C&O / GAP Forum

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Trail Completion Vehicle Meeting Place - Georgetown

Recalc from Kansas on 07/08/2024 10:57 AM

Plan to complete C&O at mile 0. What is an optimal meeting point and possible route for a vehicle to meet me upon completion? Driver will be coming from Great Falls area. Would like to minimize exposure to heavy traffic.

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 07/08/2024 11:47 AM

There is a pay parking lot adjacent to Thompsons Boat Center behind which is Milepost 0.

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Tagged: Thompson Boat Center

Ride completed 6/23-25/2024 - Thanks to all!

Straus Guide 80 from Thornton, CO on 06/28/2024 09:33 PM

Thanks to RivNuts and all the posters on this site for great information enabling me to plan and ride. Did Cumberland-Hancock-Harper's Ferry-G'town 3-day itinerary. Hot start day bit lots of shade. Trail conditions were better than expected with dry weather and little mud, mostly avoidable.
The resurfaced sections were great. The few detours were short and not a major chore. Water was a challenge. With the pumps at the HB overnighters signed as requiring treatment, they don't seem to be getting much use and the few I tried were really hard to pump. The potable water one at Paw Paw was fine. I needed someone to hold my water bottles to pump with 2 hands at 15 mile Creek. Surprised to find a nice spigot at Seneca Creek aqueduct. PortaPots were plentiful and clean. People along the trail were wonderful.

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 06/29/2024 04:48 AM

Glad to hear you had a good ride. The conditions you describe sound “typical” even with the fallen tree although maybe not 3 feet in diameter! Even the hard-to-use pumps sound normal. As for the non potable water therein now, I now carry a Sawyer filter for drinking water if needed.

You’ll have to come back a few more times to experience “atypical” conditions such as flood residue, steady rains, significant mechanical failures and lengthy detours which are all part of the adventure. You’ll also have to take more time to leave the trail a little and see the towns and sights along the way.

Curiously, what was your most memorable part of the trip?

Straus Guide 80 from Thornton, CO on 06/30/2024 10:39 PM

Rivnuts, I saw several river / towpath floods in the 70s and 1980. Glad one didn't happen this year. Lots of memorable moments from this ride - seeing the campsites, tunnel, Bill's Place and Sideling Hill Creek S.P. that I frequented 40+ years ago when adventuring with Scouts and then working as a canoe and backpacking guide for 4 summers based at the Straus Wilderness Area High Adventure base (now SHC S.P.). Lots of wildlife, too. Many deer, rabbits, squirrels, song and colorful birds, huge owl, fox, racoons, snakes and to top off the list, a big bear strolling up the towpath towards me a bit north of White's Ferry!

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Bright Morning Bed & Breakfast in West Newton

Terssa DelliSanti from Tobyhana, pa. 18466 on 06/25/2024 04:18 PM

the families are making plans for burials in West newton cemetery in AUG. WE would like to be together in one house. Please let me know if the main house is available 570-580-9104

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 06/26/2024 12:29 PM

Unless the hosts of the Bright Morning BnB are monitoring this forum, I don’t think the rest of us forum participants can answer your question. Of course, the best and most reliable answer to your question would come from the Bright Morning hosts by calling them at 724-872-0792 and/or going to their website at www.brightmorningbb.com. You can get some insight into your question at that website as it has a table of room/house availability for the future including August and then querying the hosts.

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Training

Andrew Kubala from Rising Sun, MD on 06/13/2024 08:27 AM

I am looking to complete the C&O/GAP ride from DC to Pittsburgh. I am new to Bikepacking and was looking for a training program to help me prepare.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

Also, has anyone completed the trail during the beginning of November?

Andrew from Pittsburgh on 06/13/2024 09:07 AM

I can't speak to riding in November or a formal training program, but in the lead up to the first time I rode the trail, I started increasing the length of our day rides on the weekends until we were doing back to back 40 miles Saturday and Sunday. We did this over a 3 month period starting with 20 mile rides. And the weekend before we left we did a 50 mile overnight to test out all of our camping gear. The main thing for me was to get time in the saddle. Compared to most of the riding I had done to that point, the pace was pretty low, so I could ride all day during the trip. We finished our ride that year with three ~70 mile days.

November will be wetter with shorter days, so you will need to factor both of those into your route planning. I don't recall when they close a couple of the tunnels for the winter, but you should look into that.

John W. from Pittsburgh, PA on 06/14/2024 09:57 AM

Just start getting in rides and slowly building up your miles. Your body will adjust and get stronger. Since its flat you don't have to worry about hill training. You will be doing between 40-60 a day on your tour.

November might be cutting it close. Big Savage Tunnel has been closing on Dec 1 the last few years but if winter strikes early they can, and have, closed it earlier and there's no real detour available if it happens. Snow is a real threat at the continental divide that time of the year.

