C&O / GAP Forum

hello, my wife and I are thinking of riding from Cumberland to DC. We've done sections from Hancock/Big Pool and from DC up 50 miles. My wife gets very nervous on long, tall bridges. Are there any bridges on the C&O section that should concern us? I see some photos of old rails converting and one photo of a walk bridge that goes over trees, not sure if that's on the C&O or Allegheny. Thanks very much.

There are no tall bridges on the C&O. The tallest is likely the new bridge over Little Catoctin Creek at MM 52.5 and is only, say, 15 feet above the creek and perhaps only 50 feet long. The only high bridges are those across the Potomac River should you choose to leave the Towpath to go over to Harper’s Ferry, Shepherdstown or Paw Paw and they are much lower than the viaduct approaching Meyersdale on th GAP.

There are no tall bridges on the C&O. The tallest is likely the new bridge over Little Catoctin Creek at MM 52.5 and is only, say, 15 feet above the creek and perhaps only 50 feet long. The only high bridges are those across the Potomac River should you choose to leave the Towpath to go over to Harper’s Ferry, Shepherdstown or Paw Paw and they are much lower than the viaduct approaching Meyersdale on th GAP.

Thanks very much! "viaduct approaching Meyersdale on the GAP" was what I needed to google to see the bridge I know we don't want to cross. Keystone viaduct also looks not great for acrophobics. All of that is in PA and they can keep it. Thank you.

The Salisbury Viaduct is the bridge I was thinking of at the time. The Keystone Viaduct is not nearly as high nor as long and doesn’t seem as daunting as the Salisbury Viaduct as it is shrouded in the adjoining landscape whereas the Salisbury Viaduct is completely exposed. The exposure makes for a much more dramatic view but likely much more imposing to those fearful of heights.

I think what you're doing is great and is a tremendous help to local bicycle shops along the C&O. I noticed on this listing for Mile Marker 99 Bicycle Shop, there is no link to their website, probably because the site wasn't live when the listing was created. I was wondering if it would be possible to get a link to their site added? Its milemarker99bicycleshop.com. This would tremendously help them compete in the google rankings for their hometown. Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Kevin Young,
Mile Marker 99 Bicycle Shop's digital marketer.

The following is a summary of the types of trail surfaces that exist along these trails. This information may assist riders in making their choices about what type of bike and tires to ride. These surfaces were those encountered while making that ride last week. Mile marker references are specific to their particular trail.

GAP Trail - Downtown Pittsburgh Mile Marker 149 to Mile Marker 130 near Boston PA. The first 19 miles leaving Pittsburgh from Point State Park are on asphalt paved bike trail and roads

GAP Trail - Mile Marker 130 near Boston to Mile Marker 0 in Cumberland The trail surface is compacted, crushed stone with some short asphalt paved sections through Connellsville and approaching Connellsville.

C&O Towpath -Cumberland Mile Marker 185 to Spring Gap Mile Marker 174. This Towpath section is the original, earthen towpath surface including single track and double track. The three R’s are present: roots, rocks and ruts. It doesn’t drain well and can be muddy and slick when wet.

C&O Towpath - Spring Gap Mile Marker 174 to Paw Paw WV Mile Marker 157. This section has been resurfaced with compacted, crushed stone.

C&O Towpath - Paw Paw WV Mile Marker 157 to Little Orleans Mile Marker 141.5. This section is the original earthen surface similar to that between Cumberland and Spring Gap.

C&O Towpath - Little Orleans Mile Marker 141.5 to C&O Towpath/WMRT Bypass Mile Marker 138. This section has been resurfaced with compacted, crushed stone.

C&O Towpath - Mile Marker 138 to C&O Towpath/WMRT Bypass Marker 115. This section is the original earthen surface but firmer than earlier earthen surfaces and containing some gravel.

WMRT - Mile Marker 138 to Mile Marker 115. The WMRT runs parallel to the C&O Towpath. It is paved asphalt and is undergoing repairs. Thus far raised areas across the pavement due to underlying roots, are being milled to level the pavement prior to repaving.

C&O Towpath - Mile Marker 115 to Lock House 23 Mile Marker 22. This section has been resurfaced with compacted crushed stone.

C&OTowpath - Mile Marker 22 to Georgetown Mile Marker 1. This section is the original towpath surface including some gravel and exposed rocks, especially in and around Great Falls. Puddles and ruts are common after rainfall.

Capital Crescent Trail - Fletcher’s Cove Mile Marker 3.3 to Mile Marker 0. This trail parallels the C&O Towpath for the last 3 miles. It is an asphalt paved bike path into Georgetown.

