C&O / GAP Forum

Greetings to any friends here from the Erie Canalway forum. This site has already provided a bunch of good information and the "Trip Planer" is such an awesome tool for those who are not oriented to the trail.

Background -- Last year I rode the GAP (PGH -> Cumberland) and loved it! Decided to do it again and add the C&O (the C&O is a bucket list item). I'm pretty comfortable with my plan at this point which is to be on trail the last week of July into Aug. There are racks available on weekday trains at this point so I am looking to nail down my schedule and make reservations.

QUESTIONS:
(1) What is the deal when I get into DC? I will be arriving around Noon. How far is the Train station and which station do I use? I can see the Georgetown Station on the AMTRAK reservation system, but it doesn't allow me to use it, and defaults to Union Station. (I'm also assuming that having 4 hours is plenty of time.)

(2) It bothers me to not have some fallback plan on the trail (bike repairs or situations that cause me time) that might cause me to miss the train. I'd like to add an extra day to cover this. If I do that, I'm looking for recommendations for a place to stay. I know DC and the Metro rather well (however, not with bike), so I'm open to suggestions. (Save high-end... I don't need too many stars to be happy.)

(3) Assume working in this fallback plan is a smart thing.

(4) I'm typically not inclined to do a lot of stops to include places of interest. However, there is a lot of history in this area. Are there things that I **really should be** taking in while I'm on the trail? Side trips or whatever that I should change my schedule to include?

Thanks in advance! Happy to meet everyone here on the forum.
-bubba

Hey WNYBubba.

Getting to Union Station is breeze! It is Union Station, you are right. DC is a super friendly bicycle city with tons of bike lanes. You can also ride along the National Mall which is surprisingly big. Just punch Union Station into Google maps. I have done this a few times. No problems.

I think other than rush hours, you can bring you bike on the Metro.

I stayed at hotels in Arlington near the airport. It’s a little bit away from downtown DC but I got lower rates out there. You might also get lower rates with Covid affecting how many people are traveling and they might be trying to entice people. There’s a hostel in DC also if you’re looking to save money. But it all depends on your budget.

The extra day is a good idea if you want that. If you were to have mechanical issues, any bike shop you contact should be able to come and meet you at a trail access point and offer you a shuttle into town for a fee.

I will defer to others on this forum when it comes to history, they’ll have some good feedback. I would definitely see Great Falls just outside DC along the C&O. Incredible rapids.

Don’t forget to take the Western Maryland Rail Trail before and after Hancock, MD. It runs parallel to the C&O for 27 miles. The paved trail is a welcome respite from the gravel or dirt paths and possibly mud. Don’t worry, its not cheating even if you’re a purist. I don’t know anyone that has done Pittsburgh to DC and NOT gotten on the WMRT! You can get on at Little Orleans, you will take a detour for 2+ miles that puts you back on the C&O (there a tunnel that is filled with a bat habitat and wouldn’t be safe for human passage), then you’re back on the WMRT until just about the end. Just after you pass mile marker 1, start looking for the interchange to get back on the C&O. If you reach the end of the WMRT, you’ve gone too far, go back 3/4ths of a mile for the switch.

In addition, when you reach Georgetown at the end of the cobblestone trail, it appears you have concluded your ride. But there is still 3/10ths of a mile to go! To reach the Mile 0 marker at Thompson Boat House, follow this video that got me there the first time I did the trail:
https://youtu.be/9kzs51zRsSY

I always cap off my DC trip at the Lincoln Monument and reflecting pool.

If you have time, don’t forget to visit Gravelly Point at Reagan/National Airport right on the Mt. Vernon trail. The planes take off or land right over your head. It’s quite a sight.

John W has done a good job in answering your questions. Regarding side trips or points of interest I would repeat the response I have made to similar questions. Take some time before you embark n the trip to seek out and read about the histories of both the GAP and the C&O. The more you know about these trails, the more you will appreciate what you will see and pass along the way. Knowing about the history of the railroads from DC/Baltimore to Pittsburgh and beyond and the industries, notably coal and coke, that were serviced by these industries will make those simple sights along the GAP more meaningful. Armed with that knowledge, you can almost envision what life was like in the early 1900’s as you ride along and see the vestiges of the steel mills, coal mines an coke ovens. The same holds true for the C&O and its development, use and demise.

