C&O / GAP Forum

We booked our Amtrak back in May for October 17th from Pittsburgh to Cumberland Got an email today stating that the daily train is now only traveling Sun, Tues, and Friday. Oh well...we will rent a one way car instead. Wanted to post to let others know just in case this news will affect your travel plans, too.

Jennifer R. - yeah it seems Amtrak has clawed back service to the bare minimum. I spoke to an agent when the same thing happened to me when my bike ticket got cancelled back in June. It’s all Covid related and they are expecting to go back to normal once it’s deemed safe to do so (whenever that is remains to be seen).

Thanks for the heads up to this forum.

John

John...yeah I remember your post about the bike ticket being cancelled. I called to confirm our reservations with 2 bike tickets back in June and all was good. They said our bikes had a spot...so whew! But...then today...the whole reservation was cancellation. They said we could switch to the 16th or the 18th, but of course, there were no bike spots available AND...we have airline tickets flying into Pittsburgh that can't be changed without penalty. Changing the train date created a huge domino effect on EVERYTHING...we have B&Bs reserved all along the trail for specific nights. Oh well...the one way car is only about $30 more anyway.

Bummer..... Yeah, I did the rental from Pittsburgh airport to Reagan airport, no issues at all. I did miss being able to take a nap on the train and not have to concentrate on the drive. But it wasn’t that bad looking back now. Just glad I had that option allowing me to do my bike tour!

Wondering if the new surface has been extended any since last September (2019). I believe it was maybe 17 mi near Brunswick (can’t remember). Anyone know?

New surface runs from edwards ferry up to shepherdstown.

I’m traveling through the area and have a road bike. Will this new surface be ok for a road bike? Thanks for any insights!

New surface is just fine on a road bike. Much smoother and without the mud/puddles of the old surface.

I am interested in riding this trail in May '21 and looking for info from anyone who has rode during this time frame.

I rode from DC to Pittsburgh between 5/14 and 5/21 in 2019. What information about that trip would you like?

I am going to be riding the GAP/C&O towpath in a few days and am trying to find information about the bike path options once I come to the end of the C&O in DC. My ultimate goal is to get as close to Manassas, VA as possible. Suggestions?

I have looked at Google Maps, the GAP website and searched this forum to find out how to bike from the Point to the GAP. Does the Three Rivers Heritage Trail connect these two? It appears on Google to do so. But, I have found directions which indicate that a biker needs to take Boulevard of the Allies to Grant to the GAP. Can any one offer more details?

The trails around Pittsburgh are like the roads in Pittsburgh. They change name every few blocks or miles. The link below shows the trails around downtown and Point State Park along the Monomgahela River in route to and are part of the overall GAP Trail to Cumberland. Sections of these trails a referred to as the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, the Eliza Furnace Trail, the Steel Valley Trail, the Youghiogheny River Trail, etc. You don't have to ride on the Boulevard of the Allies or Grant Street but the exclusive bike route leaving Point State Park is not particularly well marked. However, just ask someone in the park on a bike how to do so and you should be fine.


https://friendsoftheriverfront.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/FotR_SouthSideMap.pdf

Once you get to the trail headed for Homestead you're well on your way down the GAP.

Thank you for this clarification.

Each of my sources seemed to show a different discontinuity. As the PDF you provided shows (I had accessed it previously, perhaps from one of your earlier posts), there appears to be breaks in the trail just "upstream" from the park, at a point where the roads appear to be big limited access expressways. Looking at Google Maps satellite, there appears to be a break at the Smithfield Street Bridge. And then, from my search for directions, two different sources say to use the roads I mentioned above.

Again, thank you for the clarification. From what I could determine from all the sources, it looked like we could ride from the point to the Hot Metal Bridge on designated bike trails. But, I did not want to get surprised with a dead-end and have to back track to the park and take the roads.

Do you know why others suggest taking the Boulevard and Grant Street?

Until a couple of years ago, riders would indeed have to ride on the Boulevard of the Allies to get from Point State Park to Grant Street to get to the Three Rivers Heritage/Eliza Furnace Trail in route to the Hot Metal Bridge on the north side of the Monongahela River.

However a switchback bike/pedestrian bridge was built at Smithfield Street to get from the Mon Parking Wharf at river elevation up to street elevation to Grant Street via a dedicated bike/pedestrian lane.

