 times. The Allegheny trail is in very good condition. The trail is mostly crushed stone with a hint of dirt every so often. One thing you must understand is when you are traveling W-E on the trail it is all on a gradual incline until right before you hit the Big Savage Tunnel. It is then downhill into Cumberland. For a majority of the way it is not noticable but can be a little difficult for new riders. The Newmyer House is a fantastic place to stay in Connellsville. You will not be disappointed. This would probably be where you would stay on your first night. I believe that the trail is complete now all the way into Cumberland, MD. This is where you would start the C & O Canal. The Canal has much more history and character than the Allegheny but is not in as good of condition. There are many spots where the path has pot holes and is usually not the smoothest of trails. Overall though the trail is well maintained and a great experience. There are many places to stay and sights to see. If you are looking for a place to ride do not hesitate to ride both the Allegheny Trail and the C & O Canal."
"My husband and I rode the C&O canal in Maryland in Oct 2006. It was beautiful, with the leaves changing, the canal on one side and the potomac river on the other. We found that we were by ourselves for most time. We decided to take our time and enjoy the scenery. We started on a Friday morning in Cumberland and arrived in Georgetown D.C on Tues. We stayed at B&B's along the way. There was a bad rain storm the night before our first day, and so the trail was muddy with ruts which made our first day slower than we had thought. The trail is very well planned and very scenic, with the sound of trains in the distance. I would recommend traveling in the direction we traveled as it really is slightly more downhill, the wind tends to be at our back, (always good), and the accommodations got better and better as we neared D.C. I hightly recommend the Bavarian Inn with a jacuzzi tub and a fire place in the room. "
"This was our first over night camping bike trip. My wife and myself and our 19 year old son. We have been biking for about 3 years and my son just bought a mountain bike. He wanted to do a overnighter, and the Allegany Trail looked like a perfect place for our first trip. After all how many things does a 19 year old want to do with his parents. We had alot of camping equipment that we could use. We did however purchase a B O B Trailer, which worked out well. We began our trip from Frostburg Md. Parked our second vechicle in Connelsville Pa. Hurricane Ernesto caused us to lose a day. We started out on Sunday morning September 3,2006 at 9 am. The prettiest part of the trail is from Frostburg to Myersdale. This was a slight uphill grade, but not bad at all. We stopped at Meyersdale for lunch at a local restraunt. After riding for 46 mile the first day , we spent the night at the Overflow in Confluence. The next day took us through Ohiopile and into Connelsville, aprox. 32 miles, where our vehicle awaited us.We met many wonderful people along the way . The views where all we could have expected. My son even admitted he had a great time. We plan on doing this trip many more times and maybe all the way to Pittsburg."
"My wife and I rode from Confluence to the MD State line and found the trail in superb shape. Good services available in Confluence, Rockwood and Myersdale. Be sure to stop at the wonderful visitors center in Rockwood manned by a wonderful volunteer named Maynard Sembower. They have a great selection of trail shirts and souveniers. We had a wonderful time. Stayed at a couple of very nice B&B's. That's the only way I'd get my wife to ride 30+ miles a day. We use an out and back routine. I'd highly recommend the Hanna House in Harnedsville. It was a beautiful old farmhouse with a barn, horses,sheep,cattle, cats and a dog. It was only 1/4 mile from the trailhead. Very nutritious breakfasts. We then jumped to Rockwood and stayed at Log Haven. Again another winner. If you are heading toward Pittsburg I'd highly recommend the Newmayer House in Connellsville. Wonderfully restored large old house where the hosts treat you like royalty and lavish you with special meals and treats. Picture home made cookies and brownies in your room at night. We actally rode all the way into Frostburg as my wife just had to ride though the Big Savage tunnel. Can't wait for the trail to connect all the way to Cumberland and then on to Washington via the C&O canal towpath."
"This section of the Great Allegheny Passage is by far the prettiest and most scenic of the whole trail. From Confluence on up to Connellsville it has the feel of riding through a state park (which part of it is). The section from Confluence up to Ohiopyle is probably one of the most, if not THE most used section of the trail, especially on weekends....and for a good reason.
