C&O / GAP Forum

I am planning to ride (50-60 miles/day) from Pittsburgh to DC in October. I am flexible on the dates. I will be staying in hotel or B&B. I am in late 40s and looking to join a team or group or an individual to ride together mainly for safety reason. I am from DC area. Please let me know if any one interested

My wife and I are planning a Passage ride for Oct. 2-5. Departing Cumberland via Amtrak on that Mon evening and starting our ride on Tue. Don't have a lot of time this year so looking at overnights in Connellesville, Meyersdale, and back to Cumberland. 62, 56, and 32 miles. My wife is 67 and rides a moderate 10mph. I'm 62 and ride a bit faster. We have both completed 7 thru rides on the Passage. Wanted to do the C&O again but don't have time. Contact me if interested. We are planning to stay indoors each night.

Hi Rick,
Thank you for your message. I would have love to tag along with you guys but unfortunately I can't take off work the first week of the month. I am planning ride second week of October.

Good deal. If you need any info like favorite places to stay/eat, etc give me a shout via email. As I mentioned we've done the route multiple times.

Thank you!
I will do that, enjoy your ride.

Rick, I am interested in cycling the Passage and a few days ride as a "trail newbie" would be perfect. Do you have any other suggestions other than the brief trip outline in your post?

We were also newbies in June. We did it in 3 days but would like to have spent more time but did the C&O too. We rode tandem and often did less than 10 mph. We are in our mid 50’s and in decent shape and not out to set any speed records. For logistical reasons we started in Mckeesport so the first day to Connellsville was a reasonable 40 miles. I think we just missed the ugliest industrial part of the trail, and we were fine with that. There are plenty of places to stop for water and bathroom breaks along the way, especially the Trailside Café in West Newton, and Cedar Creek State Park. Perryopolis is a very steep ride away and has a hard-to-find turnoff that wasn’t obvious on the maps. We would like to have spent more time in Ohiopyle. Confluence was also a very pretty little town with places to eat and stay. We went all the way to Rockwood the 2nd day. Rockwood and Meyersdale are both lovely little towns with B&Bs and places to eat. We also would have liked to visit Frostburg but didn’t due to rain and cold (and the C&O still to go). Best trip ever and we hope to at least do just the GAP again and spend more time along the way. The new Connellsville Inn and the Gingerbread House in Rockwood were both great.

Hi Sergio, I would have to disagree with only one point. There is so must to see from Pittsburgh to McKeesport. I have made two videos of what you can see along the way and you can find them on YouTube at Pat Stillriding. Granted, there are industrial areas but I see them as working or past history of the area. And yes, I am from Pittsburgh and proud of it as I am sure you are of your town. I know you mean no disrespect and I am not taking it that way because all you comments have been very positive and helpful to people on this site. Have a great day. :)

Didn't meanto disparage! We'll do it next time. It didn't work for us for several reasons. Pittsburgh is a great city! There's plenty to see and places to stay so you don't have to ride all the way from Pittsburgh to Connellsville the first day.

I plan to ride from Cumberland to Paw Paw and back the weekend of October 28-29 to finish of a DC to Cumberland trip from August. Perhaps i'll see you and ride along.

This bike shop is no longer around. There is no bike shop in williamsport

While there is no bike shop in Williamsport, the Desert Rose Cafe has bike tubes in a few bike parts for sale. They also offer bike pumps for use and have a killer menu of breakfast lunch and dinner items. I highly recommend them. I ate there for dinner and breakfast the next day and they made a sandwich for me to take for lunch.

I can vouch for the quality of food at the DRC. They are quite accommodating for bikers. We came in on a trip after a wet ride from downriver, and they put is in an area in the back with wooden benches. Good place to eat.

Please give me easiest directions from the point to the GAP TRAIL.

From Point State Park travel appx. 7 blocks on Blvd. of The Allied. Turn right onto Grant St. Turn left onto 3 Rivers Heritage/Allegheny Passage Trail at the foot of the hill. From there it is clearly marked.

Thanks, we are hoping to start tomorrow.

It's a bit confusing when you turn onto Grant. There are actually 2 streets side by side. You want the 2nd or left of the 2. Just pay attention and you should be able to figure it out. We went the wrong way first time.

