C&O / GAP Forum

McKeesport was interesting, in that you don't pass through town, or kind of close to town, but rather through a series of back alleys and former industrial stuff, like they are trying to hide the town from you.

Which, I guess, is neither here nor there.

Just know that if you want to see some sort of flavor of the town, you need to plot your own route through town rather than staying on the trail.

During the season, the waterfront might be more lively, though, and that might change the feel.

As a resident of Homestead and virtually daily rider of the GAP trail, I'm impressed how much of the trail, its sites and businesses you found and visited. I'm curious how many days you took to make the trip?

As for McKeesport, you were only a block away from what, arguably, is the main street of McKeesport. Lysle Boulevard. That said, you didn't miss much. Like many of the steel mill towns around Pittsburgh where the mills were shut down years ago, McKeesport lost the basis of its economy. What may not of been obvious is that you rode through the majority of that former mill site that was a major producer of steel pipe, aka tube.

We couldn't have done it without you, Rivnuts. We appreciated the input from you and all of the other users of this site.

We did one day of riding around in Cumberland (and on the C&O), and then 6 days on the GAP Trail. We really wanted to take our time and take lots of pictures and see everything.

I wish I had thought more about McKeesport and had made that jump up to Lysle. Even if towns aren't what they used to be, it's great to see old buildings and the remnants of the old economy.

The old mill structures were massive, and we noticed that one still had the tubular name on it. I can't imagine what that town (and the whole area) would have been like in better times.

I took a few hundred pics over the 7 or 8 days we were in the area and posted them daily on Facebook. Would people be interested in those?

Certainly, pictures from your trip would be interesting. I'm curious what a rider new to the trail and not from the area finds worthy of pictures. No doubt you will have found items that we locals ride by each day and don't see or appreciate.

I would love to see your photos. I used to ive in Missouri and biked the Katy Trail a lot. I loved the rural and rustic flavor of the Katy Trail. But I am intriqued by the urban areas the GAP goes by and the old and usually abandoned mills and factories and coal mines. The ones at McKeesport were my earliest favorites.

OK, I will make a separate thread for photos. :)

I think this was the only place in town that was open for breakfast on the day we were there.

Great place to have breakfast. Do not sit in a booth, as they are miserably uncomfortable. We got a comfy table and had a nice breakfast.

Sit in the booths. For those who don't know, Harry Truman was once president of the United States. A year or so after he and Bess retired to Independence, Missouri, they decided to return to Washington D.C. In those days, ex-presidents didn't have secret service protection or even pensions. So Harry and Bess drove Highway 40 some 1,000 miles from Independence to D.C. After one or two nights in motels, they stopped at the Princess for breakfast. The booth they sat in has a picture of them that morning. The owner, the ancestor of the current owner, recognized them of course and was very excited. Frostburg was served by a party line phone system. Every call went through an operator. So the Princess'es owner called her and told her Harry and Bess were there having breakfast. It was a Sunday, and the operator started phoning everyone in town. By the time breakfast was over, a sizable crowd had congregated outside the diner. Harry was flattered with attention from the good citizens of Frostburg. But before he left, the owner told Harry that his mother was a big fan. Since it was her birthday, he asked if Harry would mind stopping by her house. It was on the way out of town. The "man of the people" couldn't refuse of course. Unfortunately, the mother was so talkative that the Trumans were detained for half an hour. But that's the kind of man Harry Truman was, and, though the booths are small by today's standards, it may be worth sitting in one like Harry Truman did and see how it feels to be an ordinary American.

Sit in the booths. For those who don't know, Harry Truman was once president of the United States. A year or so after he and Bess retired to Independence, Missouri, they decided to return to Washington D.C. In those days, ex-presidents didn't have secret service protection or even pensions. So Harry and Bess drove Highway 40 some 1,000 miles from Independence to D.C. After one or two nights in motels, they stopped at the Princess for breakfast. The booth they sat in has a picture of them that morning. The owner, the ancestor of the current owner, recognized them of course and was very excited. Frostburg was served by a party line phone system. Every call went through an operator. So the Princess'es owner called her and told her Harry and Bess were there having breakfast. It was a Sunday, and she started phoning everyone in town. By the time breakfast was over, a sizable crowd had congregated outside the diner. Harry was flattered with the kind attention from the good citizens of Frostburg. But before he left, the owner told Harry that his mother was a big fan. Since it was her birthday, he asked if Harry would mind stopping by her house. It was on the way out of town. The "man of the people" couldn't refuse of course. Unfortunately, the mother was so talkative that the Trumans were detained for half an hour. But that's the kind of man Harry Truman was, and, though the booths are small by today's standards, it may be worth sitting in one like Harry Truman did and see how it feels to be an ordinary American.

