C&O / GAP Forum

There is a great new cycle shop, Threepoints, on West Potomac that we have had very good success with. They were friendly, reasonably priced and fast.

Good to know.

they have limited hours midweek (ie: they close at 2pm on Wednesdays) but I went by around 3pm on a Wednesday and someone was there and I was able to get a couple tubes,since I had used my last one - saved the day. They are right up the street real close to the trail. go there even after hours as they have a cell # to call for after hours service.

Hi, I am planning to bike the c&o next weekend and I just noteced that the alerts from Happers Ferry to Brownswick and from Brownswick to Point of Rock are gone from the C&O webpage. Can anyone please update us on the new condition of the c&o trail. Thanks

Yes, an update would be great. I am coming up from Charlotte and will be riding from DC to Pittsburgh

Just finished the GAP/C&O last week. The C&O was muddy, not impassable but close. We ignored the baracades and closure signs and trudged on thru sometimes in ankle deep mud, one section being close to a mile. Wish I could remember where that section was but can't recall, between Hancock and Harpers Ferry I think. There's a bridge out just east of Brunswick. We made our way up onto the railroad tracks and walked about a mile before finding a decent place to cross back down on to the towpath. Most trees were cleared, only three or four times did we have to dismount and crawl our way over a tree. There were crews cleaning up the mess but I will say that it'll be some time before the deeper areas of mud will be solid enough to ride thru. Just be prepared to do a little walking and don't be afraid of getting dirty/muddy. We took to hardsurface roads for about 5-6 miles close to Sharpsburg. Don't know if we saved any time or not since the detour added a couple of miles. I think we needed a break from wading thru the muck. Anyway, it was indeed an adventure, fun but muddy. I say go for it! Hope this helps.

Walked on the railroad tracks????? That seems very dangerous. Those Brunswick trains run frequently.

We encountered rough conditions. GAP is perfect, but C&O after Williamsport is very rough and closed in Brunswick. We absolutely did not take the tracks because the amtraks are fast and we have a toddler with us. There were also reports of rangers turning people away that were trying to take the tracks. We used this awesome guy Greg as a shuttle. He runs 2 Wheel Escapes, has a huge trailer, and gave us an excellent price. He is super awesome and friendly and fair. We felt like some of the other shuttles were expensive and taking advantage of the trail conditions and overcharging. Call Greg! 240-674-7626

whats the average these shuttles charge?

I am concerning with little Oleans and Williamsport area of the canal, how bad are these areas? Can I stay on the canal or do I have to get out of the canal?

Gary in Charlotte, do you want a passenger for gas contribution? I need to check on my property up there.

re: type of bike
Two of us rode gravel bikes, road bikes with disc brakes and knobby tires. 35-38mm tires. with panniers, frame packs. One of us rode a dual sport, hybrid/mtb cross and it worked ok but by the end of the trip he was wishing he had brought a gravel bike. Main thing are tires. Wide is good but not too wide. 35-45cm wide is ideal IMO.

re: train tracks
Yea, we weren't all hyped about walking the rails. Fast trains plus it's illegal. Fortunately we had no issues. I'll admit it took all three of us to get the bikes up and down the steep embankments along the railbeds.
It was an adventure!

Eileen - I am leaving CLT Saturday AM and driving to Connellsville, PA. Always nice to have someone to talk to on 7 hour drive.

I just finished cycling the c&o trail. The trail is in very bad condition and the detours kept pulling up. There are now 2 detours near Williamsport that are all hills. The mud still on the trail and people still falling from their bikes. The trail is full of potholes and trees still down. I got many help from many Samaritans on trail and they were all specials. I had a lot fun riding the c&o but I hope I don’t need to make this ride again. But, if you want to try go for it!??????

Currently in Cumberland debating tackling the C&O trail tomorrow morning but getting mixed reviews of trail conditions. Ivonete, honestly how bad was it?

Is there a computer expert that is also a bike rider that would be willing to create a search engine for this site? The same questions get repeated over and over again and it would be great though see all the answers.

About a year ago I had a friend who wrote a program to download every comment comment from that a forum and then I was able to search for “tires”.

