C&O / GAP Forum

I'll be starting a hike of the C+O Canal path and the GAP later this month and I'm wondering if there are any campsites I should plan to avoid due to vandalism or the locals using it as a party spot. Anybody know anything like that?

I don't know anything about vandalism or party spots, but the area around Brunswick is very noisy. We stayed at the Brunswick Family CG without realizing there is heavy train traffic and most annoying of all the trains add cars here, so it it extremely noisy even throughout the entire night. I would try to avoid having to camp in this area. Have an awesome trip!

Thanks Dianne, I'll make note of that. Anybody else?

I don't have personal experience, but I've been told the NPS campground at Little Orleans can get a little rowdy on the weekends.

Thanks for the tip. I'll make another note to myself.

I had a problem with some real rowdies at Spring Gap a few years ago. In general, my experience is the farther away from a road your campsite is, the better things are (that doesn't apply to train noise however!).

Thanks Wayne.

I've biked/hiked the area for years with little or no problem. Campsites that are close to major towns I tend to avoid (I'm talking about a mile or less from a road crossing)as young people sometimes use them as party spots. At times I've run into groups that have the "I own this campsite" mentality, If it's late and I've had a long day I just setup camp off to the side. Several sites east of Cumberland are noisy all night with train activity once you get past Old Town it's not too bad. The bike shop at Hancock has bunks and outdoor hot showers and don't forget Weaver's Restaurant. Have a good trip.

Just wanted to add a comment to the Little Orleans post. This area can get a little noisy at night. There is a Biker's Bar called Bill's Place just up the road. The drinking and 'merry making" tends to drift into the NPS campsite. In fact they tend to use the campground for overlow parking. The "merry-making" went on until 2:00 to 3:00 in the morning, then you heard the roar of the Harleys. Nothing happened but I felt very unsafe. Didn't sleep well at all. In general, don't camp near road junctures.

Avoid the first site out of Cumberland. The trains hitching and slamming sound like bombs going off, and it goes all night long.

"Avoid the first site out of Cumberland. The trains hitching and slamming sound like bombs going off, and it goes all night long."

I did wind up making camp there and I didn't get hardly any sleep due to the noise.

what is the big concrete structure going up beside the canal just south of the 495 beltway bridge?

I'm biking the towpath the week of July 12 and need a place to stay. I called Grandmas and for some reason they gave me the number to Heritage House. I thought they were 2 different places. Is there anywhere else to stay in Paw Paw or someone in the outlying area that shuttles cyclists?

As far a I know, Grandma's Country Inn and the Heritage Trail B&B are both owned by the same person (Grandma). Either place would be nice. Grandma's Country Inn has a small public restaurant on the first floor and that is where you eat breakfast. It stays open until 8:00PM each day. At least it used to. There is also a convenience store/gas station next to these two places. There is no other place to stay in the PawPaw area.

We stayed at Grandma's in early June 2009 and the ownership had just changed hands to a young couple. We still enjoyed our stay.

I have called both Heritage House and Grandmas in Paw Paw and the phones are disconnected. Does anybody know if this is just for the winter or have they both closed?

oh dear. I had planned to stay in Paw Paw in June as well... Sad if true that they closed.
ginnis

Email me if you're interested in joining. Thanks, Rich richzellers@aim.com

I noticed that the YMCA's camping is not listed. Have they stopped doing that? We stayed there last year. It was $10.00 per person and included access to their pool, gym, showers, and vending machines in the lobby. Just asking.

Will ride from Cumberland to DC in 2011. Wonder what month is the earliest I can ride (without misery) and which month is the preferred time frame?

Initial posting should have stated: Will ride from McKeesport to DC in 2011. What is the earliest month and the best recommended month to do so.

Hey Smitty. Check out the Tour de Canal in September. I'm planning on adding the GAP to it and do the entire length the week of Sept 6ish thry 11th. Interested?

As things materialize looks like June is falling into place for me. What are your thoughts on bikes to use? Can I use a road bike? Would I regret it? As things go I am in the area for a different road event and can make this trail ride happen if I use my road bike.

Smitty, I have ridden the C&O portion and you must use a hybrid or mtn bike. NO road bikes allowed. I believe it would be the same for the GAP portion.

Since you will experience all conditions of the trail, late spring, early summer on thru summer is my recommendation. Parts of the tow path are in good shape and portions are pretty bad to bad. Would recommend familarizing the rails to trails that parrallels sections. Often we switch back and forth cause the tow path is bad. Bad meaning high grass, soft/muddy or all three. Then portions are solid with good gravel and well maintained. It's a great ride.

Definitely don't ride in April. Lots of Spring storms roll through the area. Wait until mid to late May, June would be better. Use a Mountain Bike, the surface is very rough in many places. Bring a spare inner tube. I've seen lots of poor souls with flats. Some of the rocks on the trail have sharp surfaces. Road Bike - don't even consider it. Happy trails!

