C&O / GAP Forum

We rode, self supported, the GAP and C&O trail a month ago camping along the way. It took us 5 days and we ended up totaling 354 miles with side stops. I loved the GAP trail. The GAP trail was amazing. The amount of work they have done with bridges, signs, and benches was amazing. Not to mention the condition of the trail. The C&O trail was much more rustic, in worse condition and with fewer places to stop for water, food, etc. But I enjoyed both. But what we enjoyed the most were the people we met while riding. The were a lot of friendly enthusiastic people on the trail.

We rode west to east because of the weather forecast. But if I had a choice I would rather begin in DC and do the GAP second and save the nicer trail for last. I think my buttocks would have been happier for that choice.

What I enjoyed more than the ride was the planning and logistics. This site helped a great deal. If anyone is planning a trip and needs any advice I would be happy to send them the planning guide I put together.

I'm planning to do the GAP in Mid September. My big decision is which way to ride. Did you find the slight uphill from PB to Cumberland very noticeable? I keep hearing that there is a headwind that blows west to east that is helpful if you ride in this direction. How far did you go per day? Any particular recommendations on towns/or places to stay?

Susan, the headwinds were never really noticeable for me as you are curling and looping in different directions along the rivers, so it's not really noticeable. Plus in many spots, you're surrounded by tree canopy. As for direction, it depends on your wants. The first time I did it, I did Pittsburgh to DC because I thought it would be cool to end a long trip at the National Mall for some cool pics of the Capitol. That said, in terms of physically enjoying the ride, I'd do DC to Pittsburgh. It's totally flat from DC to Cumberland of course except for the canal locks which are little 8-10 foot climbs but are really small and nothing to worry about. Then from Cumberland, it's 24 miles going "uphill" (1.5 - 2% grade) to the Continental Divide but then you get the reward of 126 miles of going slightly downhill all the way to Pittsburgh. For most people, this is two enjoyable days of a slight downhill to end your trip. You're not going to coast of course but you won't be fighting gravity either even if it's just a subtle grade but you are going downhill. None of these grades are steep in any real sense. I did it in five days with overnights in Harpers Ferry, Hancock, Cumberland, Ohiopyle or Connellsville, and ending in Pittsburgh (or campgrounds near them). Approx. 65-75 miles day.

Susan, I agree with John W. Ignore the headwind issue when deciding which direction to go.

I just completed a 5-day ride between DC and Pittsburgh yesterday, stopping in:

-Harper's Ferry
-Hancock
-Cumberland
-Confluence
-Pittsburgh

So similar to John's itinerary except I stopped in Confluence instead of Ohiopyle. If I'd stopped in Ohiopyle, the last two days (Cumberland-to-Ohiopyle and Ohiopyle-to-Pittsburgh) would have each been about 75 miles I think. As I did it, I had about a 60 mile day (Cumberland to Confluence) and a 90 mile day (Confluence to Pittsburgh). It was rough coming into Pittsburgh after biking 75-80 miles already. But I made it. :) I think John's itinerary is better.

If you wanted to make it a 6-day westbound trip, you could stop in Confluence (like I did), then stop again in, perhaps, Boston (it seemed like there might be some lodging there), and then have an easy 25-30 mile ride into Pittsburgh on the last day.

Happy riding!

Oh, I should add: it seems to me that plenty of people do west-to-east, so if that seems better to you don't let us dissuade you.

And I agree with John that the "uphill" heading west out of Cumberland is hardly a big deal at all. I am a wuss with hills and this doesn't even feel like a hill. It just feels like your tires are low on air or something because you're going slower for some reason. ;)

I also just finished the C&O and GAP -- fantastic 9 days spent on the trails. I did a back and forth, so essentially did both trails twice! Took a few different routes going and coming back (including the Western Maryland Rail Trail) -- it was a super nice diversion to the bumpyness of the C&O, even if only 22 miles of it! GAP s lovely - did not really notice the headwinds or much of a climb -- like mentioned above, sort of just felt like tires were a bi deflated! I was doing at least 70 miles a day to make it, and camping along the way, but stopping to eat in a number of different towns. Really, reallly loved Shepherdstown! Enjoy it -- it is stunning!

Thank you all for your comments and advise. I'm really glad to hear the headwinds are not an issue because I really wanted to go east to west and experience the long down hill. Being from Florida flatlands, I'm a real wimp about hills too, but your comments about the trek from Cumberland to the Divide no big deal is also reassuring. We are just doing the GAP portion and plan of 4 fairly leisurely days. Now that I have my direction, I can start solidifying our plans! Thanks everyone!