John W has done a good job in answering your questions. Regarding side trips or points of interest I would repeat the response I have made to similar questions. Take some time before you embark on the trip to seek out and read about the histories of both the GAP and the C&O. The more you know about these trails, the more you will appreciate what you will see and pass along the way. Knowing about the history of the railroads from DC/Baltimore to Pittsburgh and beyond and the industries, notably coal and coke, that were serviced by these industries will make those simple sights along the GAP more meaningful. Armed with that knowledge, you can almost envision what life was like in the early 1900’s as you ride along and see the vestiges of the steel mills, coal mines an coke ovens. The same holds true for the C&O and its development, use and demise.

We stayed at the Tabard Inn last summer. Easy to get to from Rock Creek, the price was reasonable, and they stored our bikes in a storeroom without any issue.

Thanks to both John W. and Rivnuts for the reply and good info. I'm glad to know about the WMRT because I had heard mention, but didn't realize the impact with using it. I've watched the video about Mile Marker 0 and got that straight! Of course, because it's me... I have already taken some short street tours of the area on Google Maps - Street View!

I also visited the Metro website and found out you CAN take a bike aboard. I will post the excerpt on a thread as a Public Service because many here might want the know.

Rivnuts -- got ya on the history of the GAP and C&O. I have actually done some reading and acquired a decent background. I did stop to read and understand what was going on during my GAP tour last year. I'm never in that much of a hurry not to see points of interest along the trail. Having had a day in Cumberland last year also helped learn about the area. I was more interested in other types of places such as Civil War or other nearby landmarks that I should consider visiting. A good example is Antietam -- I was online and read about the battle and what is there now. It's interesting, but I haven't made up my mind if I am going to stop.

I will post a separate thread to ask my question more pointedly. This one may have gotten lost in this original post with four questions.

Bikes used to be banned on the metro during rush hours but that has changed. You can now take them onboard at any time. Metro is not crowded at all since COVID, lots of room with no one around.

Buy your Amtrak ticket early, as well as bike baggage. the limited bike transport fills up fast.

To add on to Lenny’s comment about buying your bike baggage Amtrak tickets early. You can try and pick dates on the Amtrak web site and you might get lucky and see a ticket for sale but most of the time you will get a “Sold Out” message. Or you can call a ticket reservation agent and ask them “what are the next available dates in June on the Capitol Limited from Pit to DC that you have bike tickets still for sale?” This helped me when I made my reservation a month ago. I kept getting Sold Out and couldn’t find a ticket to save my life so I just called and they gave me 5-6 dates to pick from when I asked. So much easier.

Great place to stay!! Christine and Dan are fabulous hosts!

Does anyone know if the water is turned on for Spring 2021 yet?

The National Park Service website for the C&O still lists all the pumps along the trail as "off" as of this evening. Whether or not that listing is up to date or not will have to be confirmed by someone on the trail or unless they update their list in the coming days.

Not on yesterday.

Has anybody had any experience using either a Katadyn Be Free or a Hike Mikrofilter to get and treat water from the Potomac well north of DC?

With the water off (and a tight time table for being able to take work off) I am considering using a Hiker Microfilter (https://www.rei.com/product/830746/katadyn-hiker-microfilter) and just using the Potomac. Thoughts

Spoke with the ranger-types on Monday morn at Little Pool.
They are testing the wells and installing handles this week and next.

Check out the review of the Katadyn Be Free filter on Backpacking.com at:

https://youtu.be/kfKsLdst9Dk

Also, for information, Tim Mooney who frequently rides the C&O Towpath and describes his journeys in his Pedalshift YouTube podcasts alludes to his use of the Sawyer pump filter on his trips along the Potomac.

I've used a Sawyer Mini to fill my running water bottles from the potomac. I've never gotten sick. ;)

Any tips on the best type of bike for the C&O and Great Allegheny ride? We are planning to ride Pittsburgh to DC and camp along the way.
We have done trips of similar length with our road bikes outfitted with paniers but I am hearing they will work on the GAP but not the C&O portion. Can they work? Any tips would be appreciated.

