C&O / GAP Forum

Has anyone out there ridden it in a single day? Thoughts? Details?

I have gone Cumberland to Pittsburgh and visa versa. Going Cumberland to Pittsburgh you have a steeper clime to the pass but the payoff is a long mild down hill. Our next trip will be DC to Pittaburgh for that reason.

Did you ride it in one day? How many hours?

I just DID C&O and GAP in 4 days (2days each). After GAP I did 60 more miles on that 4th day on Montour trail. GAP speed and comfort was almost equivalent to road. Definitely could dO GAP 1 day,averaging 14-15 mph (speed limit)

I rode it nonstop a few years ago. Went from Pittsburgh to DC. Took about 24 hours riding time and almost 30 total. Had to stop for some torrential rain and wind. Then had to detour off the C&O in the middle of the night as the towpath was impassable with downed trees.

Last year I rode DC to Pitts in 4 days: 2 days apiece on C&O and GAP. The year before I did the C&O in one day (16 hours 45 minutes from Cumberland to Georgetown). I'm thinking of attempting the whole ride in two days, not sure I've seen a trip log from anyone who did it (especially at 54 yo) but what's the worst that can happen?!

I plan to do it next year. Mileage-wise its definitely feasible but I'm not sure about trail conditions. I've tried to find more information but haven't had much luck.

I just biked GAP in one day. Cumberland to Pittsburgh on Saturday and then return to Cumberland on Sunday. I think I prefer the western direction best even though going downhill the last 23 miles on the eastern direction was fun. I avg 14.2 mph going west, and 15.2 going east. Total time each trip was approx 12 hours.

Why would you want to?? The experience of trail riding is not how far, fast, or how quickly it can be accomplished...but the experience of actually stopping, seeing, staying, meeting...etc. If fast miles are all you are trying to accomplish, why not just pick your favorite stretch of any trail & ride back & forth until you reach the 'required' 335 miles or till your wheels fall off? Just a simple man's/biker's thought...

Mike... To each his own. Who the hell are you to tell others how to enjoy their ride. Ever hear of challenging yourself and pushing to see what you are capable of doing? Anyone can bike along at 10,12, 15 mph and get from point A to point B. Few are capable of going 300h+ miles in a day. We just enjoy more of the scenery much faster. Get off your high horse. You sound like a pompous ass.

Yes Ed...to each his own. Maybe you need to calm down. I was certainly not trying to dictate the actions of anyone, just 'attempting' to point out that there is much to be missed. But thank you for your righteous opinion.

I've done the ride different times for fun and miles. The biking for fun allowed time to stop and different towns and enjoy the eateries and sights.

There is no need to ask any one why they would like to ride the trail in one day or in 10 days. It's a great country (despite our political choices this fall) and anyone can decide to ride it as fast or as slow as they like. Isn't that amazing?!

The question posted was not asking for guidance as to how long the rider should take to ride it....it simply asked if anyone had done it in a day.

Ride your own ride....In July I know of three bikers that challenged themselves and did it in all in one shot.It took them a little bit over 24hrs straight from Pittsburg to D.C.

I imagine the biggest problem trying to speed through the whole trail will be other people. Hopefully you won't just buzz past peds at top speed. :-) So aim for times when there are fewer people. The trail is definitely empty late in the evening, but (no kidding) watch out for deer. Also, if you inadvertently chase a racoon, stop and let the bastard escape. They'll turn on you. Morning might also be a good time, but I've seen a number of joggers.

I biked from Pitt to Cumberland in a day a few weeks back with a friend. Took us just over 11 hrs of saddle time...just shy of 13 hrs total trip. We stopped for a burger and beers in Ohiopyle. Longest climb I've ever done for sure...but the last 25 miles was a sweet way to finish. In June of 2017, we plan to do the full pull from Pitt to DC in one run. We're planning for about a 30 hr trip total. I would love to hear from others who have done something similar.

Why would you? There is a lot to see along the trail, and the journey is the experience. This isn't a racetrack.

