C&O / GAP Forum

Completed 6 day solo trip from DC to Pgh today. Great weather, great trail conditions. Hate the compacted gravel surface from Shepherdstown to Cumberland (snap-crackle-pop on my tires continuously) but the rest of the trail was great. Newly resurfaced between mile 30 and Shepherdstown to look like the crushed limestone on the GAP. Very smooth ride on that section. A few campers after Calico, but very few thru bikers on the trail. Most everyone wore masks until around Shepherdstown, then it tapered down to around 10%-20% with masks the rest of the way. No pump handles on anywhere, but port-o-potties were all open although there were signs on them up until Calico that they were out of service. The big hill between Cumberland and Savage tunnel nearly did me in but I survived. Stayed in hotels 5 nights. Being as old as I am, this was very tough for me, but the satisfaction of completing the entire C&O/GAP is very much worth the pain. Coming into Pgh on Saturday I saw a great many bikes fully loaded and headed east, so I think the long awaited rush might have started. PS, don't pay any attention to the hand written signs on the WMRT saying "trail closed ahead use C&O bypass". Signs were put up for emergency tree removal and never taken down. The C&O towpath bug is totally out of my system (for now).

Thanks for the trail status update. I’m itching to make the trip again, How did yo get to DC to begin your ride?

The trail from Shepherdstown to Cumberland is a a different surface than that before Shepherdstown? Mile marker zero all the way to Shepherstown is completely resurfaced? Are their plans to do 1-30? We are planning a ride in October.
Thanks
Jim

Hi Rivnuts. To get to DC I got a rental SUV from enterprise. Picked it up on sunday at noon (they close at 1:00pm sunday) took it home, loaded up my bike and supplies and drove to Rockville MD sunday evening. Stayed at a cheap hotel in Rockville sunday night so that I would only need to drive half an hour Monday morning. My original intention was to make the 4hr 30 minute drive early Monday morning and then go directly to drop off point, but my wife did not think it was a good idea to get up at 2:00am, drive to DC, then do 76 miles on a bike so I stayed the extra night in Rockville. Monday morning, drove about 25 minutes to the suv drop-off location in Rosslyn VA (1560 Wilson Blvd). That's a good place to drop off because they have a early-drop-off lock box and they are only 0.8 miles from the trail across the Francis Scott Key Bridge and another 1.0 miles back-tracking to Mile 0 on towpath. All downhill too. They were pretty cheap too. $57 for one day, unlimited mileage, plus $24 to fill the gas tank back up. My first day was 73 miles to Shepherdstown (Bavarian Inn) so I needed to get an early start. All went well, except 73 + 3 is a little too much for me at this stage.

Hi Jim. The towpath surface between mile 0 and mile 23 is the old original hard-packed dirt and stone that's been there forever. I rode it in a heavy, three day rain 4 years ago and it was totally covered with water, but was still relatively solid. I doubt they are planning to update this surface any time soon because of the deep historical feelings that would cause a lot of opposition.
From mile 23 to mile 30 the trail is not as solid (not resurfaced) and had a lot of puddles and some mud but I was able to easily ride around them. The weather for my trip was perfect. I did not see a drop of rain and did not clean my bike at all.
From mile 30 to mile 73 the towpath was resurfaced with crushed limestone and was in perfect condition. This type of surface will generally hold up well even in moderate rain. Very smooth riding on this section.
From mile 73 to mile 184 it's pretty much hit and miss with most of the towpath resurfaced (I would guess a few years ago) with a very coarse gravel that is compacted to form a somewhat solid surface but very noisy (snap-crackle-pop) and rough on your tires. I did not like this surface at all and always worried about getting a flat tire but never got one. It's definitely better than the mud that was once there but it needs to be upgraded to crushed limestone. Some areas here have the compacted stone upgrade but other areas are still basically unimproved dirt.
Other misc stuff: the Brunswick washout bypass at mile 55 was in good shape and water level was low so no problems here. There was a small washout at the slackwater concrete towpath (I think around mile 86??) that you need to walk your bike through. Inconvenient but doable. I used the WMRT path that runs parallel to the C&O for 10 mile east and 12 miles west of Hancock MD. This is an asphalt paved bikeway that is a welcome temporary relief from the rough C&O.