If you’ve done other rides of similar length, you’ll be fine on the C&O. Some of it is crushed limestone but most of it is old dirt mule paths (like tire tracks). The only time those mule paths get sketchy is after it rains a lot.

You can also connect to the Western Maryland Rail Trail for 27 miles before and after Hancock, MD as it’s paved asphalt. It runs parallel to the C&O and everyone hops on.

I ride a Trek Hybrid but a wide array of bikes are used on the C&O.

If you want to take the time, there are numerous past forum postings discussing bike types, tire sizes, trail conditions and weather related to your question but John W's responses is a reasonable summary thereof.

C&O can get really really muddy. As rivnuts says, this has been discussed many times. Search the forums for "hybrid" and you'll find plenty of old discussions.

** PUBLIC SERVICE POST **
I visited the WMATA "Metro" website to research whether bikes could go on the DC Mass Transit system. Here is what I found out:

Bicycles are welcome on Metrorail during all hours; however, we encourage bicyclists to be considerate of other customers and adhere to these rules when traveling with a bicycle.

>> Bikes are not allowed on crowded railcars. Use good judgment and only board cars that can comfortably accommodate you and your bicycle. The middle cars are usually the most crowded, so consider boarding the first or last car of the train.

>> Do not block aisles or doors of the train.

>> Senior citizens and people with disabilities always have priority. You must make designated seating areas available if needed by another passenger.

>> When boarding the train, use the doors at either end of the railcar - not the center doors.

>> Bicycles may not be carried on escalators. Use elevators only.

I take my bike on the metro all the time. Since COVID the metro is almost empty so lots of room to bring a bike on board. I use to bring my bike regularly before COVID. Back then, I avoided rush hours as much as possible just to be considerate but did not have any issues hopping on a train.

I'm looking for advise to find out if historic sites like Antietam and Harpers Ferry or any others along the way are worth scheduling extra time to stop and explore.

Not looking for someplace "this is interesting," but more along the lines of "This is very worth taking time to see" types of places.

Good example -- Antietam: I read up on it and although a Nat'l Park, I'm not convinced seeing the Cemetery and Dunker Church are well worth the time to stop. If someone advised me that it was "Way cool" then I'd build in the time to stop.

Many thanks in advance! (I'll be riding in late July/Aug)

Others on here are more well versed with local history but a few things I consider “can’t miss” are the following.

Great Falls just outside DC. The water power here is impressive here compared to the rest of the calm Potomac and you’re so close to it you can feel it rumble.

Swim at Ohiopyle State Park. If it’s hot, I always try to get down from the trail and take a swim (or at least soak my feet). You’ll know where to go, as there will be hundreds of people in the Youghiogheny River below you on the GAP trail. You can change your gear in the bathrooms at the Laurel Highlands Information booth after you cross the bridge, you can’t miss it.

Big Savage Overlook. After you exit the big savage tunnel, you get an amazing view of the mountains on your left. This is personally my favorite view on the trail. There are benches to sit and relax. Mason Dixon line is shortly after.

Train depot at Frostburg. Park your bike at the trailhead and walk up the switchbacks to a well preserved train station. There’s also a “Turn Table” where the engines turn around. The Western Maryland Scenic Railway departs from here if your lucky to see it.

From Pittsburgh to McKeesport, note the industrial-ness of what’s around you. Lots of old steel mills and note all of the railroads you be criss-crossing or riding parallel to. I love the rumble of the trains (though not so much the rooting of the horns!).

@John W.
Awesome. All good to know. Remember, I have done the GAP and agree that each of your points of interest are great. I didn't know about the option at Ohiopyle, but I have rafted the Yough! It sounds like a worthwhile stop. Nor did I know about Frostburg and the train depot and turntable. Interesting, because I took a fairly long break at the Trailhead last year.

Same with the Big Savage Tunnel -- it truly is a spectacular view and I had the perfect day last year! Besides, you are now pretty much on a downhill roll into Cumberland. It surprised me that it wasn't a coasting downhill, but pretty much effortless peddling all the way.

Great Falls also looks like a place to take in. Of course, you are talking with a guy who has Niagara Falls in his backyard! LOL You mentioned the falls before and I researched and saw pictures. Very worthwhile I am sure.