Thanks for the history! Harry picked a good place to stop.

This site doesn't show it, but there are dozens of places to eat and stay in Homestead.

See the Rivers of Steel stuff.

Get a sammich at Primanti Brothers.

Nice house to stay in.

The food at the golf course next door was great and amazingly cheap. We had dinner and breakfast there. We sat outside, and it was just beautiful.

Bike storage was outdoors, uncovered.

This place is a substantial distance from the trail, and is a substantial distance uphill. If we did it again, we'd just go on to Boston and stay there, next to the trail.

Great meal at a good price in a restaurant right next to a bakery where you can get dessert. What more could you want?

Ride by the Blumer house, since it was built way back in 1814 and all.

Sager Ruins and Mosaics near the Whitsett Trailhead is a neat place to visit. I wish we could have taken the tour.
https://ruins.sagermosaics.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uBSsAQ6uzQ

Also check out the identical houses in Whitsett, originally built for the coal miners and their families.

This was the first place where the owner/hostess actually made us feel welcome and appreciated.

The room was modern and comfortable. We had an actual bathtub. Modern heating and cooling. Nice bed.

Breakfast was what you would expect from a bed and BREAKFAST. It was really good, and we ate outside and had plenty of social distance.

It is not easy to get to the Inn from the trail. You will push your bike a considerable distance up a substantial hill. The owner suggested approaching from the T763 trailhead and Layton road, rather than some other way that might look ok on a map.

Something else to note is that while this site lists like 3 things in Perryopolis, there are several restaurants. We had a classic small town home-cooking meal at Randall's.

This place was great. We stopped for lunch and had a reuben, pierogie bruschetta, and a salad. Good prices. Nice staff.

There's a rack out front, and a patio in the back where you could park your bike along the fence and keep your eye on it.

Laurel Highlands House, Ferncliff Room

Got the key immediately. Nice room. Good bed. Good location near the trail but away from the road. Looked like a good kitchen if you got permission to cook.

The only bike storage is uncovered, outdoors.

Nice common area.

These guys weren't open the day we were there, but an employee was nearby and we got a peek inside. It looked liked a fun place for lunch or dinner. Nice beer selection.

This was the only place in town still open. Everyone else was closed for the year.

They had a restaurant and a grocery store. We cooked up a decent dinner from the groceries we got. Got some really good breakfast sandwiches at the restaurant.

Nice staff. Souvenirs and stuff too.

This gas station has better food than most restaurants. Pierogies with sauteed onions and sri racha sour cream. Oooo, mama. And the steak sandwich was also amazing.

Nice tables inside, or head across to the park.

Bike rack out front.

Take the long way around the shoo-fly. Really nice and peaceful.

Food was excellent. Staff was nice. This is the place to eat in Rockwood. I had the stromboli. The chicken pot pie is supposedly great as well. Topped it off with ice cream.

I wish we had been able to tour the Opera House, but we weren't there at the right time.

This was a nice place to stay. We got our key after a short wait while the owner drove over to the house.

We paid up for the Kaylie Room with private bath. The room had two windows and had nice airflow. The bed was comfortable.

There was a little traffic on the road out front, but we still rode our bikes on it for the short distance required.

Bikes are stored under the covered porch. They are outdoors, but covered.

Because of the virus we just had fruit and hot and cold cereal for breakfast.

Stop and read the signs and appreciate the engineering of this bridge. And also appreciate that it was built with a more beautiful form than it had to be. A nice little gem.

Close to the trail. Good burger and home made chili. Good beer. Smoking allowed inside :( . It's quite a dive. It's where locals go, so it probably has the most reliable hours of any place in town. Highly recommended.