Thanks for filling me in!

Oh man Telo, your recap has me salivating to get out and do my trip to DC!

I think I’m shooting for late June now. Gonna do the GAP/C&O and get off at White’s Ferry and take the W&OD to DC. I always get on the WMRT when I see it...such a relief! I believe they have extended the WMRT a little so there’s a bit more asphalt. I’ll take Amtrak back to PGH.

Curious to see the improvements with the C&O surface as you’ve described.

Has anyone stayed in a hostel in DC? Or found reasonable hotel prices just outside DC but somewhat within reasonable distance of Mile 0? My trip is all camping except I was thinking of staying an extra day in DC and need reasonably priced accommodations. I want to cycle around DC a bit.

John

Thanks for the information. Now to sit down and really plan my Pgh to DC trip.

Hi John W.-- Stayed at the HI Washington DC Hostel last summer. About $35 per night. Bike storage out in the courtyard or inside a shed in the same courtyard. Clean and safe if you don't mind dormitory style.

Have also stayed at the Motel 6. About $90 per night. Not fancy but clean and safe.

Warren - Thanks for the hostel suggestion! I’ll definitely give it a look.

I haven’t travelled since the country went on Covid restrictions but I was just looking at the Arlington/National Airport area for hotels just to see prices. Some of the hotels I’m seeing are as low as $59-$63. Looks like they’ve lowered prices to entice reservations so I might go ahead and just reserve it. I was put off by the much higher prices I saw two years ago in DC as some were $175-$250 a night which is what initiated my hostel inquiry. Plus I’m camping the whole way except the end at DC so it not like one night at a hotel will blow up my budget :-) I’ll also look to see if other areas In DC have similar prices.

John

Telo:

Your one-way car rental was very competitive with Amtrak. I may have to consider that rather than kangaroo the train. Could likely drop it off at Reagan Airport as well. It's easy enough to get from the airport to the C&O albeit a lttle further away than Roslyn.

That new surface at Shepherdstown did not appear to be crushed limestone when I rode it last year as it appeared to be a black aggregate rather than white like limestone. Regardless, it had the same consistency and indeed was a much smoother surface.

Does anyone know what that actual material is if not limestone? (The anal ex-engineer in me would like to know. ??

Recycled grounded up road pavement with a binder.

Telo how did you handle water? My wife and I have a trip planned next week but the lack of water is among our concerns. Our current plan is to camel up in towns.

Took Amtrak from Cleveland. It was great! Roll-on bike service, but only on some trains. Doing it again this year in reverse. DC Amtrak home.

BobtheBuilder:

Depending on how/if the bike touring crowd returns to the GAP/C&O, bike reservations on the return train from DC are generally more difficult to get than for the trip to DC. You may want to book those early if you know your travel plans.

I could have gotten a seat on Amtrak no problem but the roll on roll off bike service was sold out leaving DC the day I wanted. So I flipped my directions and am taking the Capitol Limited from Pittsburgh to DC and was able to secure a roll on roll off reservation. Going to go the reverse direction I wanted but hey, life will be good out in the trail!

As Rivnuts suggested, don’t hesitate booking your Amtrak bike service if that is your plan, they’re selling out quickly.

John

Got out on the GAP from downtown PGH today and went through to Homestead and back. Lots of locals out on bikes, dogs walkers, roller blades, etc. and even saw a few with packed panniers heading to Cumberland!

Does anyone know why this 1.1 mile section at the Waterfront is gravel when all the areas surrounding it on both ends are paved? It’s a fine surface just wondering why more than anything. Any plans to pave it?

John

I ride through the Waterfront nearly every day since I live in Homestead/Munhall. That segment of the Steel Valley Trail portion of the GAP has been that way since original and formal trail was completed. It can be very soft with puddles after it rains. On nice weekends like today it is a very crowded path and arguably dangerous with walkers, goat watchers, dogs, kids and Lance Armstrongs that want to ride 20 mph through there even with the pedestrians there.