Thanks, we found the start without any problems.

Your welcome. Hope you have a good ride...we did. Also it's really nice when someone actually thanks you for taking the time to reply to a request.

Looking for shuttle back from DC to Frostburg MD. 200 miles. My daughter and myself and two bikes.

check the bike shop in Cumberland. They run one.

Another cheaper option: take the Amtrak Capital Limited from DC to Cumberland and then when you get to Cumberland, call Uber and see if someone would take you the few remaining miles to Frostburg. There is also a daily scenic tourist train that runsfrom Cumberland to Frostburg (but it is pricey - about $50/pp + your bike).

Has any one seen an update on the potential opening date for the Paw Paw Tunnel. My wife and I will be riding the GAP and C&O in late Sept, early Oct.

Just finished a thru ride last week. According to locals, Paw Paw tunnel may delay opening till next year. You have to push your bike up a steep hill . Please expect one hour minimum to cross over.

Heard rumors of people going thru on the weekends in September. Any confirmation?

I rode from Pittsburgh to DC over Labor Day weekend. You can travel all the way through the tunnel from the north. Once you emerge on the south (east) bound end, the trail was very effectively blocked. We were there on a Saturday, hoping to sneak through on a holiday weekend, but couldn't see a way to get our bikes over the barrier. Perhaps the situation has changed since.

We just passed through the area last week--coming from the west, you can enter the tunnel and ride/walk through, but there is a fence at the end, prior to the construction area. There is another fence on the eastern side of the construction blocking access to the tunnel. We spoke to the foreman and he mentioned that they have cameras set up and that people do hop the fence and pass through. Not sure they are doing it with fully loaded bicycles though. We took the detour and it took about an hour and 15 minutes to get our bicycles and 30lbs of gear over. I would suggest if you are planning on taking the detour, take your time, rest frequently on the way up and plan for at least an hour to walk over. View from the top is beautiful! If you are coming from DC to Pittsburgh, I would highly recommend backtracking to the tunnel entrance once you pass over the top. It's only a short ride back to the entrance!

We just completed a round-trip from DC to Pittsburgh to DC in 12 days, fully loaded camping. Going over the bypass DC to Pitt made us look for a road route for the return trip. We were advised very strongly NOT to take the roads. As it turned out, going from Pitt to DC the push over was much easier. I had 52lbs plus on my bike and did it in 31 minutes. I rested and relaxed during the bypass. My friend could have made it in 20 mins but waited for me.

It is a serious push but managable if you take your time, rest often and enjoy the adventure.

DC to Pitt push is very steep and I would pick a tree 10 yards up ahead, rest and do it again until I made it to the top. I didn't time that direction but probably an hour of heart pounding pushing. The trailhead sign even says it is a strenous hike for hikers!

All that said, don't be afraid and I don't recommend the shuttle service unless you have a physical issue. Just do it slowly, one chunk at a time and enjoy your adventure!

I am 75 and I was under a roof every night; I had cold weather and rain gear so my load was around 40 lb. I did the Historic Potomac as an add-on which added weight to my pack. I had 6 other people around me all 55 and over. It took all of us around 2 hours. Even the people with only daily necessaries were working hard on the trail. Doable but a bit of a task.

My daughter and I are biking from Pittsburgh to DC. Our last stop is White's Ferry. Any hotel/B&B recommendations would be appreciated!

Across the river Leesburg is a few miles away. 1 of the motels use to offer a free shuttle. Can't recall which one.

White's Ferry is sort of the middle of nowhere on the Maryland side at least for hotels. There are a number around Leesburg, Virginia. You can take the ferry across the river for a few dollars, and Leesburg is just a couple of miles away. Unfortunately, the road there is dangerous. Once you get off the ferry, you have about a mile to Highway 15. There are several, small, blind hills on that road. I ride it but always worry about someone coming up behind me at high speed. But since bikes are the last things off the ferry, usually you can make it to 15 without anyone coming up from behind. Highway 15 is more of a problem. Cars whiz by at 60 mph. There is a wide shoulder and rumble strips to let cars know if they stray onto the shoulder. All the same, I don't enjoy the two-mile ride on Highway 15 into town. It's pretty safe once you get into Leesburg though. Streets in the old part of town are narrow but have sidewalks. Many of the newer areas have walking paths. There may be AirB&Bs to be found on the Maryland side. Otherwise, there isn't a hotel within ten or fifteen miles. White's Ferry is in the county agricultural preserve, meaning commercial buildings aren't allowed. You really have to go on into DC to get a hotel. It's about 30 miles on the towpath and an easy three hours.

