C&O / GAP Forum

Spent the night 6/4. Nice visitor center and museum at the trailhead. Had supper at the restaurant, a quiet evening in the room watching baseball, and got a good nights sleep. Close to the Sheetz gas station which had everything I needed for my last day riding to Cumberland. A little bit of a climb to get back to the trail, but I was in no hurry.

Thanks for your reports, JeffT. I appreciate that you go to the effort for these posts. I like Donges Motel. Very old school, but it serves the purpose quite well and is well located for other things you might want-at a very good price. BTW, most of the other sleeping spots require that you climb that hill to get back to the trail.

This forum badly needs a search function, so I apologize if this has been addressed before. I don't have time to scroll through 121 pages.

Is there a vehicle service or hotel anywhere that will pick you up at White's Ferry, take you to a hotel, then bring you back in the morning?

Back when rhe ferry was still running several of the Leesburg hotels would provide shuttle service from the Virginia side of the river to the hotels. I don’t know whether they’ll make their way to the Maryland side to pick you up or not. Hopefully another forum participant can answer your question.

The new bike shop in Brunswick, Bridgeway Bikes, is now offering shuttle service.

Stopped on 6/4, in and out pretty quick with everything I wanted with no problem.

Camped the night of 6/3. Hot showers at the campground and easy access to Mitch's, Dollar General, and the grocery store. Outflow for the Yough Lake was noisy, but still a good stop.

Go right at the Connellsville trailhead just before you start down the hill to get to Marin's (150 yards off the trail). Pretty much everything you could look for in a grocery store.

Spent the night 6/2. Had the place all to myself. River was up and running fast and lulled me to sleep. Didn't drown out the rumble from the trains that went by on the other side of the river, but got a good nights sleep. Restroom and a hand pump for water (bring your filter).

The PA DCNR has posted that the entrance to Point State Park from Commonwealth Place in front of the Wyndham Grand Hotel will be closed from 6/9/25 through 6/11/25 for park renovations.

The subject detour for milling and repaving has been cleared. Thanks to the Steel Valley Trail Council for this improvement in trail conditions

Hello everyone. Steve Huebner, owner of Little Orleans Lodge, passed away in 2021 and the lodge was sold to an unknow buyer. The property is currently for sale and has been totally renovated. https://www.longandfoster.com/homes-for-sale/12814-Appel-Road-SE-Little-Orleans-MD-21766-405312930
Hopefully someone will purchase the Old School House and there will once again be a place to rest in Little Orleans.

The trail conditions along the C&O Canal Towpath is a frequent question asked on this forum. I, along with others, have noted that conditions vary quite a lot depending on the weather. With a fair amount of rain, the C&O can have lots of puddles and mud especially leaving Cumberland MD in route to DC. In the vain of a picture is worth a thousand words, I recommend you watch the following YouTube video that depicts such conditions.

https://youtu.be/2trPOwBGf60?si=taDJPqkuCzszKIOu

For that matter, the entire series of videos of that particular trip depict the trail surfaces on both the C&O and the GAP trails quite well.

Trail conditions from Cumberland to Hancook… just came into Hancook today after leaving Cumberland Maryland this morning. 12 miles outside of Cumberland going towards Hancock we ran into downed trees and flooding conditions across the trail.
There are a few closures which the park service has workaround for.
We did get on the Western Maryland rail trail, where it joins the C and O as the CNO trail was underwater in many areas. Even the Western Maryland rail trail had a few down trees across it, which were passable..
The western Maryland rail trail goes directly into Hancock.
We plan on taking the western Maryland rail trail from Hancock towards Williamsport tomorrow. It goes to within 10 miles of Williamsport.. we will see what detours are in place when we get there tomorrow.

Are there any updates from Hancock to Williamsport, Harper’s Ferry?

The trail just past harpers ferry (heading south/east) suffered a bit in the recent heavy rains with the canal overflowing across the tow path. There's some washboard erosion and places the top layer has been washed away completely leaving the large bluestone gravel exposed. I've just been through there running and I'm not doing any long runs at the moment but I would assume that more of the tow path has gotten chewed up with the recent flooding.