Hey TopShelf, no judgement but question was has anyone done it. I did Cumberland to Pittsburgh in 11 hours riding time 2 weeks after doing a group 5 day Pittsburgh -D.C. ride. Did it for the physical challenge. I do slow rides, training rides, rides with kids, escort Boy Scouts, sightsee rides. People have all different intentions for their use of the trail - it's great that we can all enjoy it together!

Sullystull and Steve - -I did the ride from Pittsburgh to DC nonstop,thru the night. Left Pgh at 6 and rolled into Georgetown at noon the following day. 24 hours riding time and 6 hours of stops for storms etc. Greatly enjoyed the experience and the challenge. Night time will not slow you down, assuming you aren't starting late in the day. Biggest challenge is clearly the mental fatigue. Any specific questions I'd be glad to try to answer.

yes, Pgh to Dc was the wrong direction. DC to Pgh lands you biking 126 miles down hill on the smoother of both trails all the way to the Burg. Also, start in evening near dinner so you eat earlier and get the night riding down while you are fresher. sub 24 hours. before I now work with the trail groups... otherwise the C&O has a rule, closed at dark.

I was the guy that started this post. Thanks to everyone who commented. Good feedback. Some impressive efforts. I just rode it two w/e's ago so I thought I would give a brief trip report w/ my "thank you" above.

Totally solo effort. Dropped the car in Cumberland and caught a very late Amtrak to Pgh. Almost 1:00am by the time I got to my room in the Cambria hotel near Pen's arena. Convenient and relatively reasonable choice.

Rolled from Point State Park the next day at 6:16am. Thought the first 20+/- paved miles would go a bit faster but a number of turns, sign reading, etc. kept pace down. Used a hard tail MTB with medium wide city knobbies. Bike and seat post rack at 27 lbs + 12-15lbs of water, food, clothes, tools, etc. in small rack bag.

Finished in 11:10:30 total time. Only major stop was roughly 30 min. in Ohiopyle. Someone else commented about the mental aspect and I totally agree. Got pretty lonely and physically challenging between say Mile 80 and 120. Started fixating on how gravel in the shade was still wet from recent rain and felt spongy+slow compared to dryer gravel in sunny patches. Ha ha ha. That was probably just my dehydrated brain talking.

A very brief comment on the fast "challenge" vs. slower "enjoyment" comments in conversation thread: I appreciate and applaud both. This was a ride tied in with something between my recently deceased mother and I so that dictated some of my choices. But I am already thinking about a possible (slower) return for some/all of the route with buddies or The Wife. I grew up in Pgh at the beginning of the end of the Steel industry, but I was nonetheless amazed at the scale/magnitude of evidence of the long gone steel, rail and mining industries along the Yough....glimpses at former greatness. Would like to go back and have time for reading a few historical markers and rolling into some of the towns.

But it was a great trip. Met and exceeded expectations.

bg

CORRECTION: "Mon" more so than "Yough".

Some of negative comments towards the initial question is why I carefully word anything I write for public scrutiny..Why so judgemental? He simply asked a question and he gets chastised...Come on people, we are better than that.

We are bicycling self-supported and camping fro DC to Pitsburgh and back to DC. A roundtrip of the C&O and GAP. My concern is after we reach Pittsburgh we will turn around and head back and may not have time to pedal back to Dravo campsite. Is there anything in between? Thanks for responses and suggestions.

No Campsites in between, only hotels. You would have to camp out at Dravo, leave your tent set up to lighten your bike and do a Pgh. and back. All doable. No one would bother your stuff there.

Thanks. That's what our plan will be then. If we can't make it there and back, we may just spring for a room in Homestead. We're planning on 60 to 80-mile days but if we are doing well we were hoping not to have to stop at Dravo on the way up.

Remember that just a little passed the Boston Trailhead most of the way to Pittsburgh will be on asphalt. You will pick up 1 1/2 mph on the smooth surface. You will hit some small hills and bridge ramps also. I have two videos on YouTube where you see everyturn you have to make. If you are interested just do a YouTube search for "bike ride waterfront to boston or "bike ride waterfront to pittsburgh" They should be the first ones to come up in the search. Have a great trip.

Does anyone have any recommendations on where to stay in or around DC fairly inexpensive. I have the hostel booked now but have heard bad things about it.

The Inn of Rosslyn. Clean. Relatively cheap($90).

