C&O / GAP Forum

Hello everyone. 3 weeks ago, I rode the GAP from Cumberland to Pittsburgh in 3 days with a group of Venture Scouts. Had a great time! So good, that I am going to ride the C&O and the GAP next summer (without boy scouts, with adults).

The trip I am planning is self-supported. For me, transportation is relatively easy. I can drive to Toledo, check my bike in a bike box on Amtrak - take train to DC - ride to Pittsburgh - take train back to Toledo.

However, I have friends who plan to fly in from Seattle for the trip. They can pack their own bikes for the flight, but where can they get a bike box in Pittsburgh for their flight home? My thought was the Amtrak station - but I'm not sure if Amtrak will sell boxes unless you are taking the train. Any suggestions?

Amtrak might be willing to sell them boxes, but their boxes are very large and could be expensive for flying or shipping. I would recommend some other options:
- Most bike shops have boxes that they would be willing to give away or sell for a small price.
- Amtrak could probably ship your friends' bikes in one of their boxes, but not sure how cost would compare with FedEx or USPS, and bikes would need to be picked up at train station on other end.
- Your friends should be able to ship their bikes using FedEx, USPS or bike oriented shipping companies for much less money than what airlines would charge.

I found out that there is a FedEx/Kinkos just 1/2 mile from Point State Park. They are open until 11 Monday - Friday, and until 9 on weekends. That looks like a great option. Thanks for your advice.

Good advice in this thread. I would definitely look into shipping the bikes using Amtrak (even if the bike owners themselves will not be riding). I believe "Amtrak shipping" would be much cheaper than using FedEx--assuming the bike owners live near enough the destination station to make it worth the hassle of picking up the bikes there.

Anyone starting their trip in Cumberland 7/26? or so? Interested in knowing some fellow cyclists that will be on the trail at the same time. Not interested in joining a group, just like to have some aquaintances going in the same direction.

We'll be headed north out of Cumberland at the same time you're there. If you see us we'll be easy to recognize. Our group of 8 will be on three tandem bikes, all with kid stokers and one single with a pull behind bike. Four adult and four young boys from 3-8.

I don't think anyone will be interested in joining our group as the boys can be a little rambunctious at times, but I think we'll have lots of fun. Enjoy your trip!

Great, I will look for you! Kids don't bother me, so hope to see you.

This is a really good site.

Planning Pittsburgh to DC in first week of October: 5 days, planning overnights at Connellsville (River's Edge KOA), Cumberland (prob. chain hotel--big mileage day), then hiker/biker camps at Hancock and Harper's Ferry. 60+ miles/day except for 2nd day at 88. Planning to rent a van one way for bike and gear & drop at Pittsburgh rental office near the Point.

Any tips, particularly campgrounds to avoid in Hancock/Harper's Ferry area would be appreciated !

Good itinerary. I would recommend the C&O Bicycle Bunkhouse in Hancock. $10 I think, just layout your sleeping bag on their wood bunks. Screened in, shower, can leave your bike locked up there safely behind the gates to walk into town. All of the Hiker/Sites should be safe. Huckleberry Hill near Harper's Ferry seems the closest. Don't forget to catch the Western Maryland Rail Trail which parallels the C&O for 22 gloriously paved miles before and after Hancock. It's a nice break from the C&O as you don't have to constantly keep your eye out for tree ruts and rocks.

Thanks for the advice!

If your going to stay at Connellsville you can stay in the trailside shelters for free.

The Tea Horse Hostel in Harpers Ferry is a great place to stay!

Just finished GAP/CO last week. KOA outside Connellsville was decent. Nothing for food though unless you want pizza. 3 miles to Connellsville for food options. Fairfield Inn in Cumberland allows bikes in rooms,plenty of places to eat and a bike shop about a 100yds from the motel. The trail is just outside the back door. Very nice. Had reservations to camp in Hancock but opted out for another motel night. KOA in Harpers Ferry is about a mile or so outside of town and uphill. Wasn't happy about climbing steep grades to get to campsite but we did it anyway. Overall a most wonderful trip. Next time in the fall with all the colors. Enjoy!

thanks again all, great advice, esp. the recent tip about the Fairfield Inn...I was wondering how the hotels took to bringing in the bikes.

I was thinking of pulling a bike trailer with gear & stuff, but the more I read I'm thinking it might be more practical to wear a backpack or use panniers. Any thoughts on that ? I'm figuring to camp at least one night, so will need to pack a tent.

Related, how much bike repair stuff should I be carrying...a couple tubes is obvious, but is it really practical to pack anything more ?

Towns are pretty close together...every pound is a little less enjoyment of what you're out there to do.