But there must be an easy way or there is a way to search this forum and I cannot fogire our how to do it.

Thank you for asking!

I actually have Google's search built into a different website that I run (for the Katy Trail - http://www.bikekatytrail.com/search.aspx), and I'm not sure why I never added that search feature to the C&O/GAP site.

Give me a day or two, and I'll get Google Search added in, and will post something here when it's ready.

Thanks for the great suggestion.

This would be a great idea. Looking forward to it Ray! Best wishes.

Search feature added to website: you'll now notice a "Search" link in the top menu (just under the map above), plus in the links across the bottom of each page.

Thanks again for the suggestion! Happy trails!

Wow. Thanks a million. I really was just venting frustration and did not think you would (or could) do it. Fantastic. This is such a valuable realirce for anyone making the trip.

or you can use duckduckgo.com instead of google (no tracking) javascript:Qr=prompt('Search%20Site%20for','');if(Qr)location.href='http://www.duckduckgo.com/?&q=site:'+encodeURIComponent(window.location.hostname)+'+'+escape(Qr)

Thank you for the suggestion - I will experiment with duckduckgo and will add it as a second option on the search page if it seems to work well.

Hello All

Ok for starters I'm definitely not a cycling expert. I just got into it this year and have been taking rides of 20-30 miles.

My question is what type of bike I need for the C&O trail? I currently have a 2018 Giant Escape 2 Hybrid bicycle. It's great for the paths (sligo creek and capital crescent) but do I need something more durable for this trip? Something more like a trail bike or mountain bike?

Reviews seem to suggest a hybrid bike would be ok, but I just want to make sure I'm not being crazy given my amateur status. I'm looking at doing the C&O ride in October.

All comments welcome. Thanks.

I believe that a hybrid bike would be fine but would want to make sure that your tires will be able to handle the trail on the C & O Trail, especially with the weather that we have been having. Something better than the normal "street" tires that may be on your bike.

I agree. It's the tires and not the bike. Conventional hybrid tires might be too thin for the mud and rocks. I'd suggest taking it out to Seneca and riding to White's Ferry as a test. That's about 20 miles roundtrip and is muddy for weeks after the last rain.

Hey y'all! If anyone is needing a shuttle to either get around the closure in Brunswick, get through the mud south of Williamsport, or just get anywhere on the GAP or C&O...call Greg from 2 Wheel Escapes! We just used him on the C&O and he was friendly, had an awesome set up with a huge enclosed trailer for bikes and gear, and his prices we're significantly cheaper than all other shuttles we contacted. Greg's number is 240-674-7626. We were so thankful to find his flyer at the Desert Rose in Williamsport. He even brought a car seat for our toddler!!

i am arriving on amtrak from DC at midnight. any recommendations for hotels, close to amtrak and not far from beginning of GAP?

The Westin or the Drury are closest to Amtrak and easy ride to Three Rivers heritage trail which takes you to start of GAP. I stayed at Cambria on my ride last year. They were very accommodating and reasonably priced thru priceline.

We stayed at the Omni William Penn which was really nice and happened to be not too expensive the day we were there. It was probably a 5 minutes ride from the Pittsburgh station.

Thanks for all the information. also, i will be able to park a car at the Heaven Bicycle Museum for $10 day, best rate in Pittsburgh, guarded lot. speak with Craig the owner.

Hi, I am planning to ride the C&O trail next weekend, and I wander if the trail is disable. Does anyone knows how bad the C&O trail from Cumberland to DC I now? Also is the trail from Harpers Ferry to Brunswick open? Thanks

Hi Ivey, I’m planning to ride this section on Monday, I too am also interested in these conditions.

I was told that one can cross the Catoctin Aquaduct (which is closed) heading West from Lander, by taking a very short jaunt on the adjacent train bridge. Is that true? Safe enough?

I just find shed riding down from Pittsburgh to DC yesterday. I posted a comment several days ago. Here is a complete synopsis of trouble spots. This obviously omits any new trouble areas associated with last night’s storm,

The Gap itself was fine last weekend - no issues whatsoever.