Although I've ridden several trips from Pgh to DC, I've not visited the Antietam Battlefield. Hence, I'm adding an extra day to my itinerary this month to make a side trip to Antietam and back to Shepherdstown to visit my favorite bakery. What might be the best way to visit the Battlefield on a bike? Any suggestions as to the best route to/from the Battlefield, difficulty, cost, safety, etc. would be appreciated. It looks like an uphill ride for a couple of mile or so to get there via Mondel and Dunker Church Roads. Also any suggestions or comments about points of interest in the Battlefield itself and in Sharpsburg in route back to the Towpath via Harpers Ferry Road would be appreciated.

In the meantime, I'm going to brush up on the Civil War history there to learn about the battles to better appreciate what I see there.

Thanks in advance for you thoughts and recommendations.

Although I haven’t taken the route from the C&O to the battlefield, I found this website that may help you out:
https://civilwarcycling.com/battlefields/antietam/routes/

There is a section that gives some directions.

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks a lot for that link. That is exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

BTW: I’ve met a number of folks on the GAP Trail leaving Pittsburgh this season to think that Cleveland is perhaps an unexpected hotbed of cycling tourists. I guess that’s not surprising with its proximity to not only the GAP but also the OTET, Erie Canal Towpath and flatlands and trails west of Cleveland..

Our Antietam layover day was a highlight of our GAP-C&O tour two years or so ago. We started the day with a ride up the towpath to Mondell, and then rode the steep hill up to the Cornfield (Monel/Dunker Church roads), which is where the day's battle began. I expect that the maps linked above have some great insights on battlefield highlights, of which there are many. Our day generally followed the flow of the battle and we made our way down to Burnside Bridge. We found that Miller's Sawmill Road was a good way to return to Shepherdstown; it has less traffic and dumps you onto the paved road paralleling the towpath for your return to the base of the bridge to cross the river back into town. The battlefield is very interesting and you might enjoy staying for more than one day.

Huberww:

Thanks for that info.

Rivnuts

Hopefully I'm not too late with this info, and if so, someone else may find it helpful in the future.
Assuming that you're coming from PGH to DC--I'd exit the towpath at mile 80.1.
- Take the little wooden bridge onto Taylor's Landing Road.
- Continue straight onto Bowie. After you cross a tiny stream, continue RIGHT on Bowie. Don't panic, the hill is short.
- Turn LEFT onto Mondel at the top of the hill. Mondel also goes right and into Sharpsburg.
- In about a mile you will cross Route 65 into the battlefield. If you've done your homework, it's pretty easy to navigate and feel your way around. Nice views from the top of the "Lookout tower".
-Make sure that you continue past the tower and cross Route 34 to see Burnside Bridge and "the other half" of the battlefield.

How you choose to get back to the towpath will depend on how you answer the following question: "Do you like ice cream?". If so, take Harpers Ferry Road into Sharpsburg and stop at NUTTERS. I believe that they are only open from 2-8, and closed on Mondays.

Options to get back, and I believe you'd like to end up in Shepherdstown.
- Millers Sawmill is a nice ride back DOWN to the towpath. Some coming the other direction might find it a little challenging. You will then have a couple miles on Canal Road or the towpath back upriver. Steep hill on Canal Road to Route 34.
- Route 34 is "bikeable", but it wouldn't be my first, second, or third choice. Narrow shoulder and cars going 50+ mph.
- If you go into Sharpsburg and stop at Nutters, you can cross Route 34, go a couple blocks to W Chapline St, and connect onto Snyders Landing Road for your return. This will put you on the towpath about 4 miles upriver from Shepherdstown.

Hopefully you find this helpful and not too confusing. Any questions, I'll try to respond and be as helpful as I can.

CORRECTION..........I've only biked and run the area a couple hundred times......brain fart.

You would exit the towpath at Mile 81.1 !!!!!

Although you could technically exit around 80.1 and take the little dirt path straight onto Bowie.

Sorry Folks for the mixup.

DG:

Your timing was perfect. I'm leaving Pgh for DC next week. Your insight and experience in this area is much appreciated. I think I'll follow your recommendation on where to exit the Towpath in route to the Battlefield. With that I can finalize my route around/through the Battlefield. The return to the Towpath via Snyders Landing Road or Millers Sawmill Road will likely be a gametime decision.

What is absolutely firm at this time is to stop at Nutters! Burkholder's Baked Goods may be a second stop also.

Thanks so much.