The trick is to get from Point State Park to the Mon Parking Wharf. There is a bike path to do so and thereby avoid the city streets but it is not well marked. You can see it in the Google Maps satellite image as it is labelled Three Rivers Heritage Trail and passes under the highway and bridge overpasses as you approach the Mon Parking Wharf.

If you are anxious about getting out of town efficiently and safely, I'd be more than happy to meet you at the Point and guide you out of town. I typically ride through that Park each day anyway.

Rivnuts,

I always wondered why the signage is so poor coming in and out of Point State Park.

I realize there could be difficulties getting this done as it’s a state park and they likely have tougher guidelines and restrictions about the placing of public signs. The pinch point that goes under the Ft. Pitt bridge should be a focus of theirs. I could imagine how confusing it is for first time tourists. I live here and sometimes I get confused! :-)

Same with the C&O Canal. You get to the end of the “trail” in Georgetown but are still short 0.3 miles of the Mile 0 post. No signage at all to tell you. I had to rely on a YouTube video to get me there.

Do you know who could be asked or approached? Friends of the Riverfront? PA State Parks? Bike Pittsburgh? I would love to get the conversation started. I wonder if it’s been brought to their attention? I’m sure it has but you never know.

John

John W.

Some simple painted green arrows like the path from the Smithfield Street Bridge to Grant Street would be enough to get you headed into that narrow chute to the Mon Wharf from the Park. Likely too much bureaucracy. I know that various approvals were required to get the plastic mile markers installed in and about the city where the stone markers cannot be installed such as on walkways and bridges. Apparently the necessary approvals have still not been received because those mile markers have yet to be installed.

Maybe someone with a GoPro could shoot a short video of the route out of Point State Park that could be put on YouTube and referenced to those firsttimers needed assistance.

Rivnuts and John W.

Thank you for the information. Our plan is to be dropped off at The Point Park Tuesday morning. Any suggestions for drop--off? I assume we can do pull into the parking lot at Commonwealth Pl and Fort Pitt Blvd? Or in front of the Wyndham? There will be three of us unloading from a pickup truck.

From looking at Google Maps and the satellite view, I feel confident that once at the park we can find our way. It was helpful to read that there are two levels of bike path and we need to be on the lower level next to the river.

Again, thank you for the information. It was helpful and reassuring that if we follow the bike trail from The Point State Park, it does go through and is complete to the Hot Metal Bridge.

I am really excited to start our ride on Tuesday. And am excited to see the GAP Trail.


John W.
I agree with you on the end of the C&O Canal. I rode from Cumberland to Georgetown a couple of years ago, and ended up on a public street in Georgetown, not really knowing what happened to the C&O Canal trail. On this trip I hope to find the both ends of these trails. If not, I guess I will have to come back again...

Biker Dave, here’s the video I found years ago to get me from the “end” of the trail in Georgetown to the Thompson Boat Center and the Mile 0 marker: https://youtu.be/9kzs51zRsSY Once I saw this, it was easy to locate. Still bugs me that they don’t have any arrows or signs!

Also, you are correct about the drop off point at Point State Park. Anywhere along Commonwealth Pl or in front of the Wyndham will do, that’s where I was dropped off one time I did the trip. And with almost no one working downtown due to the pandemic, car traffic should be way down.

After exchanging remarks with John W regarding the lack of adequate trail marking to exit Point State Park in Pittsburgh to avoid riding on the Pittsburgh streets, I made a homemade video of that route. It illustrates the exit out of the Park, the ride along the Monongahela River, the new switchback bridge up to street level and the path to and across Grant Street to continue down the GAP. While it is certainly not professional quality, it does show that route as I rode it recently. Perhaps it will help those looking to do so for the first time. The video can be found at:

https://youtu.be/BkoObWQqrag

So nice Rivnuts!

Thank you so much for taking the time to record and post this video. This will be extremely helpful for those new to the area and those not exactly sure where to go.

John

Wow! The video is very helpful. I am not sure I would have taken the right turn under the interstate....

Thank you for your help and advice.

Indeed, finding and following that narrow path out of Point State Park onto the Monongahela Rver Wharf is the trick to getting out of town without commingling with city traffic. It should be much better marked. Glad the video helped.

Why don't riders use the Ft. Pitt bridge path which is nearest to the Point ? There is direct access from Ft. Pitt avoiding Pittsburgh center.

