C&O / GAP Forum

Hi, I'm looking at flying out and riding from Pittsburgh to DC, maybe as early as this Thursday. I fly space available so I often just need to wing it and not have detailed plans if flights have a bunch of open seats. I have a folding Dahon set up for touring and all supplies and camping gear ready to go. Is it going to be a problem to find camping along the way if I just show up in Pittsburgh at the airport and ride to the trail or trailhead and just head out? I'm figuring 40-50 mile days. Is it difficult to ride from the airport to the trail?
Thanks!

Not sure about the ride from the airport to the trail, but I'm sure if you search the forum you could find a post about that. As for camping...campsites are not as prominent on the GAP as they are on the C&O. We stayed at Cedar Creek which is a free campsite right on the trail, approx 40 miles from Pittsburgh. Once you reach the C&O, free hiker biker sites are available every 5-7 or so miles. I don't see you having any problem--enjoy your trip!

If you see heavy Grafitti near a Camp Site or close to it, move on to the next Camp Site further out. I wouldn't camp solo near a road juncture (unless there is a group of Campers sharing the same Camp Site). Never know who might show up in the middle of the night. Just sayin.

All good advice that also applies just about anywhere, thanks!

The campsite that fits your 40-50 mile destination on your first day from the airport is the Gill Hall campsite near mile 46 on the Mountour trail.
https://montourtrail.org/plan-a-visit/camping/
Here is a map of the Mountour trail
https://montourtrail.org/plan-a-visit/map/

We are leaving Pittsburgh end of Sept, taking our time to DC. What are options for unforeseen mechanical or bodily breakdowns? I can fix minor issues but if something major occurs are there local folks who will help out in a pinch? (with compensation of course) Thanks!

If you are near Hancock MD go to the C&O Bicycle shop which is located directly at the trailhead, right next to the canal. I had a serious mechanical breakdown last fall, and these guys did a complete rebuild of my main bearings for $40. Within 45 minutes of me getting to their shop I was back on the trail. They also sell trail-type foods and supplies and have a very reasonable bunkhouse if you need to stay overnight. They really got me out of a jam & I stop by every time I'm through there. Very honest & reasonable. Just great people.

Thanks! We will be staying one night in Hancock. Hopefully we won't NEED their services!

Planning a solo bike trip from DC to Pgh in late September. Will be camping 3 nights along the C & O and was wondering if anyone could give me their overall impression of the overnight safeness of the trail campsites, Chisel/Horseshoe Bend/Big Woods in particular.

Leaving Pittsburg on September 30th headed for Washington DC! Will take 8-10 days getting there, no plans to rush. My ride will actually end in Baltimore since my flight home is out of BWI. Plan to do short days, 40-50 miles. I'll be hammock camping along the way. If you see me feel free to say hi! I'll blog about the ride on my Instagram at Portland_2_Portland

We may see you on the trail! Leaving Pittsburgh 9/29 by way of Montour trail. Going very very slow, taking time to explore this part of the country. Coming from Oregon. Safe riding!

The accuracy of the mileage figures from different sources seem to be off, in some case significantly. For instance, I ran westward from Ramcat to Ohiopyle in June. The last mile marker I saw before reaching Ohiopyle was "71" and the trailhead was another 0.2 miles further, so, using my keen mathematical abilities, I put Ohiopyle at 71.2. Your info has it at 74, however. I'm not being nitpicky but since I'm running this, accurate mileage is nice to have. For instance, your town info for Connellsville has it at 88, which would mean 14 miles from Ohiopyle. However, the mileage figures posted on the actual signs on the GAP have that at 19 miles. Those 5 miles make a big difference on foot, at least for my old slow arse! Confusing things further, the mileage chart on the "official" GAP web site lists it at 17 miles. Anyway, thanks for any clarity you can provide. Perhaps the mile markers themselves aren't correct due to the opening of that one tunnel a few years back? And maybe I'm the only one who actually cares about any of this! BTW, I LOVE this site, the town info is awesome.