There is some great history in Mt Savage, and many original buildings still standing. I mean, the first iron rails rolled in America, and the first producer of good refractory brick. That's some history.

But, there are no plaques or signs with info, so you are on your own for that.

There's a soft serve/milkshake place, and maybe a burger place. They might be open if you go by.

The town is very far below the trail. You will be riding down a very steep street into town, and pushing your bike back up.

Keywords Mt Mount Savage

To get to Frostburg from the trail, you have to make a substantial climb.

This isn't a place where you just pop into a store and grab some water and a slim jim.

If you are staying the night, just make sure you save some energy to get up to town.

It's a cute town with some nice old buildings and some history. Visit the Gunter Hotel and check out the collection of stuff in the basement. Toasted Goat was great.

They have a new manager. He was helpful and gave us our keys right away. I'm sure he lives on site, so that helps guarantee good service.

The cabin was clean and small and peaceful. We were too far from the office, so we didn't get wi-fi, but our mobile data worked fine.

We were able to lock up our bikes on the porch of our cabin.

No food available at the time of our visit.

I didn't see this place in the listings for Frostburg.

Located in the Gunter Hotel. Bike rack out front. Beautiful building, and you can look all through the hotel, including some exhibits they have in the basement.

The food was great. The staff was great. If you are in Frostburg for dinner, this is the only place to be.

Closed without warning on the afternoon we went by. As always, call ahead if you think you might visit a place, even if their website, facebook page, yelp, and google maps indicate that they will definitely be open.

Closed without warning on the afternoon we went by. As always, call ahead if you think you might visit a place, even if their website, facebook page, yelp, and google maps indicate that they will definitely be open.

That said, it looked like a great place, and we would definitely swing by if we were back in town.

Friendly staff. Located right at the trailhead. Air hose and track pump outside. A good place to stop.

No problems with getting our keys. Nice room. We paid up for the private in-room bath. The shower in the bathroom was small, but who cares? Nice common area.

Bike storage building was supposedly secure but I wouldn't really trust it. We had brought a big lock and felt safe with it on our bikes.

Due to the virus we only had coffee and no breakfast service.

Access from the trailhead side of the river was no problem. Saw some George Washington stuff along the way.

We had breakfast here. It was crowded, so it was a little slow, but the food was really good and the location is great.

We wanted to ride Amtrak from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, so we booked well in advance.

Amtrak cancelled our trip and didn't have any feasible alternatives, since we had already reserved all of our hotels.

We rented a minivan one way to Cumberland. For two people, it ended up costing about the same as Amtrak without any of the Amtrak drama and uncertainty.

We were also able to drive the rental on errands and see some things between PGH and Cumberland that we would not have otherwise.

I highly recommend renting a minivan over trying to take Amtrak.

Hi, everyone. My wife and I just finished riding the GAP. It was beautiful!! We really had a great time.

I'll go through and leave reviews for places we visited or tried to visit.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

We'll also put some replies to this thread with general notes about towns and maybe random thoughts. That way, when future generations search, they can get whatever knowledge that we are hoping to pass on.

Apologies if this results in people getting multiple unwanted notifications.

New to the bike trail riding, So I need some advice
We’re planning on doing parts of the C and O next week I have read it can be rather rough. We have hybrid bikes with 25 mm tires. It was suggested minimum 32 mm. never having been there can someone advise please Thanks in advance

Planning on starting in Georgetown and working our way toward Sharpsburg

The C&O Canal towpath has three different surfaces: crushed limestone; dirt; and hardpacked dirt, sand, and small stones. A hybrid would work on all except a few graveling and sandy areas if the towpath is dry. Unfortunately, the dirt areas take a long time (like two weeks) to dry out completely after rains. The crushed limestone runs from White's Ferry to past Shepherdstown. There is an old railroad line around Hancock that is asphalt, so a hybrid is definitely fine there. The worst dirt/mud is from White's Ferry to Violette's Lock. From Violette's Lock to Georgetown is the mixed surface of compacted dirt, stone, and sand. In some places there will be maybe a half mile of large stones embedded in the dirt. That makes for a rough ride and might cause a flat on a hybrid, but you can risk it. There are also a few graveling and sandy areas that a hybrid tire might sink into, but those are only ten or fifteen feet long, so if you stop in time, you can walk through them. Otherwise, they might throw you. in the dirt areas, if the dirt has turned to mud, you won't be able to get through.

