C&O / GAP Forum

News article confirms forum discussion from a couple weeks ago...

Harpers Ferry, W.Va., footbridge is closed indefinitely after December train derailment

Washington Post, 2.21.2020

A footbridge used by hundreds of thousands of hikers each year to cross the Potomac River in Harpers Ferry, W.Va., is closed indefinitely, National Park Service officials said.

The pedestrian path was damaged two months ago when a CSX freight train derailed on the tracks next to it.

...

Full text of article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2020/02/21/harpers-ferry-footbridge-remains-closed-indefinitely-following-december-derailment/

Thanks for passing that along Ray.

I wonder how long this downed connection from the C&O to the town of Harpers Ferry will last? Hopefully a solution will be found soon.

As of now it looks like I’d make Shepherdstown my sleeping destination when in this area.

John: If you truly would prefer to stay in the Harpers Ferry area and the pedestrian bridge is still closed, you might want to consider the Hillside Hotel in Knoxville, MD. I stayed there a few years ago. It is/was older and rather modest. There was a decent restaurant across the street as well. It is also an uphill ride from the trail up Sandy Hook Rd. It is about 2 miles from the trail at the pedestrian bridge.

Interesting suggestion Rivnuts. The location certainly would work.

How did you reach town from the trail? Can you access the Sandy Hook bridge from the trail, it’s really high up there?

Oh I see it now. Looks like you have to exit at Knoxville and get to Sandy Hook. Doable mileage for sure though. I will definitely consider this.

John

John: You can get onto Sandy Hook Rd readily from the trail. Then take Sandy Hook Rd up to Keep Tryst Rd. No way, need or desire to get up onto Rt 340. I suggest you call ahead to ensure the "hotel" is open. It was a low budget/cost operation but it was clean and quiet as I recall.

Hillside Hotel is still open.

I stayed there twice during my up and back DC to Pittsburgh this year.

It seems to be thriving.

And Yes I give a hearty thumbs up to the Guide House Grill Across the street.

And for those who wish, there is a well stocked liquor store just next to the Hillside in case you need a sip of medicine during your travels.

Oh yeah another thing...
You can access Keep Tryst Rd from the C&O canal at approximately mm58. Look for the sign directing you to the Appellation Trail as it leaves the C&O and goes up the hill.
After crossing the train tracks go to your left on Keep Tryst Rd. It is 1.8 miles to the Hillside Hotel.

Thanks to both of you for the directions and suggestions. I can clearly see the Keep Tryst Rd, Appalachian Trail, and the hotel clearly on Google Maps now. It all makes sense.

I would definitely book the hotel before committing to that ride into town. With HF potentially inaccessible, this hotel might see a huge uptick in guests.

So cool it has a restaurant across the street as well as a liquor store next door. What more does a touring cyclist need?! ; - )

Can we stay overnight at Dravos landing with our motor home

If you are referring to the trailside camping area at the historic Dravo Cemetery, then no. There is no motorized vehicle access to that camping area. There is a vehicle parking lot at the river launch area at Buena Vista and at Boston which are on either side if Dravo Cemetery. However, there is not typically over night parking at either and would likely result in a visit from the community police during the night if parked there all night without any prior notification of your presence.

Does anyone have any updated information on the temporary crossing at the Brunswick culvert washout. I heard that it was underwater the past few days and really took a beating. Is it still passable.

Here's what it looked like a few weeks ago, it's pretty deep still

https://i.imgur.com/PZ21XsC.jpg

Two part question:
First, I am thinking of renting a car in my home town (Pgh) and doing a "one way" car drop-off in Washington (since my wife is getting tired of driving me there). I know a big fee is charged for that but that's ok. I considered the train but it doesn't get to DC until the afternoon so I burn a day. Does anyone know which car rental company will allow a drop-off closest to Mile 1 of the C & 0? Enterprise has a drop-off location at Union Station and that's what I will probably go with if no better/closer location is found.
Second, has anyone stayed at Rockwood Manor in Potomac MD (around mile 14)? Are they bike friendly and is it easy to get to on a bike from the towpath.

Union Station is about 4 miles from The C&O Towpath Milepost 0 at the Thompson Boat Center and 5 miles from Reagan International Airport which would be another potential rental car drop off location. You can ride the Mt. Vernon Trail for much of the way from the airport to Milepost 0. There is also an Enterprise Car Rental location on Calvert Steet in the Georgetown section of DC and is about 2.5 miles from Milepost 0.

If you are spending the first night in Potomac MD, it would seem that you would have plenty of time to take the train to Washington's Union Station which arrives from Pgh around 1:05 p.m. and get to Potomac MD. It's less than 20 miles from Union Station to Potomac...so, say, about 2 hours. Depending on what time of year you are going you could make it to White's Ferry/Leesburg (40 miles) before dark.

Hey Rivnuts, good point about just taking the train. Had hoped to camp at Chisel Branch first night so that might work in early June. Thanks.