Thank you John for pointing this out. After going back through all my records and references, I can only conclude that the listing of Ohiopyle as MM 74 was an error. I have corrected this number to 71.2 throughout the website.

Having said that, there is some variance in the town mile number and they cannot be counted on for absolute precision, but they all should be accurate within a few tenths of a mile - like you said, not a big deal for cyclists but a bigger deal for someone on foot.

Thanks again for catching that, and I apologize for any trouble caused by that error.

Happy trails!

Is anyone familiar with a service that will haul my gear to campgrounds while I ride? Dont want the additional weight or hassle.

Any news on the detour in Brunswick?

Check Youtube. Looks like a path has been established.

Where on YouTube? That's such a generic answer. No better than saying "check Google."

:-) I thought the same thing. I'm not sure if this is the link David is referring to but here you go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhDNlqPGyuk

Also the park service web site https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/conditions.htm says "Construction on the temporary low water bridge is anticipated to begin the week of August 20 and will be completed by mid-September"

Hope this helps. I'm hitting the trail Sep 8th from the DC end.

Paula,check out Towpath update post,fourth reply down.
I will be making the trip in late Sept.
I can't believe people will not help you.
Wish you the best.

Check out Pedalshift on YouTube. It’s a video about the washout.

Is it safe to leave a car here for several days?

Is the towpath detour free? Will be riding it next week.

I called both shuttle services listed on the NPS site. Shephardstown Pedal charges over $100 per, the Brunswick shop said around $60 for two of us. We are going to move over to the W and OD next week.

$100?!? No thanks. I’d pay $10 and not a penny more. I’ll find a way around.

There is an easy way around with just a little bit of backtracking. Check out this video from The Pedalshift Project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhDNlqPGyuk Move the video up to 2:38 to see the shortcut. Look for the red survey flags. He's going Cumberland to DC so you know which direction he's going. Hope this helps.

Thanks John

I plan to ride east from Pittsburgh but am reluctant to leave my car in an unsecured spot for several days. Can anyone advise me on safe parking near the trail in Pittsburgh for a reasonable fee?

someone posted back in June that they will be able to park at the Heaven Bicycle Museum for $10 day in a guarded lot. Their suggestion was to speak with Craig the owner. Worth a phone call!

Charles from Steel City Outdoor Adventures tells us we can park at Amtrak for free, and it's a nice lot, well-lit and the car will be safe

I am looking at trying to do a trip from Pittsburgh to DC in October, first or second week. Can anyone give me an idea of what kind of weather, temp. etc.. I could expect? Is this a good or bad time to do a trip? Thanks,

It's tough to predict. Early October can be wonderful, or it can be wet. Hurricanes and low pressure centers moving up the coast can bring as much as a week of bad weather. Otherwise, it's likely to be cool and dry, almost cold in the mountainous parts of the GAP. There'll be leaves on the GAP too. You have to take your chances. It could be your greatest or worst bike ride. But normally, early October is a good time of year that part of the country.

I did that trip over last two weeks of September last year and weather was perfect (no rain!) except for being really hot on a few days. Was very manageable in the shade of the paths.

Great question as I am also doing this trip the first 2 weeks of October too!! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for wonderful weather for us.

We’ve been doing the canal for last 30 years and from Pittsburgh the last 15 or so during the last 2 weeks of October. As said, weather can be glorious or rainy. Last 2 weeks of October we usually don’t get temperatures below 35 - 40 at night which we like for camping, and daytime temperatures are usually 60’s to 70’s. Last trip we had no rain for all 11 days, trip b4 rained almost every day.

I am planning a reschedule of a DC to Pittsburgh trip that was cancelled back in early June when all hell broke loose on the trail. First question is, is the trail back to decent shape (mud, trees down, etc). I know there are a few detours to work around, but general rideability of the trail is my main concern. I'm an old guy and I'm not looking for a great adventure, just the peace and beauty of the Potomac valley. Also, has anyone taken the AMTRAK early morning train from Pgh to DC with bike? Is it hassle or is it a good way to get to DC.