My 11 y/o and I just rode from DC-Harpers Ferry-DC. Me on a 29er. He on a 1986 Centurion road bike with Gatorskins. He was absolutely fine. Last year, a friend and I rode from DC to Pitt. Me on the same 29er, he on a 1970's era Bianchi racing bike with -- wait for it -- slicks. Yeah, we had to periodically stop and dig mud (it was really wet last year) out of his brake calipers, but he was fine.

The C&O/GAP trails are extraordinary. Amazing. And perfect for the newbie.

Heck, we even did a large, two family trip from DC-to-HF where an 8 y/o girl rode on a "My Little Pony" bike. Complete with coaster brakes. She didn't set any land-speed records, but she made it no problem! Enjoy, and keep the rubber side down!

I’ve ridden my Trek 7.3 FX hybrid at least 5 times from Pittsburgh to DC in all sorts of wet weather and been fine. I did switch from 32 to 38 tires after the first ride and that gave me better traction.
Hybrids are perfect for the GAP/C&O. Good luck!

Hello everyone,

I am planning on doing the length of the C&O trail from DC to Cumberland this weekend.Curious if anyone had any information on current detours or major trail hazards? I have only ridden the first 30 miles from DC before so don't know what is out there. Any information is appreciated.

Thank you!
Ryan

Where does the C&O canal enter back onto the Potomac River if you enter at violet locks heading towards Washington DC

I am wondering about security at Sandpatch trailhead. Is is an okay place to leave a car for a few days? Do I need to register or leave notification someplace? I understand leaving a vehicle anywhere has inherant problems. Thanks or any info.

I am wondering about security at Sandpatch trailhead. Is is an okay place to leave a car for a few days? Do I need to register or leave notification someplace? I understand leaving a vehicle anywhere has inherant problems. Thanks or any info.

The United States National Parks Service (NPS) has just updated their regulations to codify electric bicycles up to 750W as legal in all national parks where bicycles are already permitted. The new regulations, posted on the National Parks Service website, move to support the decree issued by the US Secretary of the Interior last year, stating that all e-bikes should be allowed in all US national parks.

This regulation does however allow individual park superintendents latitude as to where various classes of eBikes can be used within their parks.

750 watts! Zoinks!

750 Watts is one horsepower. That is where the cutoff comes from. It is quite easy to purchase kits to equip bikes with 1500 Watt motors, and I assume that there are even larger motors available! (Think, Electric Motorcycles.) Most ebike purchases in the USA are at 750 watts or less. According to Bosch, who make ebike motors, The three classes are defined as follows:
Class 1: eBikes that are pedal-assist only, with no throttle, and have a maximum assisted speed of 20 mph.
Class 2: eBikes that also have a maximum speed of 20 mph, but are throttle-assisted.
Class 3: eBikes that are pedal-assist only, with no throttle, and a maximum assisted speed of 28 mph.
All classes limit the motor’s power to 1 horsepower (750W).

Is long term parking allowed at the station? Thanks!

As you probably know or certainly can see in a satellite view of the Meyersdale Train, home of the Meyersdale Historical Society, there is/are a large parking lot(s) adjacent to the building. However, I do not know if they permit long term parking therein, i.e. overnight parking for one or more nights. I would think there would be ample space as I've never seen it anywhere near full. Unless someone on this forum responds directly, the simplest way to find out might be to simply call them at:

814-634-8654

and see what they say.

A shout-out to the South Yard Depot about 3 miles east of Cedar Creek Park camping.

Located on the trail, Jeff Seich offers coffee, breakfast sandwiches cooked to order, light lunches, ice cream sandwiches, and cold drinks. We originally thought we might go up the hill into Smithton for coffee after a night at Cedar Creek campground, but decided to press on. It was the right decision.

Nothing fancy, but a great egg and cheese sandwich with fresh eggs and homegrown tomatoes to go with our coffee.