My favorite ride is Confluence to Ohiopyle, about 11 miles long. On this section you'll experience riding through really pretty wooded terrain, nice views of the river, and in Summer you'll see lots of boaters and kayakers on the river.
Ohiopyle is a great destination because you've got the Ohiopyle Falls, Cucumber Falls, the natural waterslides, the Ferncliff Natural area, the views from the two bike trail bridges over the river, and the restored train station/information center. Just up the road a short drive is Frank Loyd Wright's ""Fallingwater"" house too. There are several places to eat in both towns, as well as overnight lodging, and rafting rental/bike rental shops too.
If you plan on doing this section of trail plan on bringing a camera with you, especially in the Fall when the leaves change."
"The GAP is a great trail to ride on and is very scenic, probably overall the nicest trail I've been on. My two favorite rides are from Confluence to Connellsville, and from Garrett to the Big Savage Tunnel.
Confluence to Connellsville has the best natural scenic beauty of the whole trail. Here you ride through a beautiful shaded wooded environment, with great views of the river and lots of things to see in Ohiopyle.
Garrett to the Big Savage Tunnel, on the other hand, has the best man-made attractions with the biggest WOW factor. Starting in Garrett you have the windmills above the trail, then you get the wide sweeping panoramic view of the valley below when crossing over the Salisbury Viaduct. In Meyersdale you can see the restored trainstation/trail giftshop, and a whole ridgeline filled with more windmills. A few miles past Meyersdale you get to cross the Keystone Viaduct which gives you a nice view of the valley below with trains passing underneath you, and windmills on the ridgetop above you. A few more miles up the trail you get to the highest point on the whole trail, just past Deal at the McKenzie Hollow Road underpass...from this point it's downhill the whole way to Cumberland, and in the opposite direction the whole way to McKeesport. A little further up the trail you come to the Big Savage Tunnel, lots of fun to ride through, and now that they've refurbished it it has LIGHTS in it...YES, sodium vapor lights, so you don't need to bring a flashlight with you to ride through it !. Just on the other side of the tunnel you get a spectacular view overlooking the valley down below. Here's where you realize how just high up you are and how much difference there is in elevation between Deal (2,390') and Cumberland (625').
Once past the tunnel heading SouthEast the trail passes the yellow poles across the trail signifying the Mason-Dixon line and your entry into Maryland, where the GAP becomes the Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland. This Maryland section, scheduled to be completed from Woodcock Hollow to Cumberland in December of 2006, will link the GAP with the C&O Canal...which will mean being able to ride from Washington D.C. to McKeesport.
I'd just like to say I'm AMAZED at how much work was done to build this trail system! I've ridden several of the GAP trail sections back when they were still original railroad ballast, and all I can say is WOW! I rode the section from Meyersdale to the Big Savage Tunnel several years ago and I know that section alone took a LOT of work. Clearing the right-of-way and creating the trail surface, re-decking and fixing up the bridges (ESPECIALLY the Keystone Viaduct), creating an underpass for McKenzie Hollow Road, and restoring the Big Savage Tunnel. I remember having to climb up the roadside at McKenzie Hollow Road, then going down the other side into what was then a water-filled swampy ditch that's now the trail. I remember riding up to the North entrance to the Big Savage Tunnel and being shocked at how badly deteriorated the thing was. The whole face of the tunnel entrance had caved in, and the tunnel was filled with what looked like several feet of water. There was also a low ground fog rolling out of the tunnel that made the whole thing look like something out of a horror movie. To see it all fixed up in the condition it's in now with the lights in it is just unbelievable! "
"Very nice trail thru very thick mountain woods. Access is great,if you are looking for a workout this is the trail,sode several miles from Ohiopyle towards Connellsville and back, the trip back was definitely a workout due to the slight but steady up hill grade"
"My wife and I (and dog) have been biking this trail from Boston to Georgetown every Fall for the last 5 years. We just never get tired of it, the scenery is great and the camping awesome (although camping options are best on C&O portion). We take about 2 weeks (we're slow-I know) and still feel like turning around and doing it again when we finally arrive in D.C. "
"Best trip ever taken; GAP surface is better than C&O. C&O is more historic. This trip has it all: Tunnels, viaducts, panoramic views, civil war sites, scenic beauty. 6 or 7 days will allow you to take in everything along the way"
"MY WIFE AND I JUST HAD THE PLEASURE OF RIDING THE ENTIRE SOUTH ""YOCK"". THE SURFACE IS GREAT. THE SCENERY IS SPECTACULAR. THERE ARE NEAT CAFES IN OHIOPYLE AND CONFLUENCE THAT CATER TO BIKE FOLKS. TAKE ENOUGH WATER WITH YOU TO LAST YOU ENTIRE RIDE AND ENJOY THIS GEM OF A TRAIL"
"I had the time of my life biking the C&O and the Great Allegheny Passage in May 2006. It was the best vacation I've ever taken. It was peaceful and engaging, a truly enjoyable adventure from beginning to end."