My trip was a washout in mid-May. I have rescheduled for mid-Sept. Traveled on the am. train from Cumberland-DC. with my bike. Everything worked out great. As for the trail condition, like you I'll be checking frequently.

I would suggest Pittsburgh TO DC , as it is all downhill!
TO DC, Union Station is downtown and a ride through the city to Georgetown where the C&O canal starts. Not difficult, and there are lots of bike lanes.

We took Amtrak in July from Ohio to DC. They have a roll on service now in a special car where your bike gets securely hung. Great! Cars were over-air conditioned, and savvy travelers brought pillows and blankets. Fun way to start. Allow plenty of time to navigate to your hotel. We stayed in Arlington, 9 miles and the last half was all up hill.

Can I push my bike through or around the washout and if so how far of a push is it?

We rode Pitt to DC a few weeks ago. Washout was significant. Some people say walk along tracks, but it's very steep to bring a bike and 5 min after we arrived a train came thru. There is a way across though, if you walk down slight hill from washout to stream, you can walk your bike across, jumping from rock to rock and make it with dry shoes (I did), then push bike up muddy hill. Total time- < 10 min. Stream only 25 ft across and rocks are close together to pull it off.

We were there this past weekend. J-Rider described it well. The washout is passable on foot, but it may be dicey with a bicycle, especially if the water is a little higher like it might be after the recent rains. Regular shoes and a light bike would be easier than cleats and a fully-packed bike. We'll be doing the ride on a tandem and there's no good way to get that across the water. There are train tracks nearby that cross the washout, but if a train comes there's no good way to get off the tracks, and the tracks are up a short gravel slope - not recommended.

There isn't an official marked road detour, but if you do go on the roads around the washout it's about a 7 mile or so ride (to get you around maybe 4.5 miles of trail), hilly, with some sections curvy and 55mph with no shoulder.

Check with the bike shop in Brunswick MD to see about shuttles, I did see one operating when we were there.

My 14 yr. old son and I simply pushed our bikes around via the railroad tracks. Was not dangerous at all. Not a big deal.

Walked on tracks?? Dangerous. Bad Idea!!!!

It appears on google-earth that the rail line closest to the canal is only a local siding track and doesn't carry main line, high speed trains. This should be a lot safer than taking the road which I hear is super dangerous. Also, taking the shuttle might be a good alternative for some, but it somewhat destroys the "I did the whole trip" mentality that's stuck in my head.

I am planning a Pgh to DC ride in mid-September. I'm hoping the trail will be a bit drier than earlier. I have a new pair of Continnental GatorSkin 25 mm tires on my road bike. I ride often on the NCR trail and have no difficulty with occasional mud. Any feedback about whether or not these tires will pose a problem on the C&O portion would be appreciated. I understand that the surface on the GAP portion should be much more of a sure thing. Thanks!

I rode the Edwards Ferry to Seneca section last weekend. There were lots of mud holes. I had a mountain bike and went right through them although the bike slewed a bit. But I saw people with what I'd guess were 25 mm tires going through the mud holes too. The path beneath an inch or so of mud and water seemed firm, so unless there are torrential rains in September, I'd think you'd be okay.

I'm planningmy first DC to Pitt ride solo self supported camping all the way. I'm planning on lovely dehydrated dinners along the waybut really don't want to pack 6 meals. Does anybody know of a stop approx half way that carries dehydrated meals (think mountain horse type stuff) . I appreciate any tips.

There are outfitters in both Cumberland Maryland and Harpers Ferry.

The bike shop in Hancock had some when we passed through last October.

Starting Pgh to DC GAP/C&O 7/24 (tomorrow AM). Biking w/ 14yr old son. I'm worried about trail conditions. Any reports from recent bikers or advice on this route in rainy conditions?