Just finished the GAP from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, with terrific weather, emerging autumn color, and great riding conditions. One thing I didn't quite expect was the dearth of services in towns. Even larger towns like Ohiopyle were nearly deserted on a Tuesday.

It's later in the season, so I expected limited options, but it was much more limited than what I thought it would be. Lots of places had websites that indicated they were open daily, but if you called, they were closed Tuesday and Wednesday (at least).

Lesson: Call ahead to confirm the place you planned on stopping at is really open.

Enjoy the ride!

Is there day parking for trail use at Bowest bridge.

There is not a GAP trailhead at the Bowest Bridge itself in South Connellsville. There is street parking along 1st and 3rd Streets as the trail leaves Connellsville in route to that bridge. It is about a 1.5 mile ride/walk on the trail from there to the bridge.

Local residents may be aware of a closer place to park so watch for additional responses.

The United States National Parks Service (NPS) has just updated their regulations to codify electric bicycles up to 750W as legal in all national parks where bicycles are already permitted. The new regulations, posted yesterday on the National Parks Service website, move to support the decree issued by the US Secretary of the Interior last year, stating that all e-bikes should be allowed in all US national parks.

https://electrek.co/2020/10/03/us-national-parks-services-updates-regs-allow-e-bikes-up-to-750w-with-exceptions/


This regulation does however allow individual park superintendents latitude as to where various classes of eBikes can be used within their parks.

From the link provided below:

The United States National Parks Service (NPS) has just updated their regulations to codify electric bicycles up to 750W as legal in all national parks where bicycles are already permitted. The new regulations, posted yesterday on the National Parks Service website, move to support the decree issued by the US Secretary of the Interior last year, stating that all e-bikes should be allowed in all US national parks.

https://electrek.co/2020/10/03/us-national-parks-services-updates-regs-allow-e-bikes-up-to-750w-with-exceptions/

This regulation allows the individual park superintendents some latitude in determining which classes of eBikes can be used where within their specific parks.

Hey everyone,

Thank you in advance for your time and advice. I used to bike a lot in college a few years ago, but stopped when my bike got stolen and I never bought a new one. I am contemplating completing the entire C&O canal from Cumberland to DC, essentially just to see if I can. I am in excellent shape - I just ran a half marathon at around 7:45/mile. So, my question is: is it possible for me in my current physical condition to complete the entire C&O Canal in one day? Or, should I split it up into two days? I was planning on taking the Amtrak to Cumberland Friday night in early October and starting at dawn on that Saturday. Any advice on how to meet this goal would be greatly appreciated it!

Best,

Allen

Hi Allen. I would ask yourself what you are looking for in completing this trail. If its scenery, history, and adventure, I would take 2 or 3 days to complete it. The C&O is best enjoyed at a slower pace. If it’s a speed challenge, I’ve definitely seen journals about people doing it in one day (and a long day at that). I guess it’s all about how much discomfort you are willing to endure.

Are you camping or doing hotels? This decision will affect your weight and what you carry. Doing hotels will allow you to forgo camping gear and give you a lighter bike. Still, you need to be prepared for breakdowns and possibly having to be stuck somewhere in remote areas. Extra clothing, water, food, tubes, repair kit, etc. needs to be brought for the worst case scenario. So you need to carry some things.

In addition, we are entering autumn which means cooler temps and less daylight to travel in. Whatever you do, bring a light for the trail or campsites, the C&O is DARK at night! I usually bring a bicycle light plus my headlamp for around camp or even just navigating the trail. You can’t see your hands in front of your face at night on the C&O.

Cumberland to DC is 184.5 miles and almost all of it is on old dirt trails with some sections of crushed limestone surface so you won’t roll as fast as you would on a road.

Weather is another issue. If it has rained, prepare for puddles and mud.

In short, if you are confident that to you can do the miles at once, go for it. If you wish to take it in a bit more, do it over 2-3 days. A good itinerary is Cumberland to Hancock, Hancock to Harpers Ferry, and Harpers Ferry to DC.

Give us a report on your trip if you can!

John

no question your heart can handle the full length of the C&O, the question is "can your body handle it?" Running & cycling are not the same thing. You'll be using different muscles and have different pressure points on your feet, hands, & backside.