Best Western in Leesburg sent a van to pick us up and take us back for free. Very helpful staff. Another hotel was going to charge us so call if you stay somewhere else. Lots of restaurants in the main hotel area.

Comfort Suites in Leesburg, VA has a "bike and stay package." They pick you and your bike(s) up for free from the shuttle and take you to your room. They have a hose outside to wash your bikes and let you keep your bikes in your room. Once there, if you don't want to ride your bike anymore, they will also provide a free ride to a restaurant or anywhere else in town and come pick you up when you want to return. They also provide food for you to take with you on the remainder of your trip. (Except we forgot to pick up our free food for the ride home!) Phone: (703) 669-1650

Tampa Biker, Thanks, I couldn't remember the name of the motel that offered a shuttle. I'm not sure why Richard stated there were no lodging choices within 10-15 miles of White's Ferry. Leesburg is only a couple of miles and yes biking on the road is a pain in the butt.

I just crossed Whites Ferry on September 8 during my excursion from Pittsburgh to DC.

The cost to cross the ferry on a bicycle is $2.

The total mileage from where you turn off the C&O trail to get to the ferry to where you turn on to the W&OD trail on the other side of Downtown Leesburg is 5.0 miles.

The distance from the ferry to 15 is 1.2 miles. Traffic on that road is not as bad as others have stated. Unless you have your music turned up too loud you can easily hear approaching traffic.

Make no mistake- 15 is a busy road, at least until the 15 bypass. The good thing is that during that part there is a 10 ft wide paved shoulder with a rumble strip between the traffic and you.

At the bypass where 15 becomes business 15, the paved shoulder becomes much narrower, but the speed limit drops to 35mph to 25mph at the edge of downtown. There is a sidewalk if the shoulder seems too sketchy.
Once in old downtown Leesburg, there isn’t anyone going 25mph. I felt safe riding down the center of the traffic lane downtown.

If you opt for the W&OD trail at Leesburg, it will be a completely different biking experience. The W&OD is a paved rails-to-trails that runs beneath a big power line, is rather treeless and boring, crosses roads, and passes through a number of built up areas. I'm not a fan although tastes differ. The C&O on the other hand just starts to get interesting between White's Ferry and Georgetown. The towpath is still dirt, and hence possibly muddy, until you get to Violette's lock at the 23 mile mark. But before you get there, you pass Edwards Ferry, which used to be another ferry across the river and which was the site of a lock allowing boats from the river to enter the canal, particularly canal boats from the Goose Creek Canal across the river in Virginia. During the Civil War, Confederate guerilla units were crossing the river from White's Ferry to Pennyfield Lock (mile 20) and Union cavalry patrolled the towpath. At Violette's, you look across the river at Trump National Golf Course. The river is partially damned there and a lake is formed by the backed up water. Here you also pass Seneca quarry which provided the red sandstone you see on building in DC like the Smithsonian castle and the broken viaduct over Seneca Creek. The last lock keeper here was John Riley. His family lived in the lockkeeper's house you see until his young daughter drowned in the canal and the family moved away from the water. Eventually you'll get to Great Falls. The walking path to the Falls is still closed, I think, buy you can still see parts of it from the towpath. Traffic on the towpath picks up from here to Georgetown but it isn't too bad. In sum, the towpath has a lot more history to it, river views, and trees than the W&OD Trail does. While the towpath north of White's Ferry is not in good condition, the surface from Violette's Lock to Georgetown is macadam (rocks and gravel mixed with clay) and stays pretty dry. But if you are tired of the towpath experience and just want to get the ride over with, the W&OD is an alternative.