>> Another question from my other post about my C&O trip. You mentioned using the WMRT. I downloaded the Trip Planner here and selected campgrounds as follows:

Little Orleans (Fifteen Mile Creek)
Williamsport (Opequon Junction Campsite)
Dickerson (Marble Quarry Campsite)

Each of these are listed as On The Trail. Will I still be able to reach them if I am on the WMRT? I really haven't researched the actual WMRT yet, so apologies if this is rather straightforward. [FYI: I planned a rather short 40 mile day after Little Orleans because of the Paw Paw tunnel detour. If things go well, I may adjust camping places as I travel.]

Thanks again for the good advise!

WNYBubba: Oh wow, you’ve rafted the Yough so you’re familiar with that area! Great swimming river, cool and refreshing.

Your first opportunity to get on the WMRT will be at Fifteen Mile Creek/Little Orleans. So you can start your day on the pavement! This is Mile 140.9 of the C&O.

Look for Bills Place/High Germany Rd. area on the map and the WMRT runs over High Germany Rd. You can take the trail through to Hancock. As your riding, look down the embankment to your right and you will sometimes see (although not always), the C&O Canal below you. The two trails are really that close.

After Hancock, the trail runs for another 9 miles and counts down to its own Mile 0. After you reach Mile Post 1 of the WMRT, be on the lookout for Ernstville Rd. When you see it, take a right off of the trail and onto the road and then look for the dirt path down to the C&O. If you look at Google maps and turn on the Biking mode, you’ll see this connection. This puts you back on the C&O at approx. Mile 114.

Opequan Junction is mile 90.9 so you’ve got 24 or so miles to get there on the C&O.

To answer your question, you’ll be able to reach your campsites no problem, you’ve just taken a parallel route for part of the day (the first 26-27 miles).

Buddy Lou’s restaurant in Hancock is highly rated by traveling cyclists if you’re hungry, definitely a great place to eat.

John

For information there is a fee at the Little Orleans and 15-Mile Creek campgrounds. However, just down the towpath is the Indigo Neck hiker/biker trailside free camp site which still allows good access to the WMRT to continue on to Hancock. (PS: If you find any loose derailleur parts at Indigo Neck they may be mine having lost some in trying to repair my rear derailleur there one evening after a branch jumped up into it and bending it to shreds. :-)

Stop and see Jerry Heil at Taylor’s Landing Rd, near Sharpsburg.
Cool dude.. fair prices of water and drinks.
Wood worker, motorcyclist, general all around good guy.
He’s got a cool little store there right next to the trail and loves to chat!

Planning a Bikepacking weekend on C&O soon. I’m a little unclear on exactly what the status is is with the Paw Paw Tunnel and trail? I read the actual tunnel is “open” but perhaps I still would be forced to take the “bypass trail”? Is this correct? Sites make mention of the bypass trail taking 1-2 hour additional time and wanting to plan my overall day and distance accordingly. Appreciate any current and additional feedback. Thanks!!

Here’s the information source regarding closure of the C&O Towpath at the Paw Paw Tunnel.

https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/pawpaw-closure.htm

Yes you are right Steve. If going from DC to Cumberland, you can enter the tunnel and come out the other side but you won’t go much further as construction will be blocking you just after you exit (not to mention some sheer walls on each side that you can’t go up!).

If going from Cumberland to DC you will not reach the tunnel, just all of the construction with no way to pass it and enter the tunnel.

From what I’ve heard, you’ll be pushing your bike a mile or so up and over the hill. It’s too rough to try and ride it although some may be able to.

Just coincidentally Tim Mooney, the voice of the Pedalshift Project podcast just posted today the first of a three-part series of his recent trip to check out the Paw Paw Tunnel bypass detour. The first part can be found at:

https://youtu.be/eeVxwCpceJI

The first part of his trip in route to the downriver side of the Tunnel from Hancock, MD is the subject of Part 1. He states that Part 2 will be uploaded in two weeks. That Part should provide another and current opinion of the condition of the tunnel bypass detour and his efforts to traverse it.

Just circling back fo thank you all for the very timely and helpful feedback to my question. This forum is a great resource!