The Georgetown House is right on the canal and right next to restaurants . They were very nice rooms in an old canal building. The rooms are small, but very nice and comfortable. There's a common kitchen and frig downstairs and they have a place for bikes. They let us keep our luggage there all day after check out. We could still get our room's wifi at the bar/restaurant next door and an easy walk to many others. Rooms start at 149 to over 200 but for the location and the nice rooms, it was a good deal. Perfect way to end our trip (okay the canal is drained there for now, but... otherwise perfect).

Are there places to obtain water between Great Falls and zero?

Yes. There is water and a restroom two miles after Great Falls where Old Anglers Inn is. There is a restroom and water at Carderock. There may water at Locks 10 and 8. There is water and a concession stand at Fletcher's Boathouse. There is no water fountain at zero, but there are plenty of places to buy drinks.

We are doing the GAP/C&O from Pittsburgh to D.C.

Can we access the WMRT close to lock 56 on the C&O?

Where can we first access the WMRT going west to east?

Thanks!!

Yes, you can access the WMRT from C & O towpath. It is at mile marker 136.3. When you see lock 56, go back about 100 feet or so, take the gravel road on the left, go about 150 feet directly to the WMRT. Be on the look out, if not, you will miss it, no signs or anything. A very appreciated paved trail!

Thanks. We will try it.

If you miss it at lock 56, don't despair. You can leave the C&O ion many places and local roads will intersect the WM trail.

The webpage was very helpful in providing me with the address to the visitors center where I park every year to do the ride to D.C. I just wanted to point out that the address incorrectly has MD for the state instead of PA.

For those of you who have done this trip from PA to DC I have a question about pedals. Does being clipped in make it easier to do this trip or since it's pretty flat are flat pedals ok to use which will allow you to wear more comfortable shoes.

We did the entire route with normal shoes on a bike we bought at Walmart. It's flat and easy, you just need endurance.

last week on a similar river trail I went over the handlebars before I knew what happened.End result was 2 cracked ribs and a dislocated,fractured finger....Had I been using clip in pedals Im afraid I would have gotten hurt much worse..Just my opinion....

great comments, as I have been having this discussion with my riding partner recently. I'm reluctant to spend $150 on shoes/clips, and did the GAP w/o them. I also like the ability to leave my pedals quickly if needed.

Did the entire gap/co in 2015. I used clipless because that's what was on the bike. I'm doing the route again in October and I'll be sporting sandals and flat pedals this time. No need to be clipped in. One less pr. of shoes to keep up with.

I like clipless pedals because when I am doing a long ride it gives me the option to us a different set of muscles and rest the other. You can set the tension so they are easy or hard to get out of. I have the mountain bike shoes which are easier to walk in then the street shoes so I did not need a second pair. It all boils done to person preference.

My wife, Tampabiker's wife, just reported on our trip.

Before our trip, we read a lot of advice here and other forums about tire sizes, fenders and stuff like that.
Here are some other things to think about before you go that I didn’t read anywhere:

If you are the faster rider in a group, practice riding long distances at a slower pace. Riding off your normal pace is difficult.

Get shoes that will dry out quickly. My shoes dried out in 15 minutes using a blow dryer.

If you have not ridden long distances, besides your legs and butt, you need to strengthen your neck, shoulders, and arms.

Decide if you are going to stop along the way. Do you want to read the historical signs along the path or swim in Ohiopyle? We happened upon an old-time country fair in Old Town complete with a bluegrass band. If your schedule is too tight you may miss these unexpected jewels along the way.

Make sure you have a weather APP on your cell phone. It worked wonders for us. We were able to dodge 90% of the rain.

We packed everything in 2.5-gallon plastic bags. Zip the bags up almost all the way and then roll them up letting all the air out. Then zip it the rest of the way. Also, if you plan on doing laundry once on the trip you don’t need to bring a whole lot of clothes.

Plan your first day based on when you want to start. We flew into Pittsburgh and started the ride about 1:00 pm. This obviously can make your first day hard if you are planning on a big ride that day.

We brought rain coats and started to wear them in a light sprinkle. After an hour, we get more soaked from sweating in the rain coats than if we just enjoyed the cool rain drops.