"Accessed this path via cumberland, md. loved the tunnels and and the scenery in general. Stopping in Ohiopyle to hike and visit falling water, a must. Actually getting into Pittsburgh provided for quite an adrenaline rush....hmmm"
Just a short note that with the coming of spring 2006 the 11 miles of the Maryland section from Woodcock Hollow Rd to The Mason Dixon line will be open. The view from this section are the BEST along the whole 300 mile trail from DC to Steeler Country.
The Section from the Mason Dixon line ( Md - PA Border)to Myersdalle PA. will have its official opening in late May 2006.
The FINAL Section in Maryland between Woodcock Hollow Road and the C&O Canal has been put out to bid and should open late 2006.
Larry
"We rode from Meyersdale, PA to Cumberland through the ""New"" Savage Tunnel on Sept 27, 2005. The tunnel is fantastic and the view of the valleys when you come out of it are unbelieveable. If you can ride it this fall I bet it is great. 2 miles out of Meyersdale there is a bridge out, that is tough to get around, it's steep and the last 7 miles into Cumberland is on the road. About half way is Frostburg and it is well worth the stop, BUT is a good little climb. The whole Allegheny Highlands Trail is worth doing not just this 30 mile section. Enjoy "
"I have biked 90% of the ""RTC"" trails in Ohio and PA and this is one of my favorites. Each year the Pancake Breakfast in Ohiopyle is an event. You can't improve on the scenery or ease of navigation. You can get Buffalo steaks in West Newton, lunch in Confluence, watch kayakers,
on the whitewaters, marvel at nature, and hopefully see a bear and even locusts in the right 7th year. It's all wonderful if you enjoy the great outdoors. "
"This trail runs along the youghiogenhy river from Mckeesport to Confluence. At Confluence the trail connects with the Allegheny highlands trail where follows the Casselman river. For the entire length the trail is limestone and usually in good condition. There are no tunnels along the trail. The scenery doesn't vary a whole lot along the length of the trail.
From Mckeesport to Cedar Creek park the trail passes through many old neighborhoods and old industrial and coal mining remains are visible all along the trail. There is almost no tree cover, but in late april and early may, many wildflowers are visible along the trail, especially near Dravo Cemetary and Cedar Creek park.
Between Cedar creek and Connellsville the trail gets more remote. There is almost nowhere along the trail to stop for food or water, services are at least a mile off of the trail.
The section between connelsville and ohiopyle is very remote and contains 4 major bridges. It is also nearly completely tree covered, and usually cool in the summer. It also has a noticable grade."
I live in clairton and ride bike frequently. All this trail consists of is a few signs that direct bikes to less traveled roads. I just stay on the main roads anyways they are smoother.
This is nice because it links up with the Youghiogheny River Trail. Eventualy it will connect the montor trail to the yough trail.
"I was born and raised in Connellsville, PA. I started riding this trail in 1994 because I knew the area between Connellsville and Confluence had some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.
The best way to enjoy the scenery was by the bike trail. In 1999 while riding the trail I met the woman who would become my wife. We lived in Elizabeth Twp for a few years then we moved to Confluence, PA so we could enjoy the beauty of the area everyday."
