C&O / GAP Forum

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!

Just finished Gap (Thu-Sat), and started C&O in Cumberland yesterday (Sunday). Trail conditions from 184 to 170 were not very good. Lots of puddles and mud. And very bumpy, needs some maintenance. Detour over Tunnel was strenuous but not terrible. Took about an hour. Ride after Paw Paw to mile 136 was a lot better. Move to WMRT from there to Hancock, very nice. Heading to Harper's today. Hope this helps.

Keep us posted.

On the WMRT trail is 136 to Hancock the extent of the ride by?

Trail from WMRT to Harper's Ferry MM 60 very dry and in terrific condition. Riding from Harper's to DC tomorrow.

In closing, Harper's to D.C. dry today. However, several areas east of Whites Ferry in need of maintenance.

Six tough days on GAP/C&O. Be prepared for grinding up hill from Confluence to ECD.

what is WMRT? excuse my ignorance.

Western Maryland Rail Trail. It's runs right besides the C&O Trail for I thing 20 miles. All asphalt.

I see t-shirts for the GAP and t-shirts for the C&O. Does anyone know where I could buy a Pittsburgh to Washington DC t-shirt for both trails?

Ours arrived today from https://gaptrailstore.org/collections/trail-apparel They are very nice shirts that say Ride of My Life and have both trails on the back. The women's is fitted and runs very small but looks good. We're proud to wear them!

Finished day 1 6/28. Pgh. To Ohiopyle. 77 miles 7:50.feel good. Great riding with my son. His first passage. Leaving for second leg to Cumberland. Weather is pleasant but cold in the am. Fry track... So far.

6/29 still cool in am. Ohiopyle to Cumberland 74 miles. Still dry got war after noon. 90's in Maryland.

6/30 Dry warm early hot after ten am. PawPaw detour tough. Take an hour for a one mile advance. In at Hancock in six hrs.

7/1 good ride good weather. Slight rain in afternoon. Crowded at Harper's Ferry. Got in hotel at three.
7/2 left Harper's at 5:30 am to beat the heat and make the train. Got into DC. ,At 1:30 took awhile to get to the station, but was scenic in the Capitol.

Is there week long parking at point state park? And is it free? Thank you for any help.

Nothing free in Pittsburgh. There are a few places that you can park for free just east of Pittsburgh that are along the trail. In the Waterfront and the Boston Traihead. You should always call the local police and let them know your car will be there during that time.

Being a FL gal, I want to avoid the heat and rain during 1st venture with hubby on long distance biking. What would be the best time to go? late Aug? Sept? Thanks

I like September as the nights in the mountains are cooler and there are normally less bugs. Contact Steel City Outdoor Adventures LLC. for trip support Steelcityoutdooradventures@gmail.com

The weather isn't that predictable. You are just going to have to accept whatever nature hands out. August typically doesn't get day-long rains, but there can be afternoon thunderstorms. This is supposed to be a busier than normal hurricane season, and those would pose a bigger threat to the ride. And we can get hurricanes from late August on.

September! Early September is great time to ride. Still summerlike but with cooler nights and much less traffic on the trail as the schools will have restarted. The days will be slightly shorter though, not a big deal though.

Early September can be perfect, especially after Labor Day, where the crowds are down, and in some cases, so are the prices.

We completed the trails the first week in June and experienced both cold rain and excessive heat, but mostly perfect conditions. Even though it was record highs in DC, the towpath is shaded and we didn't feel the heat there at all. The biggest problem with rain wasn't the wet or cold. It was that mud kept us at 5 miles an hour at times. Fortunately we only had 2 days of it and we also used the paved WMRT. We're in our 50's and had a close to perfect first trip!

Just biked the GAP/C&O. I rented a Dodge minivan one way from Enterprise @ Dulles Airport to downtown Pittsburgh within a mile of the GAP trailhead. $200 including gas. All rear seats fold into floor. Easily fit two bikes inside. Probably could have fit three. Was a great option. I picked it up last Wednesday night. Then we departed Thursday AM. No muss, no fuss.

We went through all the possibilities for transporting our bikes from Tampa to Pittsburgh. We finished our ride from Pitt to D.C. yesterday (6/28/17) and are staying an extra four days in DC. We decided to rent the bikes instead.

Tom from Get Out and Go provided us with a great rental package.

He picked us up from the Pittsburgh airport in a van with our rental bikes, drove us to the start and set up our bikes. After we finished he picked up the bikes at our Bed & Breakfast in D.C. He also transported out luggage that we have for the city. If you add up all of the costs it turned out to be a great deal for us. We were very pleased with the service. I highly recommend them.