Roadrider:

I'm not sure I fully understand your question. You can indeed exit Point State Park by riding up onto the sidewalk portion of the Fort Pitt Bridge and avoid riding the streets of downtown Pittsburgh. (Note the downtown streets, notably the Boulevard of the Allies, are not unduly dangerous to ride. Whatever you do, don't get on the Fort Pitt Bridge roadway. That would be extremely dangerous for a cyclist.) Once across the bridge via the sidewalk you can wind your way down to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail on the south side of the Monongahela River and on through the so-called South Side section of Pittsburgh in route to the Hot Metal Bridge. This is not the formal route of the GAP on the north side of the river out of town but certainly doable. It can be a little confusing however as it winds around and through the Station Square shopping/restaurant area and adjoining industrial area. I've found many out-of-town riders lost and unable to find their way along this route. Its even difficult to describe this way out of town clearly enough for out-of-towners to do it successfully. That's probably the reason why riders don't use the Fort Pitt Bridge to exit the Park to get to the GAP Trail.

Roadrider:

I'm not sure I fully understand your question. You can indeed exit Point State Park by riding up onto the sidewalk portion of the Fort Pitt Bridge and avoid riding the streets of downtown Pittsburgh. (Note the downtown streets, notably the Boulevard of the Allies, are not unduly dangerous to ride. Whatever you do, don't get on the Fort Pitt Bridge roadway. That would be extremely dangerous for a cyclist.) Once across the bridge via the sidewalk you can wind your way down to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail on the south side of the Monongahela River and on through the so-called South Side section of Pittsburgh in route to the Hot Metal Bridge. This is not the formal route of the GAP on the north side of the river out of town but certainly doable. It can be a little confusing however as it winds around and through the Station Square shopping/restaurant area and adjoining industrial area. I've found many out-of-town riders lost and unable to find their way along this route. Its even difficult to describe this way out of town clearly enough for out-of-towners to do it successfully. That's probably the reason why riders don't use the Fort Pitt Bridge to exit the Park to get to the GAP Trail.

Rivnuts,
Yes, I agree with you. I was going to do the GAP ride this year until the virus struck and planned to use the Ft.Pitt bridge to the Three Rivers trail to the GAP. I followed the route from the Point start using google maps street view. My question is why a lot of posters on here don't plan to use the closest way out of the Point ?

Roadrider:

I can't speak for those riders that don't take the Fort Pitt Bridge to exit Point State Park to begin their ride on the GAP but I'll speculate on some reasons as follows:

1. Exiting the Park via the Fort Pitt Bridge is not the formal GAP route published in the various GAP Trail Guides and trail maps.
2. It is counterintuitive the head southwest out of town when the trail heads southeast.
3. They can't find the ramp to get up on the bridge.
4. The ramp to get up on the bridge is steep, albeit short, and may be difficult to ride up with a fully loaded bike for the casual rider.
5. The formal route is the shorter route.
6. They are afraid of heights. :-)

The exit out of the Park via the ramp to the Fort Pitt Bridge isn't any closer than the exit from the Park to the bike path that passes underneath the Fort Pitt Bridge onto the Monongahela River Wharf. Using that bike path out of town does not require any riding on streets or comingling with cars and thus avoids "downtown".

I've ridden both routes probably hundreds of times and exiting the Park via the Fort Pitt Bridge would not be my recommended route for new riders of the GAP. That said it is certainly doable if you choose to do so but you will spend a short distance on streets with motor traffic.

Rivnuts,
Thank you for your well detailed answer. I have only walked the paths in Pittsburgh center between trains and the closest bridge seemed convenient to the Point Park. I am saving your comments for my ride next year. Roadrider

The YouTube link below illustrates the exit out of Pittsburgh's Point State Park, the ride along the Monongahela River, the new switchback bridge up to street level and the path to and across Grant Street in downtown Pittsburgh to continue down the GAP. While it is certainly not professional quality, it does show that route as I rode it recently. Perhaps it will help those looking to do so for the first time. The video can be found at:

https://youtu.be/BkoObWQqrag

Thank you . This will be helpful.

Thank you . This will be helpful.

Thank you, Rivnuts. Great video information. I wish I had seen it three weeks ago when I was starting out for DC!! (I followed some bike path signs and crossed the river too soon, maybe on the Tenth Street Bridge??) I'll file your video away for my next trip.