Harpers Ferry to Shepherdstown is a bit chewed up, but passable. Some downed trees. The trail under the Harpers Ferry bridge is not rideable, you'll have to walk a short bit.

I'm visiting Williams Port for the day for work and I'm looking to go for a bike ride on the C&O Trail. What are my parking options?

You can park yay Cushwa Basin or on the approach to Lockhouse 44. The latter provides the best access to the trail by bicycle. You can see these parking locations in the Google Maps satellite view of that area.

They sold a couple years ago, and now the new owners are also retiring. Place unavailable.

Best Hidden Gem on the GAP/C&O!
Stayed April 2025 | 5 Stars

I’m a cyclist riding the Great Allegheny Passage to the C&O Canal Trail from Pittsburgh to D.C., and I’ve stayed in a lot of spots along the way — but 1878 River Run in Hancock, MD absolutely blew me away.

This place just opened up, and it’s already one of the best stays I’ve had on any tour. It’s a peaceful, charming, beautifully restored home with all the comfort and character you want after a long day on the trail. Secure bike storage, clean everything, and hosts who genuinely care about making your stay great.

It’s so perfectly located right off the trail, I almost didn’t believe my luck. Honestly, once more riders find out about this place, it’s going to be nearly impossible to book — especially when the tour companies get word. They’ll be reserving it a year out.

If you're riding solo, make sure you grab a night here while you can. This is the kind of spot that makes the whole journey even more worth it.

This is a copy and paste I just got and want to pass on to everyone.



Storms Damage GAP from Meyersdale to Cumberland
Heavy rainfall between May 12 and 14 resulted in ponding water, deep ruts, downed trees, clogged culverts, and multiple washed-out trail surfaces along some sections of the Great Allegheny Passage between Meyersdale and Cumberland. Some trail access points, like the one at Deal, show signs of flooding. Expect slow and bumpy conditions while crews continue to inspect, inventory, and determine the extent of damage. The GAP remains open, but please travel cautiously. Dismount and walk your bike if need be. Click here for updates.

Be careful out there.

Minor rutting at best.

Currently on my way to DC. Arrived with the rain in Rockwood this afternoon. I understand there is/may be flooding and flash flooding. Looks like there are evacuations road closures around Meyersdale and maybe Cumberland? Can anyone give an indication if this will affect ride for the next 3 days to DC? Should I consider alternative plans? I am fine with rain. Not fine with flooding. Would consider off trail reroutes from Cumberland to DC.

Cumberland to Hancock update:


Cumberland to Old Town is champagne.

At Old Town the closure is a barricade that seems more official than yellow tape so I headed off path and stopped at the Old Town Kitchen and bought some Vienna Sausages, Orange Square Nabs, and a Pepsi. I did not explore the path beyond the barricade- hopped on to 51 and CAREFULLY rode to Town Creek Aqueduct entrance no problem (Mile 167-162). A few short, steep hills and no shoulder…

Town Creek to Paw-Paw tunnel was more champagne.

Paw-Paw tunnel to the closure at miles 136 to 134 was messy but not notably.

Mile 134 to Hancock is messy. Lots of remnant silt and mud from the Potomac flooding. Probably 10 or so down trees across the path in this section, two of note.

Cold beer in Hancock. Take care and safe travels.

Hello everyone,
Hope this finds all doing good.
I have a question about the free parking under I-68 ?
Anyone here have any information about how safe it is to live your car there for a week ?
Any vandalism or break ins ?

Thank you for your time.

Oldspoke

sorry should be leave your car my bad

In general, the reviews of parking there indicate that it is safe to park there. I've neither incurred nor heard of any issues there. The normal public parking precautions are advised i.e. remove any valuables from sight inside your car.

Perhaps those that live in and around Cumberland can offer their experience as well.

Thanks Rivnuts

Anyone taking the train from DC to Pittsburgh on Friday?

Our train gets in late to PGH. Is there a hotel and restaurant close to the train station?