"This is an absolutely gorgeous trail, but try to avoid the mistakes I made. I rode solo from Pittsburgh to Meyersdale in August 2003 on my way to Cumberland and Washington, D.C. I had driven a rental car from D.C. to Pittsburgh and brought my Trek Navigator hybrid for the return trip. Since this was business my first day out most of my storage room was taken up by my necessary business clothes in my Camelbak which meant I had no room for water. I believed there would be enough water along the trail from Pittsburgh to Ohiopyle to sustain me. I was wrong. Even though I had two water bottles on the frame I could not get enough water.
The trail from Pittsburgh to McKeesport is mostly busy highway and many riders may want to consider dropping this portion as too dangerous until it is fully completed. Finding the trail head at McKeesport can be tricky (it was for me) but once on the trail one will find a beautiful hard pack limestone surface. I would recommend either a hybrid or mountain bike although I did see one rider on a road bike. The sections along the white waters of the Youghiogheny (Connellsville) and Castleman Rivers (Meyersdale) are the prettiest. A great day trip can be had by parking at Ohiopyle and riding in either direction. The trestles over the Yough at Ohiopyle are some of the pretties and most impressive anywhere.
While the trail follows the old Western Maryland railroad and is basically a 2% grade, when you ride west to east and around every corner you view another rise, it can be daunting. If I ride Pittsburgh -- D.C. again it will be FROM Washington TO Pittsburgh. There are long stretches where you can ride without seeing anyone. Cell phone service is mostly non-existent as you are down in some deep river valleys.
As for my ride, my parents live in Somerset and picked me up off the trail where I dumped my extra clothes. I began the next day with enough water in my Camelbak and was able to refill in Meyersdale before climbing Mt. Savage on my five day ride to D.C."
"I've biked trails all over the midwest, but I am from the Pittsburgh area. My favorite ride of all anywhere is the Connelsville to Ohiopyle stretch, 17 miles up, ending in a spectacular high bridge over the river right near the Ohiopyle end. Waterfalls, whitewater rivers, wild flowers, I even almost hit a deer once!
Another favorite spot is about eight miles up from Connelsville where a gas line right of way cuts across the river valley, opens up the view of the entire valley. Beatiful! Always a great rest stop. Then the downhill ride from Ohiopyle to Connelsville is a blast!
A little busy near the Ohiopyle end on weekends in the summer, watch for slow travelers if you like to ride the downhill fast.
Definitely alsways worth the drive from Pittsburgh to get to the trail if you don't feel up to the full ride up from McKeesport."
"This is what rail-trails are all about. Some day this will connect to the C&O canal trail and be a monster trip. I hope I'm around and still able to do it.
The locals along the trail treated us well. The folks at the Meyersdale Hostel were friendly and quick to respond to our call. The only thing I would warn against is a plan to stay at the Ohiopyle State Park Campground, unless you have prior knowledge of this campground and the mountain goat climb from the trail to the likelihood of sleeping on a slope.
We started from the Cedar Creek 981 Road crossing and rode to McKeesport and then back. We then spent a night in Ohiopyle, then to Meyersdale, then Back to the car at the 981 road crossing.
The final day was an 80-mile ride. The trail was great. The wild flowers and the river scenery were great. Tomorrow it's back to work."
"We rode from Rockwood to Meyerdale Station the first day and from Rockwood to Confluence the second day on mountain bikes with our 3-1/2 year old son in tow in his chariot. We loved the Salisbury Viaduct. Don't miss it even if you have to take a shorter route. We saw a wind farm as well and took a little tour of the Meyersdale Station complete with miniature railroads on display.
The trip to Confluence was great as well but was a little rough on the detour around the closed tunnel. The scenery on both rides was beautiful and the proximity to the river made a dip in the water irresisible.
Be forewarned, on the fourth of July, it was still very cold. By the way, we stayed at the In Town In, about a mile from the trail, and would recommend it as a great B&B to try. It was a great midpoint and the owners were very hospitable and have a cute dog that our son loved."