I did it last year on a hardtail mt bike and it was ok. Get smoother tread tires, don't ride with the knobbies. If possible get a fork without shocks.

I am planning a trip starting on July 30, 2011 to August 6, 2011. If you're interested in joining please feel free to contact me. jamey.godin@gmail.com

Planning a day trip. Where is parking available near the C&O Canal near the Little Orleans area? I'm looking at the Google Satellite image and I don't see much. It could be obscured by trees. There's supposed to be a Camp Site right off the trail. Is the Parking relatively secure. Can you park near Bill's Place? Thanks.

You can park in the park down by the ricer.

There is virtually nothing in Little Orleans except Bill's. It is a restaurant/bar/grocery. You can park there. It is 1/10 mile or less to the towpath. (There also is a comercial campground a mile away and the Little Orleans Lodge also about a mile away. It has overnight housing.)

There is only room to park about 5 or 6 cars near the gated entrance. You could park further down along the river, but in the Spring this could be very muddy, also I would have some concerns about security as this area is obscured from view from the main trail. Also, be careful if storms are forecasted because any river rise will cause problems for you. Bill's Place does not have a parking area per se.

Not disputing what many folks have said about Bill's Place, but I've spoken with some other people and their opinion was not favorable. He has a sign that says: "Cyclist Welcome", but that does refer to bicyclist. That's for Motorcyclist. Others have said he was very rude to them. One couple asked him about water and he referred then to a hose outside. I might stop in, just to see how I'm treated on my next ride and I'll report back.

Stopped at Bill"s Place on thru trip from DC to Pitts. Had the Best roast beef sandwich ever, and met up with a family from England. Bill was more than hospitable posing for pics and all. I understand Bills health isn't what it used to be. Maybe the forementioned person caught him on a bad day. His family is also very personal. looking forward to getting back this summer !!!!

bike trip weekend that hurricane katrina came through, wife and i were half way home @ little orleans (cumberland to williamsport).as rain started i ran into Bill's place and bought a couple disposable ponchos and Bill ran downstairs and GAVE me a couple hats to help keep poncho on. great guy, looking forward to next trip. make it point to stop @ Bill's

I was a little skepitcal of Bill's Place, but I needed food/drink so I stopped in. I wasnt sure how the crowd at the bar would react to me in spandex but nobody even gave me a second look. They had a good selection of gatoraid and even some power bars. I'll stop at Bill's for sure next.

Paulie

Unfortunately I can't delete my original post. The information I posted at that time was based on what others told me. My actual experience was much different. I was treated pretty well. They have a good selection of Gatorade and his water was only $1.00 per bottle. You can get other snacks there to. I think they prefer to be paid cash though.
I understand Bill has terminal cancer, so maybe on some days he is not feeling his best. I'll stop in again the next time I'm in the area. :)

I have heard of horseback riding on the towpath but cannot find any information on it, ie:which parts it is allowed on accessibility. For that matter I cannot find any information anywhere on the internet about bridle paths on any public lands, though I know it's done. Does anyone know where to get that information?

You may find this link helpful: http://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/horsebackriding.htm

Horseback riding is not allowed between Georgetown (mile 0) and Swains Lock (mile 16.6) or from Offutt Street (mile 181.8) to the canal terminus (mile 184.5). Horses are not allowed in the Paw Paw Tunnel. Riders must take the tunnel hill trail that goes over the tunnel instead. Riders may not exceed the speed of a slow trot. Riders must dismount and walk their horses across aqueducts. Horses may not cross wooden footbridges, which are not designed to carry their weight.
Your biggest challenge will be to find a place to park your horse trailer. Many parking areas can barely fit a couple cars. For your first trip I would suggest parking at Hancock, MD and then ride the C&O towards Cumberland, Md. This is a nice remote section of the trail (away from the crowds). Hancock has a couple of good sized parking areas. The one that is paved is across from the American Legion. Hancock Md is also right off the highway. Another possibility for parking your horse trailer is near Big Pool, MD and Fort Frederick. Plenty of ample parking at those locations. Also, I should mention that though your question is about the C&O, you cannot ride horses on the paved Western Maryland Rail Trail which runs parallel to the C&O.
I did try to post a web-link about horse use on the trail, but the moderator flagged it. Hope this was helpful.

Planning on riding Washington to Pittsburgh or Pittsburgh to Washington in late May. Which direction is preferable - either?

Pittsburgh to DC is slightly downhill, and I think the more common direction.

Take a look at the Bike Washington and GAP webpages. From Cumberland to the Eastern Continental Divide is the big rise, heading west. I've done it both ways, and for me, best to go west. That way you get the pain over with relatively quickly. When heading east, the gentile rise from Ohiopyle to the C.D. seems never ending!

The WFYTC of the RTC is the member organization that maintains the trail from milepost 41 to 46. join us with a membership. Forward address and name to receive membership information. We are volunteer group. Thanks.