I saw some trailers being pulled and I think it would be fine as long as it was dry. The C&O was muddy from Cumberland to DC. I don't know if I'd want to pull a bob or yak thru the mud. It wasn't deep mud but the outer edges were slick and there's not much room for error as far as keeping your bike in a straight line. We went totally self supported with racks,panniers and all. Had no trouble, no issues. No flats and only 1 broken spoke and that was with only 6 miles left on our journey of 368 miles each. I'd go as minimal as you can stand. All of my gear weighed less than 30 lbs. That's significant. Trailers are a lot like suitcases or SUVs, the more room you have to carry stuff, the more stuff you carry. But, to each their own. Regardless, enjoy the adventure.

I just completed the GAP/C&O yesterday. We stopped at the KOA in Connellsville. It was mostly camping trailers. I'd recommend staying in Ohiopyle, if you prefer a better nightlife. Be aware the state camping site is up a steep hill, so be sure to factor that in after a long day. At any campsite, I'd ask specifically, whether there are any things, like trains, that come through at night and also how close the campsite is to town. Our first night's sleep in West Newton was ruined by trains every 2 hours. Once you have that info, run the accommodations and info provided by the local bike shops over the phone. The bike shop in Confluence gave us great tips when we visited them. Such as the fact that the first 2 hiker/biker sites east of Cumberland are adjacent to the freight yards, so they're noisy all night. Definitely stay in Cumberland in the hotel. It's convenient and your bikes will be safe. We stayed in Frostburg this year and were disappointed b/c getting into town meant climbing 2 large hills and the night food and drink options were limited. Continuing on to Cumberland would have been easy. 14 miles downhill. Also, be sure and check if the places you're planning to eat will be open. We stopped at the Schoolhouse in Oldtown on a Monday to find out they were closed. Bill's in Little Orleans closes between 4-5, so don't plan to have dinner there!
Other tips: wear padded gloves. I didn't and i have some numbness in my ring finger and pinkie,
Pack lighter than you think you need. I brought 2) batteries to charge my phone and only used one. If I had it to do over again, I'd only have brought one. If you don't bring it and you really need it, you can almost certainly get it on the trail.
Hit up the bike shop in Cumberland. They're a great resource and are very friendly to cyclists.
Bring or buy chainlube. I didn't and had to listen to 30 miles on my chain squeaking on the last day after washing off my bike with a hose.
Repair stuff: i brought 3 spo

Congrats on your ride, and thanks for the advice. I decided to stay in Ohiopyle at the campground. I'll just have to deal with the climb up there. I'm planning to camp along the c&o, and for better or worse I'm going to pull my bike trailer. Mainly because I already have the tent & trailer, & would rather err on the side of self-sustaining. I've pulled my kids in that trailer over many miles thinking I can do this too!

Planning to the GAP and C&O over 9 days (starting and ending in DC) starting later this week! Seems a bit much for the few days I have -- anyone done it before? Any recomendations? Will be camping along the way so carrying own gear (panniers only). Thanks in advance!

Andrea, unless you're limiting your mileage each day to 40 or so miles (the 9 days you're predicting) you can probably finish in 5-6 days doing 60-65 miles a day instead if . For five days I would recommend camping near Harpers Ferry, Hancock, Cumberland, Ohiopyle or Connellsville, and ending in Pittsburgh. There's a bunch of free hiker/biker campsites on the C&O. There's adirondack free shelters around mile 88 of the GAP near Connellsville. But if you want a slower pace, maybe 7 nights? It all depends in your desire to grind out miles or sightsee.

Andrea - You didn't mention your return arrangements, but I highly recommend the Amtrak rail service. It costs about $50-60 one-way, plus $20 extra for bike handling service and box. Well worth the cost, but you do have remove stuff from your bike (eg, no panniers). Train only runs once a day.

We took the train from DC to Pittsburgh and rode back on the trails. Train leaves DC about 4 pm daily and arrives in Pitt close to midnight, so you have to ride to your hotel in the dark and need lights (which are a good idea for tunnels anyway).

Actually, I meant I was riding back and forth to Washington (so approximately 700 miles return)- 9 days total is what I have -- somewhat thinking of about 80 miles/day. Perhaps a bit too much? I do a lot of cycling and done some long routes previously overseas -- am I being a little too unrealistic? Train is a good idea -- any chance to catch it along the way, or just from Pittsburg? Never been to Pittsburg so perhaps I can stay and enjoy it a bit and then train it back to DC?