Thanks for taking the time to post your experience, this is quite helpful in planning a trip. Does anyone have any details on the campgrounds they stayed at or saw along the way? We are planning a trip along the Allegheny Passage and identified the camp site in Buena Vista and Perrypopolis as places we may want to camp at.

I agree with everyone else the headwind did not make a difference because of the tree cover. I would recommend going east to west as you are going to get the better trail last and get the C&O over with 1st. There was a 39 mile slow climb from Confluence to the Continental Divide but it was not very noticeable. The only consideration for me, is how wet will the C&O trail be. The C&O trail does not absorb water very well. It takes about 3 days for it to dry off. The weather forecast as to when and where the rain will fall might make a difference in direction.

I did it in 5 days staying in the overflow biker campground in Confluence which was very nice. night 2 we stayed in a campground around mile marker 175. I would not recommend that campground at all. Night 3 we stayed in a B&B in Williamsport and night in a very nice campground around mile marker 38.

If you would like to see Pics of my trip. I posted them on facebook here. https://www.facebook.com/bruce.drysdale.1/media_set?set=a.10153154190132928.1073741830.692197927&type=3&pnref=story If you contact me there, I would be happy to send you the word docs I made with list of restaurants, bike shops, campground, etc and any help that I can be. Best of luck on your trips.

We are also from Florida, and the elevation chart convinced us that we would be happier going east to west. We "cheated"--um, expanded our overall travel experience?--and took the train from Cumberland to Frostburg, so only 8 miles left to the Continental Divide.

But we did both trails.

Are mosquitos an issue on the trail (riding/camping)? I am not particularly a fan of rubbing chemicals on my body but also don't like the little blood sucking critters. For riding has anyone used the Bullfrog Mosquito Coast combination sunscreen and bug spray? Our trip is planned for early September.

Rode it 5 times during different parts of summer and never had a bug problem while moving.

How muddy is the trail currently I am considering to ride soon or possibly mid September any update would be helpful I plan on camping. Thanks

The GAP is made if crushed limestone so it's never too muddy though you'll get a bit gritty from it but even wet it's not too bad. It drains really well. The C&O is, for the most part, almost always muddy in parts. It's a dirt trail to begin with but it doesn't dry out very well. The tree canopy is very thick and it remains wet even days after it rains. No worries though. You'll be sweaty from the heat and exertion...the wet and dirt just become second nature when riding. :-) After a few miles in it, you just plow through the puddles instead of tying to avoid them. I use lots of those huge gallon and storage zip locks to keep all of my important things dry in my bags. It's good to know that even though I'm wet, sweaty, and dirty, all of my stuff is nice and dry if I got caught in a storm or wet trail.

Lol, I've had the same experience the last two days biking from DC westbound. At first I was avoiding the puddles at all costs, even dismounting at times. Now I just bike through them. :)

I will say that on 7/20/15 between mile makers 20 and 30 (or thereabouts) the mud was particularly bad. Since then it's been fine. (In Hancock as I type.)

Just finished it -- trail was nice and dry - that being said it had no rained in a few days, but the few days it did rain when I was on the trail, it was very wet and muddy. I was covered from the waist down -- particularly bad area was between Shepherdstown and Williamsport, and again just before Cumberland (on the C&O). Just cleaned off going swimming in the Potomac!!

Thanks for the updates will check in as time gets closer to my ride day in Sept.

The GAP trail seems to absorb water very well but the C&O gets very muddy. I was told it takes 3 days for the C&O to dry out after getting rain. We ran into constant puddle after mud puddle on the C&O.

Seriously looking for a female to ride from Cumberland to Shepherdstown on the C and O.(Possibly on to DC from there.) Looking to do maybe 25-35 miles a day. I am in my 50s and am not interested in speed, this will be my first trip from Cumberland. Hoping to go late July or early Aug. Please respond here and I will contact you!

jmh- contact me, might be doable early august depending on job stuff
ransymorf@yahoo.com

at the 30 mile marker there is a large tree that has fallen across the trail

there was also another tree across the mile marker 156/157 (just after Paw Paw Tunnel on the C&O) - I ran into a few different rangers and mentioned it, so perhaps taken care of by now.

The Potomac Grill just across the street from the America’s Best Value Inn on US 522 has reopened in Hancock. Still served good BBQ and other comfort food; very affordable compared to the prices and menu selection at Buddy Lou’s up the street. The rumored access trail from the grill to the WMRT is just that, a rumor so you’ll have to either come up the hill or you can come in to the employee parking lot in the back just off the video rental store on MD 144.

An update on this: you actually can access the Potomac River Grille from the WMRT; there is a gravel trail leading from the WMRT to the restaurant's lower parking lot. It's slightly west of the informational sign about the two rivers with Native American names (I forget the names exactly) that connect with the Potomac.

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!