I occasionally get to ride with a good friend of mine who finishes in the top 20 of his age group in the Boston marathon each year. I'm of moderate fitness and destroy him on the bike. There really isn't a good correlation between the two.

Then there is the issue of nutrition. 180 miles of cycling at a moderate pace, you're going to need between 8000 & 9000 calories to fuel your journey. Consuming that much food is a daunting task to complete without training for it.

It really comes down to how willing are you to suffer?

Before I comment further, I'll convey a true story. One Sunday afternoon I was on the Amtrak train returning from DC to Pittsburgh having ridden the trail to DC. I met two young men on the train who were obvious cyclists and we struck up a conversation. I asked where they were headed and where they were going to ride. They replied that they were going to Cumberland and were going to ride back to DC. Since the train arrives in Cumberland around 8:00 PM, I asked where they were staying in Cumberland that evening. That's when they said that they weren't staying there but rather were going to immediately begin their ride back to DC when they got off the train and were expecting or required to be at work by lunch on Monday, i.e. they were going to ride most of the C&O at night and planned to make the trip in 16 clock hours! This would require that they average 11.5 mph with no stops. I wish I knew how they fared, especially in the dark of night.

But I digress. Could you make the trip in one day? With your running background, you should be fine aerobically especially since there are no hills or mountains on the Towpath. Further, your legs will probably be ok so long as you eat and drink along the way. I suspect your physical limit will be the strain of being in a cycling position for the duration and your butt! Your arms and back (and did I mention butt) may become weary from not have cycled that much, especially in a single day.

Perhaps a bigger issue will be that you will likely run out of daylight. You'll likely not have more than 12 hours of daylight and some of that will be dim in early October. To make the trip in 12 hours you'd have to average over 15 mph. That's a pretty tall order on the Towpath for all but the best of riders and, if its wet, even more dangerous IMHO. The best portions of the ride to make good time are on the paved WMRT into and out of Hancock and on the Towpath itself between Shepherdstown and Edwards Ferry.

Although I ride a fair amount and have done the C&O a few times, I'm too risk averse to think about trying to do the entire towpath in a single day. That said, I admire your ambitious goal. Just remember that old adage however: "Hope for the best and plan for the worst" that you may encounter or succumb to. Best of luck to you on your initial trip down the C&O regardless of how many days you take.

Take 2 days. I rode the Gap and C&O in just over 4 days two months ago (full panniers - camping). The C&O is harder than the Gap because the surface is rougher. As a reference point, I'm very fit (2:40 marathon best, over 50 trail ultramarathons, cross-Florida ride (177 miles) in under 10 hours, multiple Ironman finishes, etc.). Unless you are attempting a FKT on the C&O, you'd be hard pressed to complete it in one day and, if you did, you'd never want to do it again.

Why!?!?

Allen... Go for it. It is certainly doable in a day. You're gonna miss the sights, scenery, and history of certain areas, but that is not what you asked. The reward is well worth it. You're definitely gonna need a light. I've done the towpath in a day on two different occasions during the summer. Took about 14 hours total (riding + stops) each time. I'd suggest leaving Cumberland about 6 in the morning and the first hour will be a slower warm-up. You'll need that light later in the day also. I've biked both the GAP and the C&O thru the night. With a good light you should find that the dark should NOT slow you down. For what it's worth, I did the Pittsburgh to DC nonstop adventure on a hardtail in just over 24 hours riding time and about 27 hours total time. I'm by no means a great athlete, and I was 57 years old when I did that. My point is, it's more mental than physical once the novelty wears off. The best $150ish I spent was on a Thudbuster seat post. My butt was no more sore at 335 miles than it was at 35 miles. Enjoy your ride!

Having run a number of full marathons, I wouldn't consider that running a half marathon in 7:45 to be proof of being in shape for what might be a 20 hour bike ride, much of which will be in the dark. A lot of novices who do half marathons can't even finish a full marathon. It's not mental. It's physical. "Hitting the wall" at mile 17 is a very real thing. In any event, the darkness is probably the biggest problem. I don't think coyotes or bears prowl the trail, but deer, logs, potholes, mud, and rocks do. On good parts of the towpath, I can hit 15 mph on a strong mountain bike, but there are stretches where I'm lucky to make 10 mph. And if you do run into trouble at night, it's pretty tough to get help quickly. Adama's "Why?" is good advice.