I think it's actually safer to just stay on the road through the Waterfront or, better yet, ride the service road through the nearly empty parking lots and behind the businesses.

As for plans to pave that section, I'll ask members of the Steel Valley Trail Council the next time I see them working on the trail.

PS: The Pumphouse parking lot was reopened today after having been closed for several months. The restrooms at the Pumphose remained closed at this time.

I ride through the Waterfront nearly every day since I live in Homestead/Munhall. That segment of the Steel Valley Trail portion of the GAP has been that way since original and formal trail was completed. It can be very soft with puddles after it rains. On nice weekends like today it is a very crowded path and arguably dangerous with walkers, goat watchers, dogs, kids and Lance Armstrongs that want to ride 20 mph through there even with the pedestrians there.

I think it's actually safer to just stay on the road through the Waterfront or, better yet, ride the service road through the nearly empty parking lots and behind the businesses.

As for plans to pave that section, I'll ask members of the Steel Valley Trail Council the next time I see them working on the trail.

PS: The Pumphouse parking lot was reopened today after having been closed for several months. The restrooms at the Pumphose remained closed at this time.

I'm starting to plan a thru trip of both the Towpath and GAP and looking for recommendation as to which direction to travel. DC to Pittsburgh or Pittsburgh to DC?

This question comes up regularly. There is no standard or definitive answer. It depends on what is most important to you. Solely from a trail perspective, the main difference is the section of the GAP from Cumberland, MD to the Eastern Continental Divide. That section is 23 miles
long and is continuously uphill from Cumberland albeit at a modest 1 to 1.25% grade. Your choice of direction may depend on whether you want/can ride uphill or downhill on that section.

Aside from the trail itself, another issue for many riders are the logistics of getting to and from Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. Car, train or shuttle issues may dictate which direction is best suited for you.

Another issue that often dictates which way I ride it is the weather. The C&O Towpath is much less enjoyable in wet conditions.

I’m sure others on this forum will have additional thoughts as well.

Both directions are great!

I personally like to go Pittsburgh to DC. I live in Pittsburgh so it's kind of anti-climactic for me to arrive at something I'm familiar with...DC is somewhere I'm not from so it's kind of exciting to arrive there and see the buzz of the city and all of the sights.

The uphill on the GAP from Pittsburgh to the Continental Divide is barely noticeable. Then you are rewarded with 24 miles of downhill bliss at 1-2% grade to Cumberland. The C&O Canal from Cumberland to DC is very flat except for the locks where you get these little plunges down a few feet. Not much but at least you aren't going up them.

Others like the opposite direction because although they have to grind up the continental divide for 24 miles (really, it's not that bad), they feel the gradual downhill over 124 miles to Pittsburgh was worth the sacrifice and they expend less effort.

Not sure if wind is any factor. The trail meanders in so many directions and you are also covered by tree canopy in many places as well.

It's a great debate that always brings up many different answers but either way is fine.

Happy Riding!

To quote the Beatles "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah."

I believe that it is best to go from one end to the other.
Which end is more convenient to you to start-go do it.

Pittsburgh is vaguely at 1300 ft above sea level.
DC is vaguely 400 ft above sea level.

Most of the difference is between Cumberland and the continental divide.

In the end you got 300+ miles to get from here to there.

Enjoy the ride either way.

Pittsburgh elevation (at the point) is actually 721' above sea level and DC is 9' above sea level at C&O milepost 0. Don't know where you came up with those numbers. This means that the net elevation difference is negative 712' going from Pittsburgh to DC. It is generally accepted that Pittsburgh to DC is a bit easier mainly due to the significant drop in elevation from Frostburg to Cumberland.

John/Tom:

As fellow Yinzer's it might be enjoyable to get together sometime, on or off the trail, to share our experiences and stories about our trips along this trail.