Andrew is right, the days are shorter, wetter, and colder. November days just leave you with less and less daylight. My suggestion would be to bump your tour back to October. The beautiful autumn leaves might still be up or at least on the ground and you'll have more daylight and no tunnel closure. Temps will be so much more pleasant also.

Let us know how you get on.

John

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 06/16/2024 06:13 PM

To add to the earlier remarks and having ridden the trail in late October, there is the possibility of some cold days and nights and even some snow at the higher elevations. I camped in Meyersdale last year in sub freezing temps. Not the most enjoyable trip I’ve made on the GAP. However you must be prepared for such conditions if they arise.

As for training, the trip is to develop the strength not to just be able to ride 40, 50 or 60 miles a day but to be able to do so on multiple successive days. If possible try to do a shorter, say 3-day trip before taking on the entire trail. That will give feedback on what you need to do and not do for your longer trip.

Good luck.

Andrew Kubala from Rising Sun, MD on 06/19/2024 10:00 AM

This is all great feedback. Thank you. It looks like I will play it safe and plan for August.

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upscale? ride

RF from Downingtown PA on 05/22/2024 05:42 AM

Trying to plan a ride in Oct of 2025 for 6 couples from Pitt to DC. We would be hosting 5 couples from southern CA. I know that much of the ride is rural but looking for B&B or VRBO that could house us. Maybe a winery stop, maybe a nicer restaurant. Planning a stop at Fallingwater. We will have a SAG vehicle.

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 05/22/2024 07:27 AM

The first couple of places that came to mind could not accommodate six couples. One that would however would be the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown WV. You can check out its web site to see if it’s the kind of place that would be of interest to your group. Note that Shepherdstown is on the opposite side of the Potomac River from the C&0 Towpath Trail. It is readily accessible however via a switchback to reach the bridge crossing the river to the Inn.

Shepherdstown itself is a quaint small college town itself which is one of my favorite places along the route.

Hopefully, other forum readers are aware of others that serve your interests.

Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 05/22/2024 09:47 AM

Since you have SAG support you might want to investigate BnB's/VRBO's near Leesburg VA. I found one that sleeps 12 with a winery nearby. Once again however, Leesburg is on the opposite side of the river from the C&O. However with White's Ferry no longer operating, it is no long possible to cross the river there by bike or car.

If your SAG support can transport your bikes as well as your gear, then you could cross the river via one of the bridges either up or downstream of Whites Ferry to get to the Virginia side and one of the vacation rentals over there.

Robert Flagg from Downingtown on 05/26/2024 07:10 AM

Thanks for the help. I'll look into these and any other posts I get.

Robert Flagg from Downingtown on 05/26/2024 08:29 AM

Rivnuts, thanks. Bavarian looks like it might work well. Do you know the name of the B&B you stayed at. We're not opposed to getting off the trail for a while to get to the B&B.

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 05/26/2024 09:44 AM

Here’s the one I found online described as a Cozy Creekside Cabin with a Great Room outside Leesburg. It says there are wineries nearby as well. (Maybe not of California quality however.)

https://www.vrbo.com/3372620?chkin=2024-10-09&chkout=2024-10-10&adults=12&referrerId=HOT.HIS.Share.Landed.Copy_Link

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 05/26/2024 09:45 AM

To be clear, I myself have not stayed there.

TicoCharlie from Monroeville on 06/16/2024 10:57 PM

If you want to stay near Fallingwater, look up
www.paddlerslane.com
I booked the large house for my daughter but I know one of the owners, FYI.
Read the reviews. It is in Confluence.
Ask for Robin or Dan.

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closure

ez-does-it from Brick,N.J. on 06/05/2024 11:22 AM

Segment Closure Ready for July-October; Shuttle Planned
A 2.5-mile segment of the Great Allegheny Passage will be closed for a major underground pipeline replacement between Connellsville and Smithton starting July 8. A shuttle service for travelers and their bicycles will be provided by the Regional Trail Corporation between the hamlet of Adelaide (near Riveredge Road) and the parking lot near Dawson. Details on how to arrange a shuttle will be posted here as they become available. (Read more.)

Thought I would do a copy and paste from my email news update I get.

Ez-does-it

Anonymous on 06/05/2024 12:34 PM

Thanks for that additional information regarding this closure. Thus far I’ve not seen any estimated duration of the closure. Although it is a large (30-inch) gas pipe that is being replaced, I would not think it should require a long time to just to replace the portion beneath the trail itself…unless the trail s used for construction vehicles for much of the other length of pipe being replaced.

Cathy from Churchill from Churchill, PA on 06/08/2024 01:19 AM

Thank you for this report. I was hoping to ride in this area in the next month or so.