Penn Station which houses the Amtrak passenger terminal is on the edge of downtown Pittsburgh with a number of hotels just a handful of blocks away including the following:

Druzy Hotel
AC Hotel (a Marriott hotel)
Hampton Inn
Homewood Suites
Marriott Courtyard
Westin Hotel

You can locate these hotels in Google Maps along with Penn Station to determine which might best for you.

Among others, There are a number of restaurants on Penn Avenue in either direction from Penn Station. Again refer to Google Maps which shows these and their proximity to Penn Station and the hotels.

Drop a note if I can provide any further info.

Make that Drury Hotel rather than Druzy Hotel. My bad.

PS: if you are taking Amtrak’s Capital Limited from DC to Pittsburgh, its scheduled arrival around midnight makes finding a restaurant that’s open at that time of night difficult. It’s not a great time to be walking around town looking for one. Ordering from Uber Eats or DoorDash to your selected hotel may be your best and safest option.

If you are taking Amtrak from Washington to PGH, you will be on the Floridian instead of the Capitol Limited. It starts in Miami instead of WAS, and it is now running almost always 1 hr late to PGH - sometimes 4.5 hrs late. We planned to take it to Connellsville May 22, but had to drop that plan and rent a car instead. We have driven a rental car to PGH in the past. I prefer train. Capitol Limited got me to Chicago EARLY the last few years. But this new route has problems, at least right now. Factor that in.

Thanks Terry. I had forgotten they had merged the Capital Limited into/with the Floridian route. I haven’t taken the train back from DC to Pgh since last.fall before they merged those routes. It’s disappointing that the departure time out of DC is so unreliable now. It was already a late arrival in Pgh and now it appears to commonly be even later.

For those that have been there, how far is Antietem battlefield from the trail?

It’s about 3 miles from the Towpath with a fair amount of climbing getting from the river elevation up to the battlefield. I rode up there last year. If you’re a history buff, especially Civil War history, it’s worth doing. The park service has a bike route around the battlefield that visits the major battles. What amazed me most was the number of deaths, 23,000, in only 12-hours of battle. A very sobering statistic.

Great, thanks. Where is the best place to exit the trail?

It depends which direction you are riding along the C&O. If you’re are riding down river as I was last year, I got off the trail at Taylor’s Landing. If you’re a history are riding upriver, you can leave the trail at Canal Road/Harpers Ferry Road or at.Shepherdstown Pike. You can use Google Maps to view these routes.

There is a rather comprehensive guide to accessing and touring the Battlefields at the following website:

https://civilwarcycling.com/battlefields/antietam/routes/

The National Park Service has some excellent websites with guides within the Battlefield also.

Hi Ray,

I just noticed this, The Yates Cottage is located on the GAP trail not the C & O trail.

Thanks for your assistance!

We simply could not have completed our AT trip through Maryland if it wasn’t for Parker and Cross Trails Hostel. He was our Angel, multiple times, and we are just so grateful we found him! I can’t say enough about how reliable, supportive and informative Parker and Cross Trails are. What a special guy and a special place! Make sure you find Parker and Cross Trails if you are in the Harper’s Ferry area and want a great and reliable place to stay. You sure can count on them!

We are planning a trip on the GAP and C&O from May 11 -17. Are there any trail closures due to storms or construction on the GAP. Where can I find official notices on this? Thanks.

Go to the website

Gaptrail.org

For trail conditions along the GAP and the National Park Service’s C&O Towpath website at

https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

for alerts along the C&O.

The closed GAP Trail segment between Homestead and Duquesne was reopened yesterday. Good news for local and touring cyclists.

Thank you for the update Rivnuts. Do you happen to know what the surface of the trail is like? I've found chat covered trails tend to be "soupy" or like wet cement during late winter/early spring.

Yesterday I rode the trail from Homestead out through Little Boston toward Sutersville after the closed trail section was reopened Tuesday. The trail was dry and firm in spite of all the rain we received last Thursday. Maybe I’ll get out even further tomorrow given the sunny forecast.