Thank you for this video. It is very helpful.

Does this site allow for overnight parking? If not, where nearby allows overnightparking. We are planning on kayak camping.

I don't know about the legality of it but there should be plenty of space. That said, it's also pretty remote so be sure not to leave anything of value.

Where is there free long term parking on the trail closest to georgetown? I want to do the whole thing all the way to pittsburgh and take the train back to DC. Then I'll ride to my car.

I biked Pittsburgh to DC 2 weeks ago. I parked at Great Falls Tavern, MD (then biked to DC Reagan National Airport, rented a car, drove to Pittsburgh, dropped the car off in downtown Pittsburgh, rode to Point State Park and then back to my car at Great Falls). Parking at Great Falls Tavern is plentiful and free. If you alert the NPS either online or at the entry gate, you'll feel better about leaving your car.

I considered Amtrak, but recent info made me wonder how that would work out. It sounds as if the bike racks aren't currently being used, but bikes are laid down in the baggage cars. There have also been recent notices on the Amtrak site about possible bus transfers due to construction if the train got behind schedule by more than an hour. Too many unknowns for me. Good luck and enjoy the trails.

Are the pumps open from Cumberland to Hancock? I am planning on a overnight trip with my dog and planning with regate to the amount of water.

Dave - The pumps are working but I would bring enough water on your person to reach the next town because sometimes the park service tests the water and if it’s not up to standard, they remove the handles.

I would say always carry enough for emergencies.

Good luck,
John

Does anyone have a sense of the current conditions (Aug 5th) between Georgetown and Harper's Ferry after TS Isaias? My son and I have been planning on riding/camping it starting tomorrow through Sunday but if conditions are bad we'd postpone.

Posting at a request and to offer up a trail report to anyone interested. This was mid July 2020.

@John W. from Pittsburgh, PA -- It was really nice. Typical, I had planned on doing about 50 miles each day. I arrived in PGH on Tuesday evening and stayed [w/ permission] at the Marriott Courtyard in Homestead ["trailhead parked" in my van] and had permission to leave vehicle there for days.

Wednesday morning I rode without packs into PGH on the south-side and arrived at Point Park for "official" start and headed back on the north-side, the official GAP trail route. Stopped at my van, loaded up packs and headed out. Made good time into West Newton where I intended to find dinner before camping at Cedar Creek Trekker Campground. Grabbed dinner at the Burger place in West Newton [not great] and when I jumped on my bike the chain broke! [Note: I knew I was having a bit of an issue even before leaving. I had taken the bike into a bike shop in Rochester that replaced my bottom bearing. However, I didn’t think that the issue with shifting was properly addressed.] It was minutes after 5:00 PM and I thought I would be stranded, but thankfully West Newton Bike Shop answered the phone, was only a few blocks away and was open until 7:00 PM.

I cannot praise the shop, and specifically the tech named Jerimo enough. What great service and dedicated perfection! Admittedly, I was now able to better describe my problem now that I had miles ridden. Ended up with a new cassette, chain and middle chain ring [my influence on the latter to make it right]. Jerimo did the work and then spent at least 20 minutes testing and fine tuning everything. Even better, I felt I got fixed up for a *very* reasonable price. The bike now rode perfectly. I’d recommend this shop wholeheartedly to anyone needing service or parts [or new bikes as limited as the supply is these days]. It is a nice shop.

Onto Cedar Creek -- great campground, shared some area with a couple guys who were hiking and biking and had an enjoyable evening. Complete with free split firewood there to use. Enjoyable evening, decent outhouse and water source.
Day miles: 52

Next day on the trail [Thursday]. Stopped by a trail-side stop about 4 miles down where I was served a great breakfast and treated to some fresh fruit & veggies. Mid-day I linked up with a fellow biker [Logan, from Dayton, OH] who was nearly finished with his bike trek from Seattle, WA to DC! We rode about 20 miles together and enjoyed sharing stories. We avoided any rain in the hot and mostly overcast day, and parted as I arrived at the Outflow Camping Area… he looking to put more miles for that day. Overflow area was excellent – nice camping area, nice bathhouse with showers and a burger/ice cream place right outside the campground. Enjoyed some fellow biker company, but rain and a pretty heavy downpour made for an early bedtime! I had taken a back-up bivouac tent that leaked a bit… nothing bad, I can deal with things. The trail is in really nice shape and we even ran into workers laying down new trail surface.
Day Miles: 43