If you are going to be the lead rider, get a mirror to keep track of your riding partners. I got so tired of looking back that I started yelling “Marco” to which my wife would yell “Polo.” If I didn’t hear the Polo I would slow way down until she caught back up.

If I were to do this again, I would consider buying or renting an EPIRB or satellite phone in case of an emergency. We went for hours at a time without seeing a single person on the trail.

We averaged about 20% slower than our normal 20-mile rides on paved roads.

Lastly, just do it. If you forget something, you can get it along the way.

Excellent tips! It really is “easy” if you are prepared physically and mentally and logistically. We’re still amazed at how much fun it was.
Blow dryers and ziplock bags saved us too. We got some of the extra-large plastic ziplocks at a Dollar Store and doubled everything up. Things get muddy and dusty too.
We also went slower than we thought, but enjoyed stopping when we could. We trained with shorter, hilly distances but loaded the bike with gallons of water. We wore padded cycling underwear with our shorts and adjusted pretty quickly. Chamois cream kept away chafing and doubled as hand lotion. Walking a mile or so every night helped stretch out our muscles and felt really good!
Be flexible (we made a mud flap from some flashing in a trash heap behind the Cobblestone Inn) and know that most stores have Dollar Generals or similar (even Rockwood has an “everything” store).
Be flexible with plans too. Some places closed early or were closed the day we were there. Bill’s Place is closed Tuesdays.
As for leaving partners behind, our solution was a tandem. We took a chance and ordered it from Walmart. It was fully assembled and waiting for us in West Mifflin, not too far from the trail. Two flats the first day, but then no problems! It wasn’t fun getting to Harpers Ferry, going over that big tree in the trail, or pushing over the Paw Paw detour, but we managed just fine. We donated it to a group that works out of Great Falls Tavern. We were surprised not to see any other tandems.
Don’t stay at the America’s Best Value in Hancock if you are allergic to cats or don’t want to be bitten. Shortish version is the county there told me to get rabies shots because the owners wouldn’t admit it was their cat (wearing a collar in the lobby). Fortunately for me, doctors back home overruled health officials in two states- so no shots.

Thanks for great information.
My wife, daughter (20) and me planning to bike from Cumberland to DC later this month. We average 12-14 on flat. If we leave Cumberland at about 10 AM (we need to drive from Delaware), will it be difficult to plan to bike to Hancock that day? We plan 2nd night - willimasport, 3rd - Harpers Ferry, 4th - whites Ferry. Please comment. Thx.

Yes. It is very doable from Cumberland to Hancock. However, the Paw Paw Tunnel is closed. We took a shuttle around the tunnel. Others that have hiked it said it takes 1 to 1.5 hours of tough climbing and descending with your bike and gear. So, at 10 mph you have about 6 hours on the saddle plus the time around or over the tunnel. I think the shuttle took us about an hour (riding to the Wrenwood Inn in Paw Paw, cleaning the mud off the bikes, loading the bikes, and the drive.)

We left Cumberland about 9 and had plenty of time. As I mention in other posts, we're in our mid 50's and pushed our tandem up and over the Paw Paw. Not exactly easy, but not that extreme. We didn't need a break/rest afterwards - only a quick stop for soda at Bill's Place. Still made it to Hancock with plenty of time to clean up, shop the Dollar General, and walk around town. We ate at Buddy Lou's, which was very nice. Having a leisurely sight-seeing ride to Williamsport the next day was perfect.

Planning C&O in September. I'm a senior citizen in good shape, did GAP last year. I'm planning 60 miles/day, and hoping to avoid leg cramps after riding. Is Gatorade enough? Any advice?

Did the GAP in 2015, averaged 40 miles a day, often in light rair. The gap is a first class trail, easy ride for both mind and body. Was going to do the C&O at same time but cancelled to to many reports from north heading riders that trail was near impossable due to rain and mud. Point is, yes you can do it in 3 days but why would you? Lots of things to do and enjoy. Why abuse and damage yourself and your bike? Life is short. People will be more interested in the great time you had than how you set a personal record. (Friendly advice from someone who did an "around the world" in 62/63 and is planning to do the C&O this year.)