Rivnuts

Enjoy your trip. It'll be interesting to hear how it goes this time. They have finally started "improvements" on the Western MD Rail Trail. You'll likely find sections closed. It appears that they are cutting the roots along the trail that have burrowed underneath before they begin to repave. The project won't be finished till next summer.
Also, you should find sections of the towpath resurfaced. The couple mile stretch along Big Pool no longer has roots that may eject you from the saddle. Let us know when you finish, or as you progress, your thoughts this time. And, enjoy you ice cream!
Travel safely,
DG

DG from Hagerstown:

Ok, so I made it up to the Antietam Battlefield on my loaded bike albeit not taking the best route. I took Taylor’s Landing Road to Rt 65. And yes I did walk up portions up those hills. (I should have stayed on Bowie Road to Mondell Road but I felt adventurous. How stupid of me.)

I basically rode the tour route of the notable battle sites and landmarks including DOWN to Burnside Bridge. And yes, what goes down must come up. But I was heartened knowing that Nutters was soon to be found. But my hopes were squashed when the sign on the door said CLOSED! So I made up for it by riding to Shepherdstown via Rt 34 to my favorite bakery after lunching at the Blue Moon Cafe there.

As for the WMRT surface, it was notably better even though they have just simply milled the paved surface to remove the raised areas where the roots had grown beneath. Though they have yet to place new asphalt in those areas yet, it was a much more comfortable ride before and after the closed sections. More on that later as well as the Towpath closure in that area. It appeared as though they have/are grinding down along each side of the WMRT to cut those roots so they don’t grow back…at least for a while.

Rivnuts

Glad to hear that you found your way thru Antietam. You really did not make a bad choice by going up Taylor's Landing Road. Bowie and Mondell Roads have a series of "challenging" hills.....not long, not excessively steep......but challenging.
Sorry to hear that Nutters was closed when you went by. They are only open 2-8pm (I believe), and they are CASH ONLY. However, if you had $5 on you, your belly would've been satisfied for the rest of the day.
You made the right call to get to Shepherdstown. Route 34 is the most direct route and bikeable. It can just be a little busy at times.
I've been on it a half dozen times this summer, but on my road bike so I can get thru there quickly. Snyder's Landing Road is best if you wanna head "upriver". Miller's Sawmill is best if you're heading to DC.
If you were biking between Weverton (58) and DC (0) last Friday, there's a 100% chance that we crossed paths. After asking 5 or 6 guys if they liked their ice cream from Nutter's, and getting a blank stare like I had my head screwed on backwards, I stopped asking.
Glad to hear that you discovered the paw paws, and I too am old enough to know who "Mikey" is. Ain't LIFE grand???

I was between Cumberland and Hancock last Friday.

As I rode fem Pgh to DC over the last few days, I noted that paw paw fruit is ripening and could be a native food source along the C&O Towpath in particular. If you are not familiar with the trees and the fruit, a little Google searching will provide useful information. As they kept telling Mikey, “Try it, you’ll like it.”.

Sorry you may have to be as old as I am to appreciate that quip.

The better news is that the trails are not littered with many walnuts yet.

“Yeah!!! Mikey’ll eat anything!!!” ??

Paw Paws are awesome! I used to live in Jefferson City, Missouri and there was a guy at the farmers' market who sold them. I'm so glad I bought a few and tried them.

PS: Congratulations on someone finding and returning your phone.

Last week I unknowingly dropped my phone from my bike on the C&O on the way to Hancock, MD. It was only after I reached Hancock did I realize it was missing. Not able to backtrack to try to find it, I proceeded on the next few days to finish in DC. In the meantime a fellow rider, Steve, found my phone and went to the effort to contact my wife and inform her that he had found it and would return it.

It arrived today and I am so thankful. Such acts of kindness reinforce my faith in the goodness of most fellow man in general and Steve in particular.

How do I find Dave on YouTube? What is his link or name to access his videos?

It’s not obvious what “Dave” you are looking for? Could the following be what you are looking for?

https://youtu.be/32TnDoFXtGs?feature=shared

I am wondering if 40 miles per day is a decent goal for two recreational bikers who plan to camp along the trail (we are 59/63 years old). We are very outdoorsy and camp alot but this is our first camp bike trip!

Yes. Forty miles per day on the GAP and C&O is indeed a reasonable goal especially if you ride frequently. If not, you would be smart to take a couple of day rides of that distance to gauge your preparedness. That said you may have to ride even further a couple of times to accommodate your itinerary especially on the GAP where the campgrounds are not as frequent as the hiker/biker campsites on the C&O.