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Lodging between Harpers Ferry and end of C&O

Sherry from San Diego on 06/07/2024 04:39 PM

With Whites Ferry not currently an option for getting to Leesburg, What are riders doing for lodging between Harpers Ferry and the C&O terminus in Georgetown?

Thanks.

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 06/07/2024 07:59 PM

Aside from the Travel Lodge in Brunswick, MD, there are virtually no lodging locations between Harpers Ferry and DC and Brunswick is just a few miles beyond Harpers Ferry. There are reports that the owner of Whites Ferry has offered to donate the ferry to Montgomery County MD if they can reach an agreement with the VA property owners on the other side of the river. However, no progress in reaching an agreement to reopen the ferry has been reported to date. Hence, accommodations in Leesburg are still not easily accessible from the Towpath.

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DC Amtrack Station

Neil from Mt Pleasant, PA on 06/05/2024 01:16 PM

Can you ride your bike from mile marker 0 to the train station in DC

Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 06/05/2024 07:39 PM

Yes albeit on city streets. With proper planning, you can ride on city streets with designated bike lanes. If desired, you can ride through Mall with all of its monuments as well. As I recall, it is about a 3-mile ride.from MP 0 to the train station.

SF from DC on 06/07/2024 06:21 PM

It's an easy ride, as one commenter said, head down the path along the Potomac and then at Lincoln Memorial head down the mall by the reflection pool. It might be bit crowded with tourists depending on the time of day, but there are street routes too -- many options to get from Georgetown to Union Station.

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Week long parking

Mike H from Saranac Lake on 05/28/2024 01:22 PM

Looking for week long parking outside Washington and/or Pittsburgh and also near the Amtrak. WOuld like to ride in either direction and still catch the train back to my parked vehicle. Thanks all MIke

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 05/28/2024 08:55 PM

There’s a parking garage above the bus station in Pittsburgh across the street from thr Amtrak station.

Anonymous on 05/30/2024 06:56 AM

Although this isn’t next to the Amtrak station in DC, many people have parked at National airport and then rode the Mt Vernon trail to get to Mile 0 of the C&O in Georgetown to begin their ride.

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Fifteen Mile Creek construction - access to Little Orleans?

Straus Guide 80 from Thornton, CO on 05/26/2024 12:26 PM

With the construction at Fifteen Mile Creek, is there access from the C&O Canal towpath to Little Orleans and Bill's Place?

The detour map on the NPS site seems to indicate NO access with the detour being on the campground / boat ramp side of the canal.

I'm going back after many years and can't miss L.Orleans.

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 05/26/2024 06:29 PM

For what it’s worth, the following C&O Detour Information website states the following in and around 15-Mile Creek. No mention of closures in that area. There were no issues there last fall but I trust recent travellers through that area can provide an accurate and current account of the situation there, if any.

Polly Pond (MP 134.3)

Towpath Detour, The bridge across Polly Pond Creek is closed. All cyclists and pedestrians will be detoured to the Western Maryland Rail Trail between Lock 55 (mile 134.1) and Lock 56 (mile 136.2).

Fifteenmile Creek (MP 140.9)

Open, Campground.
Open, Parking lot.
Open, Boat ramp.

If you are specifically interested at stopping at Billl’s Place even though Bill himself is no longer there you’d do well to call ahead and make sure it’s open on the day you plan to be there.

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 05/27/2024 12:21 PM

On Bills Place Facebook page there is a picture post from 2 days ago that exclaims “The Bridge is Open Woohoo!”

Perhaps that is some insight into your question.

Straus Guide 80 from Thornton, CO on 05/29/2024 12:21 AM

Thanks Rivnuts! I looked at the N.P. website before I wrote that request. It changed the next day to "Open". Perhaps I'll ask about other detours and they'll open, too. :-)

I'm moving my start day from Cumberland up a day to Sunday 6/23 in hope that Bill's Place will be open and Jack Schoenadel will be there since it looks like it's usually closed on Mondays and Tuesdays even in the summer.

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Which Camps have Hot Showers on the GAP & C&O

Dany from West Bloomfield Township, MI on 04/20/2024 05:01 PM

Planning on riding from Pittsburgh (leaving Wed 05-22-24) towards DC (arrival on Sunday 05-26-24).
Which campsites have Hot Showers?

Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 04/20/2024 08:38 PM

The following campgrounds have hot showers:

Gap Trail Campground - West Newton, PA
Uniontown KOA - Connellsville, PA
Outflow Campground - Confluence, PA
Ohiopyle State Park - Ohiopyle, PA
Maple Festival Campground - Meyersdale, PA
Frostburg Trail Inn - Frostburg, MD
Cumberland YMCA - Cumberland, MD
C&O Bicycle - Hancock, MD
Brunswick Family Campground - Brunswick, MD

These are all pay-to-stay outdoor camping facilities. I'm unaware of any free campgrounds with hot showers. The campgrounds themselves and other amenities vary from site to site.