I think Gatorade is a good electrolyte replacement..I usually alternate between that and water making sure I get equal parts of both.

Getting ready to do this ride from PA to DC and was wondering of the cost of camping verses staying in a hostel or motel.

I am not sure of the GAP(Pittsburg to Cumberland), but the C&O Canal hiker/biker campsites are free. The only ones you have to pay are at the drive in campsites: Spring Gap, Fifteen Mile, Paw Paw, and a couple others.

Enjoy the ride!

Hi. On the GAP I have stayed at the Connellsville Trailhead and they have 4 Adirondack and they are free but on a first come basis but they have lots of room for tent camping also. It's all right next to a 24 hour food store in walking distance. I have also stayed at the Husky Haven Campground in Rockwood and sites are only $10.00. They have everything and places to eat right across the bridge. The Apache Springs Canpsite next to the Dravo Cemetery is also free and all are safe. I know of others sites but have know info of them. Hope this helps.

For comparison, my wife and I just completed the trip and spent 7 nights lodging on the trail. The total cost for us including all taxes was $679.14. We stayed at a combination of 3 B&Bs, 2 AirBnBs, and 2 motels. Five of the seven places included breakfast. We could have probably spent a little less or a lot more.

GAP accommodations are reasonable, and the advantages of a good night sleep and not carrying the camping gear are significant. I carried the gear on a 3 day ride, used it once reluctantly just because I had it. Never again.

Good place to stay. Great folks run this one. It's a bit out of town but they provided a shuttle to go get dinner.

My husband and I just finished GAP and C & O. We have been following comments here so I figured I'd include our experience, ideas, info, for anyone to use as they wish. Sorry it’s long, but…it’s a long ride!

We wrestled with the thought of how to get bikes, get to trail, rent, drive, etc. We ended up flying from Tampa to Pitts., renting bikes, riding all the way to DC, returning bikes there, spending a few days in DC, then flew home.

Tom from GET OUT AND GO gave us an awesome rental package. We highly recommend him! He picked us up at Pitts. airport, drove us to starting point, set up our bikes and paneers and even took a small suitcase for us to get once we were in DC. Once in DC, he came to our B&B and picked up bikes and gave us our suitcase of fresh clothes. Nice guy, good bikes, helmets, locks, perfect option.

We usually ride 10-12 mph on flat,paved trails, so on these surfaces and with some hills every ride took longer and was harder. We did longer mileage on GAP (57, 60) shorter on C&O (30-40).

First day was just 1/2 day since we flew in that day, we went to West Newton, stayed at Bright Morning (right on trail, perfect! )We stayed in Confluence, Cumberland (Inn on Decatur was great, roomy, nice laundry), Little Orleans (Little Orleans Lodge, guy took us for drive to beautiful view but I wouldn’t eat there), only 1 restaurant in town, no cell service or internet. Maybe stay somewhere else (Hancock?) Then Red Roof Inn in Williamsport (up a big hill but cheap), Shepherdstown (Airbnb, also up hills but beautiful, secluded house, and the host drove us to town about 2 miles away), then took White’s Ferry and stayed at Comfort Suites Leesburg (free shuttle), then on to DC. We found mile marker 0 after a little searching, then took Rock Creek trail to B & B for 4 nights, then flew back to Tampa.

Memorable stops we enjoyed: Ohiopyle (swam above rapids and cooled off), Harper’s Ferry (cute town to tour or walk through), viaduct on way to Continental Divide, Mason-Dixon Line and view, small town fair in Oldtown with music, food on a Sat. afternoon.

We did not climb the mountain with our bikes around PawPaw tunnel closure (not my idea of fun!) We got a ride from folks at Wrenwood Inn in PawPaw (Carol 304-947-5983, arrange in advance)

We loved WMRT (Western Maryland Rail Trail), about 23 miles of nice, paved trail parallel to C & O, around Hancock, MD. No signs. Look for Lock house 56, then go back about 100 ft, take gravel road on left to trail. Mile marker 136.3

From Leesburg we took W and OD (Wash and Old Dominion) paved trail since we were sick of the gravelly, uneven towpath, but it had a lot of hills which I had a hard time with (Florida is flat). Nice trail though, takes you over Key Bridge and into Georgetown.