Excellent conditions. For a trip report go to
www.thirdwave-websites.com/bike/0305biketrip.htm
"For a trip report, go to
www.thirdwave-websites.com/bike/0305biketrip.htm"
"Last summer there were eight of us from the new Bible Bike Club that went on the trail. We took the trail from Ohiopyle to Connellsville. We enjoyed the huge trees, the river and the bridge. The atmosphere was great. The pizza was good in Connellsville. Until we meet again -- The Gang."
"The Allegheny Highlands Trail is one of the most scenic in Western Pennsylvania and offers a lot of variety for families, groups and individuals.
For an afternoon bike ride of twenty miles or so, trail users have several options.
First, you can ride from Confluence to the Pinkerton High Bridge and the west portal of the Pinkerton Tunnel. The return ride to Confluence is downhill, and the total length of the ride is about 18 miles. This section, which passes through Fort Hill, is one of the most scenic. It is not unusual to view deer or other wildlife along this portion of the trail.
Second, one can enter the trail at Rockwood and ride downstream along the Cassleman River through Markleton to the same point, the west portal of the Pinkerton Tunnel and Pinkerton High Bridge. This portion of the route includes the bypass portion of the trail around the presently closed Pinkerton Tunnel. The bypass is a little rougher than other portions of the trail but it's an interesting part of the trail that will likely be missed by many someday when the tunnel is finally repaired and opened. The length of this ride is about 20 miles for a round trip.
The third ride is from Rockwood upstream to the Salisbury Viaduct. Total length of this ride is about 22 miles round trip, but you can stretch it to 24 if you continue past the viaduct to the restored Meyersdale train station. This part of the trail is also very scenic and passes through the town of Garrett about 7 miles upstream from Rockwood. Near Garrett are several huge windmills which generate electricity. The Salisbury Viaduct is a great destination on the trail. It is approximately 1900 feet long, stands about 100 feet above the valley floor and offers some great views of the surrounding area. The four lane highway US-219 passes directly beneath the viaduct as well as the Cassleman River, the CSX railroad and a couple of other roads.
In the next couple of years, the trail is expected to be extended past Meyersdale through Sandpatch and Deal to the Maryland State Line. This section includes the 910 foot long Keystone Viaduct which dramatically curves over the valley of Flaugherty Creek and the 3300 foot long Big Savage Tunnel, each of which are presently being repaired and reconstructed for trail use."
"My husband and I rode from the Ohiopyle to Confluence and up to Connellsville the week before Memorial Day. The weather was cold but the river was up, which was really awesome, and we really enjoyed the trail. We had lunch in Confluence and the locals were very friendly. I would love to come more often if it wasn't over a 6 hour ride for us to get here. I'm looking forward to another trip to experience the rest of the trail. "
"If you have the desire to get off the urban sun baked trails this is your destination. The Yough south offers 17 miles (between Ohiopyle & Connellesville) of packed limestone trail through an umbrella of trees grown together high above the path and parallels the yough river.
Most of the old railbed is cut into the side of tree covered hills that end down at the rivers edge. This is wild country; there are no toilet facilities. Along the trail are wildflowers, small streams coming down the hillside and, under the path, various wildlife and one crossroad, used as a 'takeout"" for boats.
For a tamer but no less beautiful ride try the 10 mile section between Ohoipyle and Confluence. Either way you will be planning your next trip back."
I'm from OH. and drove over to ride on this trail on the weekend of oct. 13. I had been told this was a nice trail and it was the truth. It was the most beautiful trail I've ever rode. The trees were changing and the scenery was excellent. The best thing was the river was on one side and there rock formations and beautiful woods on the other. Will definetly return atleast once or more times next year.
I biked on a portion of this trail for the first time in late July. My starting point was at Ohiopyle. It was very serene and the trail surface was wonderful. It must be wonderful during October with the cooler temperatures and the colorful leaves and smells of autumn! I`ll be back!
"I love this trail, its a great workout. It's also beautiful- its along the river and there are lots of waterfalls along the trail. "
"Please see our review of this trail, including photos at www.great-trails.com/allegh.shtml."
"I was born in Connellsville, PA, and now live in Northern Virginia. For years I thought Northern Va. and the Washington, DC area had some of the best trails around
and now I have found the Yough River Trail. When I visit Connellsville now I can't wait to get out on the trail, It's great."
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