I camped at the Chisel Branch H/B camp a couple of years ago. All I seem to recall is that it was rather buggy. In early June you can ride til around 9:00 pm which gives you lots of time to get there from Union Station unless the train is unusually late. You'd even have time to stop in Georgetown for a late lunch or pick up something to eat at Chisel Branch.

The car rental place at Calvert St is 2.3 miles from Towpath mile 0, and the entire 2.3 miles can be done on the Rock Creek Trail (paved and all downhill). Rock Creek Trail runs right by the car rental doors and ends at Mile 0. They open at 7:30am which means I will have time to bike to Shepherdstown instead of a half day to Chisel.

How are the roads and the bridge to Shepherdsville from the C&O Canal Trail? Is it safe to cycle?

I presume you are referring to "Shepherdstown". The route from the C&O Towpath to Shepherdstown across the Hwy 34/Shepherdstown Pike bridge is reasonably safe. First, the car traffic across that bridge is generally not very heavy. Second, you can ride the sidewalk along the road rather than the road itself if you so choose. There is little pedestrian traffic on sidewalk even as it passes along Shepherdstown University.

Note that the route from the Towpath to the bridge above is not well marked and can be easily missed if you are not aware or looking for it. It is a switchback path that begins on the upriver side of the bridge before you get to Lock 38. You can see it clearly in Google Maps' satellite view.

My brother and I are doing the GAP Easter weekend. We are going to take the Capital Limited from Cumberland to Pittsburgh on April 8, but the train doesn't arrive in Pittsburgh until almost midnight. Are there nice hotels near Union station? What are our best options for safely arriving to lodging that late at night?

I stayed at the Hampton Inn on my way south. Bike friendly and 3 blocks away, well lighted.

Hampton inn, Marriott courtyard, & Westin are all with in 1 block of the station.

There is a Homewood Suites about the same distance as the Hampton Inn from the train station.

Is the pedestrian bridge open at Harpers Ferrt

. . . sorry "Ferry" - we are biking the C & O and have reservations in town. Are there alternative ways to get into town via bike?

Not open yet and no ETA.

I'm planning a ride from Pittsburgh to DC in the spring. I have a week off of work in mid April. Is that too early in the season to complete the ride in its entirety? Just thinking about trail conditions, etc. Thanks!

That may depend on whether you plan to camp or lodge along the trail. The average high and low temperatures in April are 61 and 41 while they are 72 and 52 in May. Hence the nights in April can be quite cool for camoing and there is a chance of snow, especially in the higher elevations in mid-April. A mid-May ride has a higher probability of being more enjoyable. It also precludes having to carry both warm and cold weather clothes and gear. The likelihood of rain is about the same but it is much more tolerable at higher temperatures.

I faced the same issue last spring and ended up waiting until early May and a week with little or no rain forecast. Doing so made for a pleasant trip, albeit with some unrelated mechanical issues.

I'm looking at May 17-20, this is great information as I was wondering about if that would be to early or not.

Hi, my friend and I did the C&O in mid-May last year and it was great. As long as you go after the water pumps are turned on, I think an early spring ride is nice. There weren't too many other bikepackers on the trail, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. We were hammock-camping (with underquilts) so having our pick of trees at the hiker-biker campsites was ideal. It rained a bit before we got there so the trail was definitely muddy at the start, but I think that can happen in any season on the C&O.

Hi, my friend and I did the C&O in mid-May last year and it was great. As long as you go after the water pumps are turned on, I think an early spring ride is nice. There weren't too many other bikepackers on the trail, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. We were hammock-camping (with underquilts) so having our pick of trees at the hiker-biker campsites was ideal. It rained a bit before we got there so the trail was definitely muddy at the start, but I think that can happen in any season on the C&O.

Sounds great, I'll be hammock camping.. I'm ok alone, hoping one of my friends will join me though..

I'm riding from Pgh to DC this year. I am stopping in Shepherdstown for my last stop and was planning on riding from there to DC the following day. How feasible is that plan? It'd be 73 miles on the
C & O. Should I break that up into a two day ride given the terrain? If so, where would you recommend stopping for the night between Sherpherdstown and DC? I'm staying in B&B's/hotels along the way so won't have camping equipment. Thanks so much!

The terrain is not an issue as that segment is virtually flat. Weather conditions, notably rain before or on that day would influence the effort and enjoyment required over that last 73 miles.

While I don't know what your previous day's plan/mileage, you could consider going on to Whites Ferry/Leesburg to spend the night. In doing so, your final day into DC would be a short 35 miles. If you have flexibility you could make that decision at the time based on the weather and your condition near the end of your trip.

Note if you stay in Leesburg, you can normally get a shuttle from Whites Ferry to/from the hotel in Leesburg,

I have in years past done this and my logic was that I was fresher on the first day and then push it through the second day. Which was successful.That plan does not, in my opinion, leave a lot of time for sight seeing but that is a matter of personal preference.