My husband downloaded an app called C & O Companion by James Menzies ($2.99) and it listed everything on trail by mile marker, cell service, etc. Good thing to have.

All in all, great adventure, feeling of accomplishment, and check it off my husband’s bucket list. We were blessed with no rain, except for a bit of sprinkles on our long ride day, but C&O from Cumb. to PawPaw was a muddy mess! We hosed off at PawPaw before loading bikes for detour ride.

Any questions or more info, just email back, happy to answer if I can.

Great info from both of your posts.
I rode a couple of short sections of the trail last year and am returning to dome some more this year.
Last year,on one section near Connelsville, the gravel was so loose it was like trying to ride through quicksand for about a mile ..anything like that now?
The section of the C&O I rode was pretty much a double tracked trail with some grass in the middle..Is most of the trail that way? I ride a recumbent trike, the section I rode wasn't too much of an issue but I was wondering if any of the trail is single track?
As a side note I used to work across the street from the University of Tampa and commuted from the Ballast Point area every day..back in the 1970's.

I think it would be difficult riding a three wheel recumbent bicycle on the trail. There are some places with only a small single track. And as you pointed out, there are lots of places with two single tracks with grass between them.


If I were you, I would do a video google search on the C&O bike trail. Lots of people have posted videos of their trips and you can see what the surface looks like. I have to admit, I don't know a lot about how recumbent bikes ride over that type of surface. It may be ok, but the videos will give you your answer I believe.

We were there after a big storm at night and spent a day riding in mud and had to lift the bikes over trees that fell in the path.

BTW, neighbor, we live in Carrollwood Village in North Tampa. My wife goes to Paase Grille beach often. It is one of her favorite beaches. Years ago, I lived on Sunset Beach just south of Treasure Island.

Should we bike Cumberland to DC or vise versa?
Suggestions?

It's a continuous uphill from DC to Cumberland, and the towpath generally gets worse. Most people ride from north to south for that reason and because arriving in DC with all the great places to eat and things to do is a lot nicer than ending up tired and hungry in Cumberland. No offense to Cumberland.

I think you want to get the Paw Paw Tunnel detour and long stretch to Hancock out of the way the first day. Then it's smooth sailing for the most part to DC. Cumberland is nice, but the Georgetown House on the canal in DC was the perfect place to end the trip!

Thanks for the recommendation.
My next question: we are a little below average bikers (10-12 miles / hr on the road). Can we make it in 4 days? If we leave Cumberland at around noon time, please suggest where to spend the next 3 nights (we prefer not to camp)?
Thx, Nadiv

I am a biker of about your speed.With friends, I completed the GAP/CandO in 2014. Yes, you can do the CandO in 4 days. We will be riding the CandO again this year beginning on July 8. We will overnight in Cumberland, Hancock, Shepardstown, and Leesburg. Then we will stay in DC. Other than Day 1 being @60 miles (plus whatever the PawPaw tunnel detour adds), our days are about 40+ miles each.

Just went over PawPaw detour last Friday. A hot dry day, approached form the west. Twrentyfive minute assent,20 minute decesnt, we rode most of it. But for all intents it adds 1 hour to that leg. And it takes alot out of you. The eastern approach is a longer climb.

It is very reasonable to do the C&O in 4 days. We were on a tandem, did all motels/B&Bs and rarely went much over 10mph. We took 5 days, partly because we also did the GAP and mostly because we wanted to do some sightseeing too. We’re in our 50’s and could easily have done it in fewer days. You can find B&Bs in Paw Paw and Little Orleans if you don’t have a full day to do the 60 miles plus detour to Hancock (Super 8 and B&Bs). Look at this site and the guidebook for places to stay based on how many miles you want to do. We stayed in good places in Williamsport, Harpers Ferry, and Leesburg (the hotel have shuttles from Whites Ferry – don’t bike the highway there). We also considered staying in Shepardstown/Sharpsburg, and found Brunswick to be a nice town we wouldn’t have minded staying in.

Just finished C&O yesterday,towpath is is in the best condition ever, I have been riding it for seven years. Even with the rain!