John and Tom - forgot to say thanks! I appreciate the advice! Trying to do the trails a little faster -- perhaps the route isn't as easy as I am imagining it to be...the last few years I have really only been road biking, so 80-100 miles is not too tough (without any gear) -- but I am trying to stay light with only 2x12L panniers, plus tent (hopefully no more than 20 lbs of gear). Will stop for food along the trails, so no cooking gear. Feel free to tell me it is a bit unrealistic to do both trails twice in 9 days...I just have to be back in DC by the 26th (leaving on the 17th)!

Hi Andrea. Wow, round trip! Good on you. I would do Harpers Ferry, Hancock, Cumberland, Ohiopyle, Pittsburgh. If you can stretch the trip one more day, you could do the reverse in 5 days also. If you can get it in time for the trip, I highly recommend purchasing the GAP Trail Book. Tons of detail, restaurant listings in town, suggested itineraries, camp site listings, and most importantly, an indestructible water proof map. Bring ear plugs for the camping near railroads (some come through every couple hours), make sure you have lights for your bike if you get caught out on the trail after dark (the C&O is very dark especially plus you'll need it for some of the tunnels), and bring a lock for your bike when eating in town (just to be safe).

We averaged about 60 miles/day at a 12 mph pace, carrying panniers. This was a comfortable pace allowing time for a leisurely start (9 am or so), breaks for lunch and coffee, plenty of stops for photos and finishing by 4-5 pm most days. We rode about 80 miles on a couple days, but I wouldn't want to ride that far every day. You can't maintain the same average speeds you would on a road tour due to the unpaved surfaces, mud, and stops for scenery -- so we ended up with the same amount of saddle time as a road tour averaging 80+ miles a day. You might want to consider a more leisurely pace with some stay-overs at some of the cool places along the way, such as Harpers Ferry, Pittsburgh and Georgetown/DC.

Tom/John -- thanks so much for the advice!! I found out about a shuttle service, so if I cant do it as planned, I can call on them to pick me up and take me back to DC! Hoping to do the first part (DC-Pittsburg as quick as possible), then take a bit more time to come back -- but will see how trails are the first day or so. I definitely plan on spending a night or two in Pittsburg, so if either of you know the city well, let me know any great places to check out. I know DC well, and staying there for a month at the end of my bike trip. Thanks again -- really appreciate it!

Hello,

I am planning my first ride of the C&O for this August. It will be a two day trip, about 60-70 miles a day. My plan is to drive from Philly to some point along the way, ride 60-70 miles to another town, stay at a hotel/BB, and ride back to the car the next day. I have tentatively planned to drive to Hancock as my starting point and ride to Harper's Ferry, about 60 miles, but that is based on nothing other than eyeballing the map. Really, anywhere from Hancock to DC is roughly the same distance from Philadelphia so I could start anywhere, but I thought the further I got from DC the better. I guess my questions are:

-Is this a decent stretch of the path to travel for a first time visitor? Any recommendations for a better start/stop point?
- Anyone know if there is a place to leave my car in Hancock for a couple of days? My plan is to ride Sunday/Monday if that makes a difference.

Thanks for your help!

James

I would go a little further on 68 and start in Cumberland and go to Ohiopyle, this will push you a little it is probally 70+ miles but this is the most beautiful section of the trail. Tunnels, Viaduct, Railroad museum, continental divide, mason Dixon line and the falls at ohiopyle.

Greg,

Thank you for your recommendation, that's exactly the the kind of insight I was looking for.

We stayed here on the 4th night of a 6 day bike trip. We and our bikes were covered in mud, as was the case most of our previous stops. Much to our amazement and gratitude, Andrew met us in the driveway to take our bikes and clean them up for us before putting them in the basement for the night. That never happened ANYWEHRE else. This delightful experience continued as we entered the mud room of the house where Selena gave us a pile of towels, some cold local beer, and told us we could use their beautifully tiles dog wash shower to get the mud off of ourselves and everything else. She also left a laundry basket and told us to fill it with all or our dirty clothes, which she washed for us and had waiting outside our room in the morning. We were in love with the place before we ever stepped foot into the main part of the house!

The house is an exquisite historic farmhouse, which Andrew and Selena have been restoring and updating for the past two years. Much is original and beautifully preserved, but they have also added beautiful modern elements, like walk-in showers and an amazing gourmet kitchen.

We all showered and got into our beautiful fluffy robes (provided by Selena) and then sat on our private balcony, where Selena brought us wine, cheese, meets, and crackers to snack on before dinner. They prepared a delicious meal with wonderful fresh, local ingredients, and joined us for dinner where we heard the amazing story of Selena's life and their story of how they got to this point. They are a delightful and charming couple whose hard work and impeccable taste results in a truly magical experience for their guests. I can not recommend them highly enough!