I'm planning on staying at the Town's Inn in Harper's Ferry. Has anyone stayed there before? Was there a place to lock your bike up on the premises?

I'm also dreading the road section that will need to be ridden to now get into the town. Has anyone who has previously ridden it, have any insight? I am comfortable on the road with traffic. I just want to make sure it's relatively safe.

Thanks!

my wife and i stayed at townes inn in harper ferry a couple of years ago.we had an awful expierience that started with a room that had a doorknob with a lock that didnt work! we stayed anyway but i could go on and on..i will also add that this is my first post on this forum..i am posting this to suggest other lodging options.

If I were riding theGAP/C&O, which I've done twice, including last summer, I'd adjust my route to stop in Sheperdstown. Nice town, lots of infrastructure for food and lodging, easy access, and you'd begin the next day on a great stretch of improved trail.

I've not stayed at the Town's inn, but I have had brunch there when bikers were leaving. This was several years ago. They were quite pleased with it. At that time, it had some of the better food in town. I don't know about safekeeping for your bike, but I assume they can do that. You might call.
This article from the Shepherdstown paper a day ago says they are still bickering over repair of the bridge. http://www.shepherdstownchronicle.com/page/content.detail/id/518616/Harpers-Ferry-council-receives-update-on-pedestrian-bridge-status.html?nav=5127 It says Harpers Ferry is thinking of running shuttles. You might want to see if you can get a cab or Lyft to pick you up at Sandy Hook and take you and your bike to Harpers Ferry. It's only three miles. But for the facts that there are no shoulders on the Potomac Bridge and the road is narrow and very busy, it would be an easy bike ride from Sandy Hook. I would not advise that. There are back roads in Virginia from Shepherdstown. I don't know what they are like, but there is a good bike shop in Shepherdstown. You might want to get their advice. They do proivde shuttle service to their rental customers but not as far as Harpers Ferry.

I just checked Google Street View. There is a walkway along the Potomac Bridge at Sandy Hook, but it doesn't do you much good because there isn't much of a shoulder along parts of 340. You should do a Street View from Sandy Hook to Harpers Ferry and see how comfortable you'd be riding that. I wouldn't be.

I rode Rt 340 from Harpers Ferry Road (Rt 671) on into Harpers Ferry coming from the WOD Trail in Purcellville, VA. The traffic on Rt 340 was heavy and fast including semi trailer trucks. There was a rather wide, paved shoulder for most of the length although there was gravel and debris on the shoulder in some areas.

While I ride a lot of roads, Rt 340 was one of my least favorites. Would I do it again...perhaps if the adventure requiring it was greater than the risk in doing so and that is a personal evaluation each of us must make.

Thanks for all of the feedback. I've adjusted my itinerary and will stay in Shepherdstown instead. It'll be a bit of a long day into DC the following day, but it seems like the better option.

Shepherdstown is an excellent choice, I have stayed there on multiple occasions and after you climb the LONG hill from the trail to the road that quickly leads into town you take a right to one of the hotels which is right next to a self serve car wash ( which can be helpful if the trail is muddy) and a shopping center where a grocery store is located for a cheap meal. There is also, as you get onto the bridge that crosses the trial, the Bavarian Inn before you get into Shepherdstown which overlooks the Potomac River. Just suggestions.

My son-in-law is staying in Harpers Ferry this weekend, albeit not at the Town's Inn, so I asked him to look at the place while there. He sent me a picture taken today of the front of the Inn. There is a wrought iron fence or railing in front of the Inn to which bikes could be locked. There appears to be a few rental bikes located inside that railing although I can't tell from the picture if or how those bikes are locked up.

Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown is a great place to stay. They are a little pricey and you will need to make your reservations early because they fill up quick. You can chain your bike up outside or they will lock it away for you. Bikes not permitted in rooms. They have a pretty good restaurant on site, and a bike cleaning station for mud cleanup. Its just across the river from the trail, and the best thing is its all downhill to the trail the next morning. (Of course that means its all uphill as you drag in from DC)

I'd affirm the decision to stop in Shepherdstown. 4 of us rode the trail last summer and stopped for breakfast in Harpers Ferry. Not wanting to carry everything up the stairs on the Maryland side, we ditched our panniers in the woods, and carried our bikes up. After breakfast, and upon returning to the W Va side of the bridge, we were informed that it was closed for repairs. There was no sign on the Maryland side informing us of this. NPS was adamant that we could not cross on the bridge, and a somewhat animated discussion ensued - at one point we said that we were just going to take the road back. NPS said that we really shouldn't be doing that and to their credit they did eventually rustle up a van and a pickup and they shuttled us and our bikes back to the Maryland side of the bridge. As we were riding in the shuttle we were all looking at each other and agreeing that the ride on that road would have been absolutely awful. I remember a pretty nasty hill on the W Va side, and absolutely no shoulder on the long bridge.