Cumberland to PawPaw is basically fine. Some mud in spots but easily rideable. Note: this stretch is very rustic from Cumberland through Hancock; make sure you have enough food to care for yourself,

Hancock. Get off the trail as soon as possible about 10 mikes north and take paved Western Maryland Trail. The towpath is not passible during this stretch. The county paved trail also goes 10 miles south of Hancock.

Williamsport: you will be detoured off the trail due to trail construction. I followed the advice of some other riders and road the state roads into Sharpsburg. The shoulder is very wide and the hills are rollling (i.e., not too hilly). While bypassing Antietam ( It is worth touring if you have the time), I did stop at Nutters Ice Cream in downtown Sharpsburg - do it, it’s great!

At Sharpsburg, you can pick up the trail again, and it was a little muddy in spots but fine enough into Harper’s Ferry. If you do not mind the rolling hills, you also can stay on Harper’s Ferry Road to about 1/2 mile before transferring onto the trail.

The trail from Brunswick to Point of Rocks is apparently still not passable, I am guessing things are even worse after last night’s storms. There are really no good work-arounds yet, I knew one group of riders who detoured down to Leesburg to catch the paved W&O trail back into DC (I think this adds another 15 or so miles). Others like me paid to get shuttled to Point of Rocks. If you have very strong legs, you also can ride very hilly roads from Harpers Ferry to Point of Rocks (check RidewithGPS for a cue sheet).

The rest of the Towpath is relatively fine and very rideable.

Happy spinning!

Currently in Hancock. I left DC on Friday, and foolishly decided to take “country” roads to get around the closure between point of rocks and Brunswick. I ended up on a 50mph hilly road with no shoulders and often no bailout option. I had a tractor trailer pass me at full speed with inches to spare. Definitely one of the scarier/stupider things I’ve done in my life. I’d strongly advise not repeating my mistake. The NPS website has phone numbers for shuttle services. Wish it had a warning about not biking around the closure.

How do I get to the Antietam Trail from the C&O Canal to avoid Williamsport? Or is there any other easier way to reach Shepardstown or Harppers Ferry? Thanks.

Just wondering if a July journey along GAP and C&O is safe for a single woman camping? Are campgrounds usually available without reservations for cyclists? Will there be other people around or is it going to be lonely? Thanks!!!

The GAP will feel more comfortable to a lone rider. It has heavier traffic. You might try to tie up with other riders that are the same speed. The C&O path is pretty overgrown and bumpy in places, meaning it doesn't carry as much traffic. I take lots of day-rides along the Harpers Ferry to DC section. The campgrounds always seem to have enough people to be safe at night. Still, it wouldn't hurt man or woman to ride with a companion whether it's someone you started out with or met on the ride. As with any similar trip, if something makes you feel uncomfortable, get off the trail and find somewhere else to spend the night.

I am able to let you stay at my house along the trail if you will be going through West Newton. Also a single woman. I do have friendly dogs. Also there is a bed and breakfast there and a camp cheap campspot at Yough outfitters which is safe on the riverbank.

On the C&O some of the lock houses are available for rent for a nominal fee.

Last July I hiked the C&O alone and it was great. I stayed on the free overnight campsites along the trail without any problem. Then I meet a man who asked if he could hike with me and I said yes and it was fine too. I am planning to bike the trail this July if you are interested in coming along you are welcome.

Thank you for the feedback. It sounds like it will be a lovely journey.

I am going to cycle the whole path from Cumberland to DC this weekend. Feel free to text and join me if you are going as well now, 415 994 7620

I’m planning to ride from Cumberland to DC on Monday the 25th June. If anybody is interested to come along. Maybe one night stay in a hostel or hotel along the way. Happily Married male 50 from Australia.

It is a long way off but I plan on riding from Pitts to DC last of August or Sept. Plans are uncertain as of now. happy biking

There is now a really nice bed and breakfast in Smithton. Adele's Bed and Breakfast. Check them out on Facebook - Address is 139 First Street

Im going to biking DC to Pittsburgh starting july 7th, and am a little worried about all the detours and problems. Wondering if anyone has any updates. Also wondering if anyone else is heading out in that direction at the same time? wouldn't mind biking with other poeple

Is this campground open or is it closed due to the enormous amount of rain we had in the past months? Thanks