Has anyone here camped at the Y in Cumberland? Thinking about it and read about their fenced in camping area. Any issues with theft? Want to take a walk into town for dinner but can't lug everything with me while leaving my bike behind me locked up. Is access to the campground only during business hours (10 pm)? Or can you come and go as you please? Does it fill up with fellow campers? Thanks!

I've stayed at the Y a few years back. I was solo and had no problems. There are lockers available in the Y, for members with "away" privileges, during the Y's operating hours: your gear can be locked-up overnight then retrieved at opening...very early opening, around 5 AM. There were a few other campers, and yes there is a fence around campground with port a pot, but with many access points: so no real "fenced" effect. I was solo and had no problems.

I stayed there last year. A morning shower was nice at the Y. You may want earplugs because you are right next to the tracks and definitely lock your stuff up. A thief would have no problem getting to your things.

Thanks to both of you for responding. Looking forward to staying at the Y and locking my bike up overnight (no worrying about it!). A shower in the morning sounds good also. Good point about the earplugs. Thanks again...John

I stayed a couple times and always was pleased and never had trouble with theft. You can place some stuff in a locker at the Y and lock it . the staff was always pleasant. I also walked to town for dinner,( Crabby pig), Ice cream ( the Creamery,) and a few of Nathans hotdogs. Enjoy

direction

Let me suggest you go from start to finish.
There is no right direction but if I were going to ride the GAP and C+O I'd start in Pittsburg to DC. The up-hill is much more gentle that way.

While the uphill is more gentle that way, it is real, and noticeable to those of us from Flatlands.

We purposely rode from DC to Pittsburgh, taking the train from Cumberland to Frostburg (the steepest climb).

But as many have said, there is no "right" direction.

I'm also trying to figure out the best direction. Planning on doing 4 day GAP thru trip in September. I think I want to head from Cumberland to Pittsburg because I prefer one day of climb and 3 days of downhill! But almost everyone goes the other way, if just doing the GAP, and I read somewhere the tailwinds coming from west to east are significant enough to enter into the "direction decision". Has anybody experienced the tailwinds?

I agree with Cumberland to Pittsburgh! Yeah, it's 24 miles going uphill to the Continental Divide right out of the gates at Cumberland but then you get the reward of 126 miles of going slightly downhill all the way to Pittsburgh. You're not going to coast of course but you won't be fighting gravity either even if it's just a subtle grade. It's a nice leisurely cruise without all of the effort if you went the opposite direction. When I did Pittsburgh to Cumberland I couldn't believe how fast those 24 downhill miles went! Mind you none of these grades are steep in any real sense but still...there's nothing like a gentle downhill to make for an enjoyable ride.

i am going to do Cumberland to Pitt, then to DC in June, and that 24 mile uphill start is starting to get me nervous ...

There is a train you can take from Cumberland to Frostburg from what I understand.

Please check back in after your trip and let us know how the slope really is!

Last July we rode cumberland to Pittsburgh. Two riders were novice - 1 just bought 1st bike the day before trip (30 yr old and fit). It was hot and The climb was tough but we all made it to Husky Haven campground. We anticipated easy riding the rest of the way down to Pittsburgh. It was easier than first day, but we did have a bit of a head wind most of the way.

I've heard the head wind is the reason many people choose to go the other direction, from PB to Cumberland. After having experienced it, do you think it is an important consideration?

We have done this ride a number of times, through-rides and shorter trips. On the through-rides we go DC to Pitt. Here is how we look at the Cumberland portion. From DC to Cumberland, it is basically flat. This makes that portion of the ride null. No real advantage in either direction. We make a short day and ride Cumberland to Meyersdale. Yes, a bit of a climb but then you have the rest of the trip going downhill. Another big factor for us is getting the worst part of the trail, (condition wise), done first. The GAP is a joy to ride on after slogging through the muddy C&O. To be honest, our hometown location also comes into play. When we have finished, it is around a two hour drive back home.

I honestly don't remember the wind ever being a problem for us. Rain and storms have always been our nemesis.

I did Connellsville to Cumberland (south) in 2012 and never had any issues with hills or wind .. yes there was some of each but not enough to matter... the downhill stretch from Frostburg to Cumberland went fast... which was nice... this year I'm going north from Cumberland to Pittsburgh so we'll see if the wind and early climb are an issue ... my thinking was that on my last day I'll likely want to take more stops and there are more towns closer together on the northern end of the GAP...

Purple Paul - Looking forward to hearing how the Cumberland to PB direction works for you. When is your trip? I'm planning on mid September so any pointers you can share will be appreciated.