I just finished the GAP / C&O from Pittsburgh to DC yesterday. We completed this in 6 days (6/22-27), which was not easy. We pedaled a total of 354 miles, once you count all the detours to hotels, etc. I have video recaps of each day on my blog, including the Paw Paw tunnel detour. Great experience.
http://bikingforachromatopsia.blogspot.com
Enjoy!

I read a multitude of questions from people riding from DC to Pittsburgh. IMHO, I would take the train to DC and ride TO Pittsburgh. Coming west, it's flat, then up 8 feet, flat then up 8 feet, repeat. The only real climb is to the Divide at Cumberland. Then it's downhill the whole way to Pittsburgh.

Cumberland to the continental divide is over 1600 feet in elevation, over about 24 miles.

In my opinion and I have ridden it both ways, going from west to east is the easiest way to go. The uphill from Pittsburg to continental divide is barely noticeable. From continental divide to Cumberland is a nice 24 mile downhill with a lot of coasting and easy pedaling. Going from east to west from Cumberland to continental divide on a loaded touring bike (self contained, with camping and cooking gear) is a 4 hour 6 mph slog. The C&O is essentially flat both directions with small hills at locks and of course larger hills going into towns to eat and resupply.

Enjoyable both ways but I total agree with Allen. West to East.

I agree with Allen and Stillriding. Pitt to DC is much more enjoyable. The downhill from the Continental Divide to Cumberland is a joy to ride. From there you go down all of the plunges at the locks along the canal to DC. Not huge drops but you don't have to climb them either. The consensus is that the continental divide to Pittsburgh is "Downhill" and while technically true, it really isn't noticeable at all when you're riding. I hated the climb from Cumberland to the Divide and when I got to the top I was expecting a bit of downhill reward the rest of the way but it never seems to arrive. It just seems....pretty flat. I prefer the nice 18 mph ride to Cumberland. That elevation profile is deceiving! :-)

I have a daughter in school in DC and if I was able to coordinate with a visit to see her I might be able to help you out.

I will say I debate the question often. I prefer to get the C&O over with and enjoy the nicer better kept GAP trail for the end of the ride when I'm tired. I have not gone from DC over mountain due to the Paw Paw being closed so I can't factor that into my opinion.

Riding next month - here's our riding & lodging plan. Renting a one-way van from DC area to Pittsburgh.

Day 1 - One-way Van Rental DC area to Pittsburgh.
(afternoon ride) Pittsburgh to Boston, PA - 22 miles (lodging Trailside Treasures)

Day 2 - Boston to Ohiopyle, PA - 54 miles (lodging Yough Plaza)

Day 3 - Ohiopyle to Cumberland, MD - 74 miles (lodging Fairfield Inn)

Day 4 - Cumberland to Hancock, MD - 61 miles (lodging Super8)

Day 5 - Hancock to Harpers Ferry - 65 miles (lodging EconoLodge)

Day 6 - Harpers to DC - 59 miles

Hope this is useful to others.

How many of you are going? I can't find a rental company that has trailer hitch racks on their vans. Are you getting a regular van or a utility van? mice if I ask what that will cost and how you are getting from the rental company to the trail?

Hello All,

I’m in the early stages of planning a GAP & C&O tour and had a few questions. I was hoping you fine folks could help me with some answers.

We’re planning on leaving Pittsburgh on September 10th. How hot will the weather be in early September? Should expect rain that time of year?

Has anyone done a credit card tour with a six day itinerary? If so, could you share what towns you stopped in and what places you stayed?

I have a Trek 520 with 32mm tires. Will I need larger tires?

Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

Getting excited already!

Thank you for you time.

Josh

September might be the best month to travel! Days will still be summery and warm but not the brutal heat of Mid-summer. Daylight will be a bit shorter but doing a six day schedule you will be making town comfortably before dinner time.
My bike was a Trek 7.3 D.C. With 32 mm tires. You be totally fine on the GAP and in pretty decent shape on the C&O, just a few puddles if it has rained. September should be too rainy but you really can't predict.

My 5 day trip was Ohiopyle, Cumberland, Hancock, Harpers Ferry, DC. If stretching it to 6, get rid of Ohiopyle (which was 78 miles on first day) and replace with Connellsville and Rockwood, then into Cumberland.

Don't forget the Western Maryland Rail Trail on each side of Hancock. 22 miles of paved asphalt that runs parallel to the C&O. Good luck!

Ugh, spellcheck....Trek 7.3 fx! :-)

John!

Thanks for the great tips!

Try calling Steel City Outdoor Adventures for trip support