Thanks everyone for the input. Booked at Comfort Suites and they pick up from the ferry!

Hi everyone! Does anyone know if overnight parking is allowed at the Dawson Trailhead? If so, do i need to contact local police or anyone? Also, is it safe to leave a car overnight there? Thanks for any help!!

You can leave car at our house, contact me.

Thank you! How can I get in touch with you?

What is your email?

dstizz73@yahoo.com
thanks

I rode the GAP and C&O over 3 days. Pretty aggressive, 106 miles on Day 1, 104 on Day 2 and 124 on Day 3. Here are some notes/suggestions (sorry for the lengthy post). 3 days is alot of riding and since the weather conditions were wet/muddy - Day 2 and Day 3 were alot longer that planned. If I did the ride again, might do it in 4 days. I knew going in 3 days was aggressive, but challenging. Any questions, please let me know.

Day 1 Pittsburgh to Rockwood.

Accommodations: Stayed at the Springhill Suites Southside - 2950 South Water St. On the GAP trail. Allowed you to take your bikes to our room. Breakfast @ 6:30 am. In Rockwood. Rockwood Trail House located on the GAP trail. When you check in, you just find your room number and let yourself into the house. Nice B&B - bring earplugs. There are trains running thru the night. Spend the extra money to have Debi make breakfast!!

Food: Stopped in West Newton for snacks. Rite Aid and other places right off the trail. Lunch in Connellsville - Bikes Unlimited suggested Keedys. Warm subs and waitress filled bottles/bladders. Food in Rockwood is limited - Rock City Cafe closes the kitchen @ 7 pm. We ordered from the Rockwood Mill Shoppes - a pizza/sub/salad place.

General advice: nice riding, you do have a false flat - so don't be surprised why your speed drops.

Day 2 Rockwood to Hancock

Accommodations: Super 8 - Limestone Rd. Biker friendly. They have a hose outside to clean your bike and provide towels to dry your bike. Rooms have refrigerator and microwaves.

Food: Cumberland stopped at European Desserts for sandwiches and of course dessert. Hancock - Subway in town. Ordered extra sub for the next day (highly recommend). The towns off the C&O are actually off the trail. There isn't anything on the trail like the towns on the GAP. Need to make sure you have plenty of food with you.

General advice: Stop on the Salisbury Viaduct - nice views. Once you hit the Eastern Continental Divide - it is all down hill. Shortly after the Big Savage Tunnel, you will cross the Mason Dixon Line - photo op. Bring headlight and taillight - due to the many tunnels. At lock 56, be sure to take the PAVED Western Maryland Rail Trail to Hancock, MD

Day 3 Hancock to DC (a really long day)

Accommodations: Key Bridge Marriott. I don't think you can find a more convenient hotel. A short ride across the Key Bridge from Georgetown.

Food: Stop by Barrons right of the trail to get some snacks near Snyders Landing. For lunch, we stopped in Shepherdstown at the Blue Moon Cafe. Good food and very biker friendly. We picked up 2 sandwiches for the rest of the ride. Good bike shop in town - Pedal & Paddle.

General Advice: Heading out from Hancock,take the PAVED Western Maryland Rail Trail down to Ernstville Rd - take the right and get back on the C&O towpath. Stopped to enjoy lunch @ Catoctin Aqueduct. Nice view of the Catoctin Creek.

All in all, I found the ride challenging but not impossible. I commute to work about 17 miles round trip and ride 50 - 70 on Saturdays. As well as I mtn bike ride, so the C&O with mud wasn't overwhelming. As I posted earlier, your speeds will drop. I ride an avg speed of 17 on the road, but on this ride avg 11.

Best of luck to those who are planning their trips.

Thanks for sharing the details of your ride. I did the ride last year with a friend and am planning another trip in the Spring. My friend and I have been deliberating on 3 or 4 days. I think the way you laid things out helped us get to a 4-day decision. Thanks. Nice work out there!

My wife and I want to ride on the Cumberland trail. We usually ride 15 to 40 miles round trip back to our car and then drive to a hotel. We would like to ride on four or five sections of the trail and do the best sections.

Do you mean the C&O Tow Path?