Friday – got packed up and went into Confluence for breakfast. Gas station with homemade cook-to-order meals was really good. This is a really interesting part of the trail with lots of highlights. Rockwood trailhead was really nice – a fine example of what can be done. The Mason Dixon Line, the Salisbury Viaduct and several tunnels keep the trek up to the Eastern Divide fun. I was planning to stop over in Frostburg at the Trail Inn Campground, but decided that adding 14 miles downhill wasn’t a big deal so I continued *down* into Cumberland. I bought a room at the Radisson, had a delightful Italian dinner in town and did a bit of exploring.
Day miles: 64

I had purposefully left an extra day open in case there was some emergency that tied me up – I didn’t want to miss the only train that had a bike rack that I had paid for. Bike racks on the train sell out. I spent Saturday cruising around Cumberland – quite the interesting town with lots of history. I had my gear stored at the hotel, so I picked it up and headed to the train station around 6 PM. The train is really nice, clean and surprisingly quite. When I arrived back in PGH, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. However, I felt comfortable locking my bike at the train station. There was a rack in the employee parking area that was very secure looking. Locked up, took my bags and called an Uber back to Homestead. Unloaded and drove back to the train station, picked up my bike and was on the road.

Overall… I had a great time. I didn’t have a lot of time to do a lot of research so I was just focused on doing the ride. Comparing it to the Erie Canalway, I found it to be much more rural in nature. The campground options were excellent and easy to use. The trail is in excellent shape [although I understand the C&O is different and not as nicely cared for]. The Erie puts you closer to and through more small towns and eventually in an urban area, and the bike path isn’t in as nice of shape in different parts. So, hey – that’s why you get out and do them both!

WNYBubba,

What an amazing recap! Really enjoyed your story and sharing it with us here on this forum.

Glad you got your chain sorted in West Newton. Cedar Creek might be the best free campsite on the trail (Connellsville is nice also). The free, split firewood is a such a nice touch. On my trip I stayed at Roundbottom. A lovely site but it’s a bit more rustic than Cedar Creek. I had to walk up and down the trail to find wood on the edges of the trail as there zero wood inside the campground. But it’s all worth it for that campground fire.

Was that downhill to Cumberland nice or what? : - ) From the view of the mountains, the tunnels, and the mason dixon line, and the gradual downhill, there may not be a better section of trail than the continental divide to Cumberland.

If your ever back in the Pittsburgh area for a ride, make sure to let us know on this forum. Happy to meet up and give you a tour around or provide assistance on your way out of town. Others have done so on this forum. Thanks again!

John

Thanks John.
A couple thoughts... turns out that the Overflow campground was also without charge. There is a small fenced area that is not reserved that doesn't carry a camp fee. So, only paying $80 hotel for four days out was quite the bargain [although my Erie tour was even less]!

Agree that the Eastern Divide is an awesome part of the trail. I thank you for giving me a heads up about the down into Cumberland -- it was motivation for my decision to continue on. What surprised me was that it wasn't a crazy, fast coasting ride. In fact, I had to keep peddling the entire way down. Not hard, but the grade is quite mild.

Lastly, the firewood was great. But, this past late winter I was up in Vermont spending the weekend with hiking friends at a hut on the AT. I learned about a great fire-starter and wanted to try it out myself. I worked amazingly fine! Here's the deal: you pack cotton balls into a small container [I used a metal tin] and then smother it with Petroleum Jelly. Wow -- it does the job. The petroleum is flammable and one or two balls provides a long hot flame to get the fire going.

Thank you for the kind invitation. I'm returning one... if you get into western NY or, better yet, make some plans and come up and do some riding!

According to my map, the last free campground is at mile 15. Can anyone who has ridden in that area please verify this?

Swains Lock, mile 16.6 is the closest (or last depending on direction). Please check if it’s open though, due to Covid restrictions. Last I checked, and it’s been a month since I last looked, it was the only one still closed after all of the others opened back up.

After that, Horsepen Branch, mile 26.1 is the next closest.

Swains Lock is also one of the few Hiker/Biker sites that can be reached by car so it can be noisier and more crowded. Horsepen Branch is only accessible by bike or foot so it will be quieter.

John

Is Steve's place still open? Are they still accepting guests?

I had the same question, the numbers listed on their webpage all ring to dead numbers.