Rode out further on the GAP today. Trail conditions were excellent, I.e. typical of mid-summer, dry conditions.

I got to ride on the GAP today from Boston to mile marker 122. The weather was fantastic and the trail surface was great. In spite of the wonderful weather there were not very many people out. I'm sure many were spending their Easter with family.

I love this time of year on the GAP when trees and plants are just starting to grow.

Anybody know current trail conditions for C&O? Muddy? Passable?

What is the homeless person situation at Swains Lock h/b?

My plan for June is to do a botanical survey of the Laurel Highlands region of parts of Pennsylvania and elsewhere along the trail. While this had not necessarily been my academic concentration in college field guides and specie knowledge will prove useful. To that end some of the rustic camp sites should offer entries for my journal. Ecological and ecosystem documentation continues to be necessary. Inspiration has come from the late Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter who as former University of Michigan researchers traversed the Colorado River during the early twentieth-century. Fellow adventures for sure. This trip by bike for myself, however, should prove to be not so dangerous. I welcome any thoughts.

Is there any update on the trail closure at Duquesne? Are you able to pass through the work? We are planning on getting in the trail Saturday morning and want to prepare as best we can.

Whn I rode by there today, the trail closure you refer to is still in place and there is no update on the GAP website as to if or when it will reopen other than the original two-week prognosis.. There is actually a tall, locked fence gate at the base of the Whitaker flyover ramp which doesn’t enable you to skirt around it to continue on the trail toward the area of construction. If you’re willing to accept the risk, you can exit the trail at the east end of the Waterfront shopping center and continue to Duquesne on State Rt 837/River Road/Kennywood Blvd. The traffic on that road is heavy and fast with no or narrow shoulders. I certainly don’t recommend that as a safe alternative.

I’ll check on the status of the closure on Friday or sooner and provide another reply to your inquiry. Stay tuned. If needed, I may be able to assist you in shuttling between Homestead and Duquesne. (No charge.)

Thank you so much for all of the info! We are hoping that Friday will be the end of the “2 week work week” but can’t rely on that being the case with construction. We are used to riding heavier trafficked roads but 837 doesn’t seem like a good one to be on. But maybe 2.5 miles wouldn’t be too bad. I’ll check back for an update if you are able to check it out again. I really appreciate all the help!

To Scott B. From Columbus

As of 3:00 PM today, the trail is still closed. The entry gate to the Whitaker Flyover ramp remains closed and locked and all the yard signs along the trail out of Pittsburgh announcing the closure remain. Further the Gaptrail.org website today has no update to the original two-week closure announcement.

To refresh my recollection of the suspect road bypass route, I drove along it this afternoon. It would be 3.5 miles to Grant Avenue in Duquesne where you could first return to the trail. While there is perhaps a mile or so of a rather wide shoulder or sidewalk along the highway, the balance of the distance has virtually no shoulder and the traffic runs 45 to 50 mph in those stretches.

One alternative might be to start your trip in Duquesne if you were reasonably able to do so. Of course you could also get a shuttle around the detour. There were a couple of shuttle source links in the original trail closure notice. Also, my offer to shuttle you around the detour stands albeit with some caveats. My rack only holds two non-E-bikes (road, gravel or mountain. I could make a couple of trips if there are more than two in your party. I probably couldn’t fit trailers in the car. That said, I’d be happy to help if I can. If you want to explore my offer further drop me an email at rivnuts@yahoo.com to work out a plan and time. I live in Homestead so departing from there is very easy for me but could also depart from other places without any trouble.

For info the weekend looks dry in the area with temps only in the 40’s tomorrow and warmer on Sunday.

Best Wishes

I really appreciate the detailed update on the closure. I am bummed it is still closed in such a tricky section but I’m sure the work will make the trail safer for future riders. We will just opt to start at the park and ride down in Duquesne for simplicity. Thanks again for all the info I have found on this forum. I’m excited for my first GAP/ C&O trip. I’m sure I’ll be back to check off those first 13.5 miles!

This closed GAP Trail segment between Homestead and Duquesne was reopened yesterday. Good news for local and touring cyclists.