A buddy and I rode it in one day on July 17, with about 11.5 hours riding time and 14 hours elapsed time. For comparison, we are both high mileage, extremely fit riders and still found riding it at that pace to be grueling. You should plan to start at 5am or earlier and to finish well after dark. Lack of daylight will slow you down. Other than refilling water, stops should be limited to two at most and keep them short. Carry food with you and run tubeless tires or carry several spare tubes. While a single day ride doesn't let you stop and smell the roses, it is a fantastic physical challenge that still provides opportunity to see nice views, wildlife, etc.

Well, did you do it?

Does anyone know what the trail conditions are like right now on the C&O and GAP? I am planning to ride from Pittsburgh to DC starting 9 Oct and was wondering if the trail (C&O specifically) is muddy.

Just did the both trails. Conditions great. GAP smooth all the way. C&O not as bad as some make it out to be. 27 ish miles on the "Hancock" bypass trail is paved. 43 miles (73-30 mile markers) is like the GAP smooth. Rest of the C&O has some vibrations but for most part is smooth-ish with the exception of the last 10 miles which will have you dodging water puddles. Google mile marker zero for C&O on google maps to find it - little tricky as it is behind the "boat house". Tip: to stay in Leesburg use Historic Whites Ferry to get across river. For reference: tire size 35mm 70 psi (10 shy of full air)

Thanks for the info TexasTree, Looking forward to hitting the trail!

Darlene, who owns the Inn with her husband Bill, told guests at breakfast that they are putting it up for sale. It needs a younger owner, she said. They plan on retiring in Arizona. I very much enjoyed staying here after riding from Meyersdale -- for the room, use of the washing machine/dryer, the fridge full of Gatorade Zero, and Darlene and Bill's hospitality. She baked cranberry muffins for riders to take along that day, and by the time I neared Brunswick, I was grateful for her thoughtfulness. It's a great place to stay!

I stayed there last year. It was a comfortable place to spend the night. They were gracious hosts.

Good afternoon everyone! I’ll be doing the Towpath soon from Cumberland to DC. I have done a lot of planning however, a friend of mine has indicated that I most have a GPS in order to do the canal. I don’t have a GPS therefore, is this a must have? If so, any recommendations of a budget friendly GPS? Thank you!

I’m not sure what your friend is talking about, but you do not need a GPS. A canal map would be helpful for planning your days but that’s about all you would need.

That’s what I thought but wanted to hear from someone else. I’ve done tons of planning and that makes me confident. Thank you for taking your time in replying to my message.

Here’s a map:
https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/upload/CHOHmap-full-140922-v7-accessible.pdf

I just rode solo from Pittsburgh to DC, and was happy to have printed the complete list of towns and mile markers off this site (along with the updated list of open pumps on https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/conditions.htm).

Having the pages really kept me going during the long stretches on the C&O without signage, or the expected towns. (Little Orleans, I know you're there, up the hill, somewhere.) The only time I checked my phone to see where I was when when I expected Harper's Ferry at Mile 69.5, as posted here -- when it's actually at Mile 61. When it doubt, keep pedaling.

I saw more rat snakes on the C&0 than people. It was a fantastic ride over 3.5 days (sleeping in Meyersdale, Hancock and Brunswick). The improved surface from Mile 77 to 30 is nirvana, as is the Western Maryland Rail Trail. (If you're coming from Little Orleans, you can hop on it before Sideling Hill -- take the second ramp on your left. The first ramp puts you on the trail for a teasingly short stretch, before dumping you back on the C&0 for two miles.)

Thank you very much for the map! BTW, starting October 5th no more Amtrak from DC to Cumberland to take the bikes with just service from DC to BWI then a van from there to Cumberland. So disappointing. I guess I’ll be driving to get there.

I think this place is out of business.

I'll check it out when I get home from northwest Ohio and am riding through McKeesport as I frequently do. If it is, I'll contact the forum moderator to delete it as an available food service in McKeesport if it listed therein.