Other forum contributors may know of others in case I missed them.

Crazy Hiker on 05/19/2024 10:19 AM

I can only speak for the C&O since I've never been on the GAP.

None of the free hiker/biker campsites on the C&O have any type of shower facilities, and none of the drive-in sites along the towpath have showers either. The only amenities these sites have are water pumps, port o potty, table, and fire ring.

Only choice to clean up a bit is using the available water pump, or some of the places Rivnuts suggested. Note that at a lot of the sites, you have to pump the handle for a while before water comes out.

When I lived in Cumberland in the 90s and early 2000s, I biked the trail from Cumberland to the Paw Paw Tunnel every couple weeks, and the only pump that never worked for me was at the Potomac Forks site. It's been years since I've been there, so it's possible it could be working now. But always have back-up water with you in case a site doesn't have a functioning water pump.

Enjoy the ride!

Andy from Pittsburgh on 05/24/2024 09:25 AM

Fort Frederick State Park (downstream from Hancock) has outdoor showers (rinse off station) at one of the buildings across from the fort. Not heated, but may be nice to access if you are staying at one of the nearby hiker-biker campgrounds.

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Quality Inn Spring Mills - Martinsburg North in Williamsport

Chicken Little from Albuquerque on 05/18/2024 06:44 PM

Is the Quality inn Spring Mill an easy ride off trail?

Ray (webmaster) on 05/19/2024 11:46 AM

I'm glad you asked about that! I haven't been there, but looking at the map I'm pretty sure it's not easy to get to on bike.

We check our listings against Google, based on proximity to the trail. And in fact the Quality Inn Spring Mills is not far from the trail - but it's on the wrong side of the Potomac River. You would have to go way out of your way to get to a river crossing and the backtrack to the hotel.

I am dropping that business from the listings, because it's not practical for cyclists. Like I said, Google can tell us that a business is close to the trail, but in this case Google didn't understand the geographic barrier of the river.

Hopefully you can find something good from the many lodging options on the Williamsport side of the river.

Happy trails....

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 05/19/2024 12:04 PM

The easiest way to Martinsburg is by Amtrak. As Ray noted, getting there by bike from the C&O Towpath is not easy.

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shuttle

AWOL921 on 03/17/2024 11:42 AM

looking for suggested shuttle services. Planning to park in Cumberland and need to shuttle to DC to start

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 03/17/2024 04:50 PM

You might try Wheelzup Bike Shop in Cumberland and 2 Wheels Escape in Hagerstown.

You might want to consider Amtrak with their bike roll-on service. Just don’t wait to long to make such a train reservation to insure you can get the necessary bike reservation as well.

Barry from Hershey,PA on 03/18/2024 08:32 AM

The C&O Bike Shop in Hancock, MD also offers shuttle service to DC, Pittsburgh and all points in between. We have used them several times.

JJ -WHEELS from DC Area on 04/04/2024 12:22 PM

The Wheelzup place in Cumberland has a summer group shuttle that is highly reduced to $90/ person to Pitt, if there are 5 or more. I think just on Wednesdays. Norm rate is $365 or so

No such discount at C&O Bike Shop in Hancock.
$380 for 1-2 ppl & bikes.

AWOL921 on 05/04/2024 01:06 PM

shuttle cost are extremely high, looking to rent a car in Cumberland and dropping it off at Reagan international airport (DCA) hearing its a 5 mile ride to start of the trail. is this do able ??

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 05/04/2024 07:52 PM

It is quite doable. From Reagan Airport, you can ride the Mt. Vernon bike trail north then crossing eastward across the Potomac River via the Roosevelt Memorial Bridge. Once across the bridge you’ll pickup the Rock Creek Trail or on to Virginia Avenue to the Thompson Boat/Rowing center behind which is Mile Post 0 and the origin of the C&O Towpath.

You can follow these trails using Google Maps. Expand it as necessary to see the details supplemented by closeups using satellite view to see the land marks in route.

Book Club from Lehighton, PA on 05/16/2024 08:55 AM

Hello
Checking out this thread to get info. Great stuff. My group(the Book Club) just finished the Cumberland to Sharpsburg portion of theC&O. Great time! We like to finish our ride at our vehicle. Left cars in Sharpsburg & shuttled to Cumberland(we used wheels-up shuttle-wonderful!) Now I’m planning the next trip for fall. Sharpsburg to DC.
My question: how hard is it to pick up the Mt Vernon Trail N from the airport parking lot?
I think this would be a great add on portion to our trip & also solves the parking issue.
Thanks for any input.

Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 05/17/2024 04:49 AM

The Mt. Vernon Trail is adjacent to the airport’s West Entrance Road. The hardest part is just getting out of the airport itself.

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