I'd like to do a backpacking trip the length of the combined C+O canal path and the GAP. The problem as I see it is that the distance between camping places on the GAP is too far apart. Am I missing something? I might be able to crank out one 30 mile day but to do 5 in a row would be impossible for me. The only alternative I can think of is to hike to Cumberland and then finish the trip on a rented bicycle. any other suggestions?

i`ve been thinking about the same thing. I plan on riding my bike from Cumberland on up. Campgrounds are far apart and even the commercial ones are seldom not close to the trail. This will take some planning on my part as far as what I want to do. There are B&B`S along the way I was also looking at. But then the price of a small vacation goes up.
Hope your plans go well for you...good luck

I've been doing more research on http://www.atatrail.org/index.cfm and found that there are some private campgrounds,as well as hostels. While not as good as free they are cheaper than a B+B or hotel/motel

I mostly bike the Gap/C&O so I'm able to go further between stops. Your right, the Gap isn't as hiker friendly as the C&O for camping. There are a few private campgrounds some are pretty close to the trail and others are a couple of miles away. Some will shuttle you for a small fee. Most of the "bigger" towns have hostels or B&B's the hostels are usually not too expensive. As you mentioned maybe renting a bike would be your best bet but you would need to arrange for panniers to be included, it's not much fun hauling gear on your back while biking.

I hoping to ride the entire length of the C&O in the 3rd week of March. I know this trail can be very wet at times. Is the trail ride-able at this time of the year.? THX

It's been a hard winter, lots of snow and rain so I'm betting the trail is going to still be pretty wet/muddy. If you can post pone a month or so you might have more enjoyable ride. I can't believe I'm really saying this. I can't tell you how many times I've had Rangers etc. say the same thing and I went anyway. Sometimes I had a great time and other times I wish I'd listened! Like I said the trail right now could be in pretty rough condition. If your staying indoors at night you can get clean, if your camping you'll ride in mud, camp in mud, cook in mud, etc. Have a great ride

This summer I am biking from Baltimore Maryland to Portland Oregon on behalf of 4K for Cancer, an organization that aims to spread awareness, inspire hope, and unite communities across the country in the fight against cancer.

I am in change of planning the fist 1/3 of the trip and so far our goal is to bike from Baltimore to Washington DC and then up to Pittsburgh. My fellow riders are I have been provided with Jamis Auroa's for our trip and I am wondering if a road bike will be able to survive on the trial, or if their are easy ways around the rough parts of the trail where we could bike on paved roads.

Any information that anyone could provide for me would be greatly appreciated.

I've used 700 X 32 on both C&O and GAP...C&O is harder on road bikes due to mud and ruts, GAP is generally much better (after all, it was a rail bed, not a mule path!). Never had a problem with the 700 X 32.

Planning to bike from Cumberland to DC in late spring/early summer with two kids ages 9 & 12. We plan to do about 20 miles a day. Would love to hear from anyone who has attempted the trip with kids. They are very fit, but we aren't under any time constraints. Any suggestions?

Having done bicycle camping trips with my sons and backpacking trips with my nephews I've got a couple of suggestions.
1 Make sure they get time to play everyday
2 If they see something that interests them stop and look at it
3 Let them make some of the group decisions, as appropriate.

I hope you have a good, no, great trip. You'll be making memories that you will share with them for a life time. Even though both of our sons are adults now we still do the "remember on our bike trip when......"

Diane,

I'd be interested in your plans as far as how far to go each day. I'm thinking of doing the same with my 3 boys -they will be 8, 12 and 15.
My wife does not ride so we have great SAG support.
We have ridden across a state together each of the last 3 years and they are looking forward to our next adventure.

Here is a link to a blog we did for the first one when they were 5, 8 and 12.

We are planning on 20 miles a day most days, but we are kind of playing it by ear. On previous weekend trips they have gone 25-30 miles in a day on trails similar to the C&O Canal Trail, but we were not hauling our camping equipment. It's kind of tough to plan out; I don't want to wear them out, but on the other hand dragging the trip out to about 8 days or so could be tiresome too. Your blog link didn't show up. How many miles per day have you gone on your previous trips? Thanks for responding - I haven't found too many people who attempt these kinds of trips with kids and every bit of info I can get is appreciated.

Great Falls Overlook, which had been closed due to high water, is now reopened

Was going to bike to Maryland on the GAP the end of June. I live in Squirrel Hill in Pgh. and could easily access the trail through Frick Park and over the Homestead High Level Bridge. Does anyone know when the trail will be done to that point?

the service was terrible, they were out of at least 1/2 of the menu (at 1:00 on a sunday, so no excuse!) even worse, we both felt sick afterwards and I spent the night throwing up (either from here or "better choice bakery" bagels from around the corner which I realized too late were moldy ON THE DAY OF PURCHASE.) brunswick is a total disappointment, unless you're looking for antiques, which you're probably not if you're hiking the C/O.

Looking to ride the GAP next month and looking for info on the Montour trail to extend the ride. Is the trail open all the way from Coraopolis to McKeesport and are there camping spots on the Montour?