From our extensive esearch--this is what I understand: The Cumberland side of the tunnel is open (not the DC side) and you can enter the tunnel from this side (cumberland side) and have a look at the tunnel (? even go all of the way to the end), but the tunnel is blocked on the DC side (so you cannot exit the tunnel). you can go in , have a look and then come back out the cumberland side. from there you need to take an "up and over" trail over the top of the tunnel which seems to come out on the C and O trail about 1/2 mile out from the DC side of the tunnel.

I think you’re right! I had my upstreams and downstreams inverted in my earlier comment. I guess I’ll find out if/when I do Pittsburgh to DC this year.

The confusion may arise because, while generally you are riding from north to south when riding from Pittsburgh to DC, the section through the tunnel is south to north when travelling toward DC.

yes, it took as a while to figure that all out---upstream/ downstream, north/ south.
I'm just so happy we can get a look at the tunnel still. the "up and over" path sounds like an interesting challenge, hopefully that's what I will say about in the moment ;)

Please add your feedback about the tunnel bypass route for others to consider in planning their trip. Understandably, different people will have different observations about it depending on the time, direction, weather, bike and bike load, personal condition, etc. It will be helpful to all of us.

I had to take this trail in the fall of 2017 when the tunnel was closed as well. You are advised to walk the bike both up and down the hill, especially with the load. It is what it is, just be ready for an additional hour or so.

Part 2 of the Pedalshift Project’s recent traverse of the Paw Paw Tunnel bypass trail has now been uploaded to YouTube at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1L0X5jYKTc

In this part Tim Mooney describes his recent experience taking his unloaded bike up and over the mountain above the tunnel. His description is very similar to my recollection of that trail although in my case I was fully loaded and it was much warmer and wet. You can take his information into account in planning your trip. Note that Tim is travelling upstream toward Paw Paw during his description.

Great episode. I was surprised to hear there were multiple paths/trails up at the top of the detour...so many that the park service needed to put signs up so people wouldn't get lost!

Tim described the views at the top of the detour as "the best views on the C&O".

Part 3 of the Pedalshift Project/Tim Mooney’s recent traverse of the Paw Paw Tunnel bypass trail has now been uploaded to YouTube. Interestingly, on his return trip Tim found the towpath downstream of the tunnel itself was not closed and was passable. Apparently the construction work there has not begun or been resumed at this moment in time. In that the Towpath's closure has been advertised for some time now, closure could occur at any time going forward necessitating the use of the bypass trail.

6 of us are riding from Pittsburgh to Harpers Ferry on May 1st to the 4th. We are wondering what the time line is on reopening of the Paw Paw Tunnel.

I believe project is expected to take 2 years and they are just beginning this spring. So all of 2021 for sure and likely 2022 (unless they finish early).

Expect and prepare for the detour up and over the Paw Paw Tunnel.

You should monitor the status of the closed section of the GAP outside Pittsburgh. It is close to reopening but is not fully open as yet.

Planning on parking the car near the trail at Deal PA and cycling to Connelsville PA.

Questions
1) Is there a place to park the car near the trail area at Deal?
2) Will we be able to get a shuttle back to where we parked from Connelsville?
3) Any recommendations for shuttle service?

Thanks in advance.

NR

Yes, there is a trailhead adjacent to the trail in Deal. Lots of parking there and never heavily used when I’ve passed through there. I can’t offer any firsthand recommendations for a shuttle in that area. I might suggest you contact the trail side bike shop in Connellsville at:

Bikes Unlimited
724-628-2453
Bikes@bikesunlimited.biz

They’ve been quite helpful to me and they’ve been there for sometime.

Perhaps one of the outfitters in Ohiopyle such as Wilderness Voyageurs could/would provide a shuttle. If you Google “GAP bike shuttle services” it will return a number of possible shuttle operators. That said, I do not have any personal experience with any of them.

Thanks, Rivnuts. This is very helpful.
NR

The GAP Trail website has reported that the Big Savage Tunnel has been reopened for the 2021 season on Friday April 9.

A sign that the summer cycling season is just around the corner!

Heads-up outdoor enthusiasts and cyclists, as of March 2021, everything has been removed out, there is a For Sale sign in the driveway, Steve’s website has been pulled down, and the domain name is for sale. Asking price is $174K so hopefully someone will take on this historic property and there will be once again lodging in the sleepy hamlet of Little Orleans.