Is it difficult to find parking at Fletchers Cove lot on a Sunday morning?
Does it fill up quickly?
Thanks

No, I would not think so. While the parking lot next to the canal lockhouse is fairly small, if you drive through the tunnel under the canal, you will reach a very large parking lot on the river side of the canal. It has lots of capacity (at least 150 cars, I expect). It was nowhere close to full yesterday afternoon when I rode past. (Admittedly, that was a Sunday afternoon in August.).

This is my first time on the trail . I’ll be learning as I go.
I’m planning on driving to Cumberland then taking the train to DC on Thursday 10/5. Where I’ll begin the ride back at 11:30 am from Union Station I’m planning on camping on the trail .. if anyone is starting the ride around the same time that that knows the trail , it would be great to ride with others

Unfortunately you’ll be one day behind me. I’m arriving at Union Station on 10/4 to begin riding back to Pittsburgh on my ninth trip between the two.

Note, I’m surprised by your arrival time in DC. My train thru Cumberland doesn’t arrive in DC until 1:05PM.

Thanks for catching that. I meant 1:30
From DC

E ,
Read your comments about starting in Cumberland can you please tell me where there is long term parking that can be trusted?
Or for that fact anyone here this sounds interesting to me and the train is just right.

Ed, Everyone thanks for your time.

From the GAPTrail website:

Free overnight parking is allowed at the municipal parking lot in Cumberland at 16 Howard Street under I-68 which passes overhead. Other riders have indicated they have parked there in the past.

I was thinking that the Amtrak station had a parking lot . But there are so many things that I don’t know like do I have to make pre-arrangements for my bicycle. I read on some post that it’s $20 to transport the bicycle and others there’s no charge ….

Sprockets:

Although I've been through the Amtrak station in Cumberland a number of times I can't recall if there is overnight parking there or not. Regardless, the municipal parking lot on Howard Street is just a few blocks from the Amtrak station albeit along city streets.

If you are planning on taking your bike on the train you need a rollon "bicycle" reservation costing $20 to go along with your "personal" reservation. You need to make that reservation before arriving at the station insofar as there is but a limited amount of those bicycle reservations available. Not to throw a wet blanket on your plans, but they are rarely available on short notice. You should contact Amtrak to see if bike rollon reservations are still available.

Alternatively, if you can box up your bike you can ship it as "baggage" for similar cost as the rollon reservation.

There is long term overnight parking along Howard St. right underneath I-68 in Cumberland and within walking distance to The Crabby Pig and all kinds of shops. Parked there 4 weeks ago.

Large Parking lot. Not on the street.

Rivnuts.
I want to think you very much for your help with getting me started. After reading your last reply. I quickly made my train reservation and was able to get the last bike roll on spot available from Cumberland. I appreciate you …..
curious to know , do you set a mileage goal per day are do you just ride casually.

Sprockets:

Although I am retired I can't afford to be as casual as I might like. (My marriage still matters :-) My daily mileage is determined by the planned duration of my trip which depends on a number of factors including places along the route I plan to explore, the amount of daylight at the time of year and the need to reach the end destination on a given day. That said, I typically take 6 to 7 days to make the trip from Pittsburgh to DC or vice versa. That results in riding between 45 and 65 miles per day. Many take fewer days by riding more miles each day.

The length of each day's ride depends on available or preferred overnight locations. When camping there is more flexibility in planning each day's ride, especially along the C&O Towpath with the frequent hiker/biker (H/B) campsites. When planning to spend overnights in hotels and/or BnB's your daily mileage options are less since you are generally limited to the larger cities and towns along the route.

FYI, keep your eye on the weather. The forecast cold front at the end of this week along the route may bring some softness or puddles especially between Cumberland and Little Orleans. Using the WMRT rail trail that parallels the C&O Towpath on either side of Hancock MD would avoid some of those potential wet conditions beyond Little Orleans.

Have a great trip. If you have more questions don't hesitate to ask.

"Alternatively, if you can box up your bike you can ship it as "baggage" for similar cost as the rollon reservation."

In general the box-a-bike option is only available between stations with baggage service; and Cumberland doesn't have it. Also, some station with baggage service don't sell boxes. I doubt the arrival station needs to sell boxes, but has to have baggage service. But then it's Amtrak so you never know. So look it up by googling the the station (e.g., Pittsburg station) and click the "baggage" link. You will find that you can buy a box at Pittsburg or DC and ship it to DC or Pittsburg.

It costs a $10 service fee plus $15 for the box, although you can supply your own box.

Amtrak's box is always my choice because they are much bigger than the boxes you can get from a bike shop. All you have to do is remove the pedals, turn the handlebars sideways, roll the bike into the box and tape it up. If you are on your way home and someone is picking you up, you can save the box for next time. Otherwise, you just leave it behind at the station.