Ted (Rivnuts)

Ok. I stand corrected on the elevation specs.
Like I said before, just do it.
It's a wonderful ride either direction.
It other news, although I live in Alexandria these days, I'm a yinzer too. Born and raised in Canonsburg.

Willy:

Given you are from Big Mac country you should, if you haven’t already done so, start or finish your next bike trip to/from home on the Montour Trail in route to/from the GAP Trail.

Yep.
Hendersonville (Tandem Connection) is 3 miles from my parents house.
I used to walk the Montour line when trains still ran on it.

Tandem Connection....best ice cream on the Montour Trail.

I agree with John from Pittsburgh, but in the opposite direction!
Living near and visiting DC a lot, I prefer to head towards Pittsburgh as west to east seems anti-climactic. Remember, the elevation gain is not that much and it's spread out over hundreds of miles. You really don't feel the elevation gain going west, at least up to Cumberland.

In terms of winds: generally, the prevailing winds are W-E, with some NW or SW variance. Sometimes it doesn't matter. One trip, I left Mt. Vernon in a 30 mph headwind. It didn't let up until I got to Brunswick where I camped. 70+ miles into that wind sapped me of any energy I had left!

In my opinion DC to Pitt is best.

But, you need to consider transportation back to/from your car, and cost of parking your car.

First. After many years of hiking and bikepacking I have found that you always want to ride/hike to your car. This gives you the option of speeding up or slowing down your trip by a day or so.

My favorite trip:
Stay at a Pittsburgh hotel near the train station that will allow you to leave your car behind for a week or so for free. (Hampton Inn)

Train to DC, arrive early afternoon.

Leisurely ride through DC and then ride 20-30 miles to a Hiker/Biker site

Get up in the morning and continue on the trail at your own pace.

Yes, there is one big hill in the middle. But it is a 2-3 hour push and then it is all down hill to Pitt.

Sorry I missed this. Tandem Connection is my closest parking area for all things Montour Trail. Would love a meet-up and ride!

John:

As the spring weather improves and the Montour dries out, I'll create a new thread on this forum to suggest when we can meet up for a ride. I can get to the Tandem Connection easily enough. Also, as a retiree my calendar and days are generally quite open.

Ted

Great! I wish I was retired! ;-)

Thanks Ted, looking forward to the trail/meet-up thread.

John

Rivnuts,

Let me know when you want to do a meetup at Hendersonville and ride some Montour Trail!

John

We rode through 2 weeks ago and Bills Place was closed up and for sale. Don’t count on getting food/drink there.

The fishing must have gotten better than the restaurant business. Bill's son who owned the place always would have rather have been fishing. I wonder who'll get all those dollar bills in the place?

Glad to say Bill’s is not closed. We talked to his son this past Sunday. They’re offering takeout only at present. He says the 4-sale sign is just a joke (unless someone made an offer he couldn’t refuse)

OK well that is good news, thank you for posting. I've added Bill's Place back into the listings.

Is Bill’s Place still closed on Monday’s and/or Tuesday’s?

I came across Bill's Place last July just as I was about to run out of water. Glad to hear it's still open!

According to the NPS website below, some of the campgrounds and H/B campsites are or are beginning to open as listed in specified northwestern Maryland counties.

https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

Various limitations and restrictions still apply.

Thanks Rivnuts.

Interesting opening. From the C&O site linked above, “Hiker-bike Campsites - open in Frederick, Washington, and Allegany Counties (Calico Rocks to Evitts Creek). Please bring your own water as pump handles will not be replaced and turned on at this time. Restrooms may be open and will be cleaned twice weekly. Please bring your own hand sanitizer, soap, and toilet paper as these items have been the subject of theft.“

Calico Rocks is Mile 47.6 and the closest to DC. The campsites are open all the way to Cumberland.

This is good news. I think I can begin to plan out my week long tour now! :-)

John

Huzzah! Let the planning begin.
The hard part will be explaining to the wife that I'll be leaving for awhile...

Don't tell her . She may never know you are gone. ??