Four of us are planning to bike from Cumberland to DC in June. We need to rent a vehicle to drive with our bikes to Cumberland. Any thoughts on what vehicles might work? We are considering a van with stow and go rear seats.

I have done this the last three years, for three people returning (once with two bikes, twice with three bikes). I rented a minivan one-way each time. I think I had a Grand Caravan the first time and Chrysler Pacificas the other two times. I am not sure if you can stand 4 adult bikes up in the back. I took the front wheels off, and laid them down flat. I got some cardboard to put between the bikes to cushion them. Worked fine. Maybe having the people in the back sit tandem (fold seats down on the right, backseat passengers in different rows) would enable the bikes to be stored upright.

I think I used Enterprise once, and Budget the other two times. I used local offices in Arlington twice, and the counter at National Airport the last time. Make sure you inspect the car thoroughly, and I always take pictures at pickup.

I drove by Steve's place last week after attending Good Friday Mass at Saint Patrick Catholic Church and there was a "For Sale" sign at the intersection just after crossing Fifteen-Mile Creek bridge, and another in the driveway. Also, the lodge website has been taken down and the domain name is for sale so that tells me that Steve is either very sick (COVID, etc...) or the family has finally had to put Steve into a nursing home because of his advancing Alzerhimers/Dementia. It is sad that we, the C&O Canal community, are losing this icon and hopefully someone will buy the place and restore it to its former glory.

Not looking good for the ferry for the 2021 season:

https://dcist.com/story/21/04/07/whites-ferry-reopening-could-be-pushed-into-2022-by-continuing-dispute-over-virginia-landing/

Planning a bike trip to DC! Is camping here free? and do we have to make a reservation ahead of time?

Dravo Landing hiker-biker site is free and does not require reservations. Room for 25-30 plus one Adirondack shelter. Just show up as you see fit and pitch your tent.

In addition to the Dravo Cemetery/Landing campsite, you’ll find free trail side camping along the GAP at Cedar Creek Park, Round Bottom Camp and Stewart’s Crossing in Connellsville. No reservations are required but access to the Adirondack shelters is first come first serve. Of course you can always pitch a tent at any of them.

Of course, there are numerous free hiker/biker campsites along the C&O Towpath as well.

As part of an overnight bikepacking trip along the GAP, I left the GAP Trail for an out-and-back diversion on the Sheepskin Trail over to Dunbar, PA. I had ridden that trail a couple of years ago. At that time a portion of that trail passed through a rail car staging area which consisted of course railroad ballast stone. It was a short but unpleasant ride. Since then that section of the trail has been resurfaced with crushed stone like the rest of the trail. It is now a smooth surface making that side trip quite pleasant. It was dry yesterday but could become a little soft following wet weather.

Various Western Pennsylvania newspapers are reporting today that a new visitor center opened today in Connellsville. It is located at 100 Torrance Avenue, right along the GAP Trail in the Yough River Park. This visitor center will be open from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm on weekends in April and May, then Tuesdays through Sundays in June and daily in July and August.

I just spoke with a super friendly and helpful Amtrak Reservation agent over the phone. I was looking online and kept seeing “Sold Out” for Bicycle tickets on every date I attempted and getting frustrated. So I decided rather than to keep searching and coming up empty, I would just call and see if they could locate tickets for me. It worked.

I simply asked them what dates in June still had bike tickets available going from DC to PIT on the Capitol Limited. They were able to quickly pull up the information and I ended up reserving the first date they mentioned, the last ticket available for that date.

I was curious about how many tickets were still remaining so I asked them about other dates in the month of June and they said the only ones remaining were the following dates:

June 22 - 1 ticket
June 24 - 2 tickets
June 29 - 2 tickets

I didn't ask about the rest of the summer (July or August) as I didn’t want to waste anymore of their time, but feel free to call and speak to an agent. Their number is 1-800-872-7245. I probably waited 8-10 minutes on hold. They also mentioned that there are no tickets available *before* June 22. This information is for DC to PIT only, I did not ask about the other direction.

If you're wanting a Bicycle ticket ("Roll-on, Roll-off") to ride GAP/C&O this summer, I wouldn't wait too much longer to reserve, what little they have seem to be going pretty fast!