Ed I am waiting for this weather to break and will be doing the same thing driving down to Cumberland and train to D.C. to start the trail .
Did part of it last year in September and had to get off around near Hancock Grand daughter got sick.
If I do Start in December I'll let you know .

Does anyone have this app. for there iPhone ??
I was thinking of down loading it but instead pf paying $ 2.99 I would ask everone here.

Thanks for your time.
EZ

I’m not sure what app you are talking about because I didn’t see anything. Maybe I missed it. The C&O Canal Trust has an app in the Apple App Store. Here is some info from the Canal Trust’s website: https://www.canaltrust.org/plan/explorer-mobile-app/

I did see another app that cost $2.99 but don’t know anything about it. It seems the Trust’s app is a .99 download. You can read the reviews in the App Store.

Meh. Limited use. Static maps and a list of POI. Emergency info feature is interesting as it lists the nearest upstream and downstream access points and current position - could be handy when calling for help. But nothing you can't get from a proper map and tracking app like RideWithGPS.

Has anyone had issues with the 2" bike tire width limit on Amtrak's roll-on service routes? I have 2.2" tires on my mountain bike and wonder if I'll have a problem.

While I typically take bikes with 35mm tires for trips on the Capital Limited route with roll-on service, I’ve never seen anyone check or look at my or others’ bikes for compliance with the tire width limitation. That said I’ve not seen anyone try to take a fat bike on the train.

While I’m not certain, I think the bikes on that route are simply loaded in the baggage car along with other checked baggage and not in hanging bike racks where the tire width might be a constraint. Other routes may employ hanging racks, so I’ll leave others to comment on their experience on those routes.

In making preparations for my annual GAP & C&O bikepacking trip, last evening, I was surprised to find the price of the Amtrak Capital Limited return trip in coach was $114 in either direction for roughly the next three months. I don’t remember exactly what it was last year, but I think it was around $72. The bike reservations remain at $20.

The increase in the passenger reservation ticket seemed like a significant increase over what I paid last year. This may represent a recognition of an increasing demand in that route. The other, longer route option between the two cities was notably less but doesn’t offer bicycle roll-on service and takes a few hours longer and requires a change in trains.

At $114, it would be cheaper to drive if it was an option even with PA Turnpike tolls or make renting a car more attractive if you could find a bargain one-way rental.

The good news was that finding dates with available bike reservations seemed easier this year which might be because of reduced demand due to the increase in the passenger reservation cost.

During the pandemic Amtrak greatly reduced the consists2 (i.e., the list of cars in a train). The capitol limited was down to 1 coach, 1 sleeper, and a food service car at one time. They have been very slow to bring back the cars for various reasons. One of then is that short consists reduce the cost of running a train; and with the surge of customers since the end of the pandemic, they can charge pretty much whatever they want. Have you checked sleeper prices? I think the answer to your question is simple supply and demand.

We are planning to ride the GAP C&O starting from Pittsburg then taking the Amtrak back to Pittsburg.
Can we park our car at the Amtrak station in Pittsburg while we do the ride?
Thaks

There is no public parking at the Pittsburgh Amtrak station. There is public parking garage across the street from the train station albeit with a daily fee.

Grant Street Transportation Center Parking about $13.00 a day
The parking garage is called Grant street.
Hope this helps you.

Just got this email update and I coped and paste it for you all to read.


Closure for Pipe Replacement; Shuttle Service Provided
A 2.5-mile segment of the Great Allegheny Passage will be closed for a major underground pipeline replacement undertaken by Texas Eastern Transmission, beginning July 8 until mid-October. The segment is between mile markers 92 and 94.5. A free shuttle service for travelers and their bicycles will be provided by Trail Connect every 30 minutes, first-come, first-served, between 7:30 am and 7:00 pm, seven days a week. For details, visit www.trailconnect.com.

Hope this helps anyone doing the GAP.

Here is a Reddit discussion with some additional details:

https://www.reddit.com/r/gaptrail/comments/1e27c1b/gaptrail_closure_shuttle_experience/

I just finished the GAP yesterday and rode through that section on Friday. The shuttle service was great. You load your bike on a trailer, it gets strapped down, and if no other riders are coming, they take you to the drop off point. Near Connellsville going toward West Newton, you have to go up to the campground area. The trail is closed and there is a big sign. Coming from West Newton, the trail is closed at the construction site. There is a construction person who can help you cross the construction zone safely. The van is a white van that is parked on the other side of the construction area. The van drivers are extremely nice and knowledgeable about the area. To not take the shuttle would be dangerous for most, if not all bikers. It would be a route on narrow roads that climb and climb. Again, the service is great.