We're going to get off the trail at White's Ferry and take Rt. 15 to Leesburg, cross river and ride the paved trail into DC. Any tips prior to this would be much appreciated!

If you stay at the Best Western in Leesburg they will pick you up at the Va. side of the ferry.
I did this after biking 1 day from DC. and then had to cancel the rest of the trip because of the flood in May.

C&O Canal proposes towpath rehabilitation between McMahon's Mill and Lock 42

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park plans to rehabilitate the park's towpath from McMahon's Mill to Lock 42 in Williamsport to better protect that section of the towpath from flooding.

Park officials said in a news release that the plan is to stabilize and raise the level of the towpath and a retaining wall along the section of it to lessen the impact of flooding.

The roughly one-mile section of the towpath consistently is under water during river flooding, which causes damage along the canal and requires pedestrian and bicycle detours, the release said.

Park officials will host an open house Monday, July 23, at their headquarters at 1850 Dual Highway to gather public input on the project.

The open house will give residents a chance to learn more about the project, and they also will be able to offer ideas, concerns and potential topics for consideration as the National Park Service works on the project, the release said.

The park is accepting public comments through Friday, Aug. 10. Besides offering input at the open house, residents may submit comments online through the Planning, Environment and Public Comment website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/choh.

Comments also may be mailed to Kevin Brandt, Superintendent, C&O Canal National Historical Park, ATTN: McMahon's Mill Towpath Improvements, 1850 Dual Highway, Suite 100, Hagerstown, MD 21740.

After analysis of the comments, the park service will prepare an environmental assessment for the project, which will be made available for a 30-day public-review period.

Source: Herald-Mail Media
https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/local/c-o-canal-proposes-towpath-rehabilitation-between-mcmahon-s-mill/article_272555ea-8626-11e8-a85b-6fd37f9b6c9a.html

does anyone have any trail updates for the c&o?

My kids (14 and 19) and I just rode the C&O from Cumberland to Harpers Ferry on June 29-July 3, having done the GAP. The trail was pretty well dried out, with paste-like mud in spots. It's much more varied in texture than the GAP, and prettier scenery, but be careful if you pull off next to spots on the canal with standing water, since it will be a mosquito fest. We sprayed deep woods off every morning, and it seemed to work. Also, there is a marked detour between MP-88 and MP-89, which the NPS says is 3.1 miles. We went ahead and stayed on the towpath, and there are two sections where you have to walk your bike over 6-inch sized stones. There was a detour also at Williamsport, which was fortunate for us, since we were staying there anyway. The detour takes you through town.

finished i DC on 7-4-18 Gap is all good, C&O PAW PAW tunnel was open , don't take detour at mp-88 stay on trail you don't want to miss this section along river. Walked bikes up to rail line to get passed washout near Brunswick wasn't hard, everyone we talked to said roads were too dangerous. Mud on tow-path was tacky in spots but not real bad. was 98 degrees all week that was the hardest part.

I was just out on the towpath this morning. Culvert 82 (below Brunswick) is still out. There has been no work done on it. Three bikers were trying to get around by crossing the creek below the culvert. There were dealing with a great deal of water and mud. Above the culvert is a railroad bridge. There is little extra room if you choose to walk along the railroad tracks. I echo those who say taking the detour and biking the road is not a good option due to safety and hills. Whatever route you take, be careful and give yourself extra time.

We biked from Cumberland to Leesburg with 2 kids over many days from Sunday the 7th through the 12th, detouring around, 88, 89 was not needed, as only had to walk a few yards over stones (they were working on it as we passed). The closure at Brunswick did require a walk over stones on the side away from the rail. Thanks to Greg from 2 wheel escapes, who did not want to take our money, and assured us we could do it, an honest fellow. We did have to walk across stones, but our 9 year old and 10 year old did it easily, actually seemed easier and safer then the rails.
Trail did have some muddy spots, but no real issues.