C&O / GAP Forum

Where/what is the best places to camp around Hancock? Looks to be several in that area. Food and plumbing is main concerns. Thanks in advance.

There are two hiker-biker campsites very close to Hancock. Little Pool mp 120.6 is a little over three miles from the center of Hancock mp 124.2 while White Rock mp 126.4 is only two miles away. Both are free and have a port-a-john, but the pump handles have not yet been installed by the NPS and most likely won’t be until the second week in April. There is no camping available within the city limits of Hancock. There are two grocery stores, several restaurants, a hardware store, bicycle shop and a library with internet access in town. The other option is Happy Hills Campground at mp 129.2 but you’ll have to pay a daily fee to pitch your tent and it’s a five mile jaunt on the towpath or WMRT into Hancock. If your heart is not really set on camping but looking for an inexpensive alternative, there is the bunkhouse at the C&O bicycle shop on the towpath in Hancock but they won’t be open until the first weekend in April. Rate is $10 per person; I think youths under the age of 16 are free. There is water, showers, a deep sink and a fire pit. So pick your poison and enjoy!

I normally don’t like to post negative comments about an establishment, but after our bicycle experience at Little Orleans Lodge last summer I must convey a warning to anyone considering a stay here. Judging from the photos on their website the lodge was at one time well maintained and managed, but unfortunately, the place is now a dump. There was trash and litter stunned allover the lawn and commercial grade restaurant equipment stored on the front porch collecting dust. The real shock came when my youngest daughter caught a glimpse of the kitchen. It was disgusting. To ad insult to injury, I had booked two suites with king size beds but apparently we had arrived late so our rooms went to another party and we were offered two rooms (more like one room with a divider through the middle) in the basement that reeked of animal urine. After confronting Steve the owner about the unsatisfactory room situation, we all decided to forgo our nights stay and peddle on into Hancock where we stayed at the Riverrun Inn. While getting some repairs done at the bike shop in town we ran into some other cyclist who had similar experiences at Little Orleans Lodge and encouraged us to contact Allegany County Commissioner Bill Valentine to file a complaint. I did exactly that upon our return home to Vienna and discovered that Commissioner Valentine routinely receives complaints about the filthy kitchen conditions at Little Orleans and other discrepancies like double billing, over booking and false advertising. In closing, I encourage anyone who has stayed at the Little Orleans Lodge recently and personally witnessed the horrible sanitary conditions in the kitchen to please call Commissioner Valentine at (301) 777-5911 or commissioner.valentine@alleganygov.org and file a complaint.

There's nothing wrong with placing a valid complaint concerning a business along the Passage/C&O. Many people who ride the trail come a great distance to enjoy this activity. I happen to have ridden the routes enough times to know the good from the bad but if it were my first time along the route I'd appreciate the info. I too have heard several complaints. About 3 years ago I tried to contact the owner about lodging but no one ever answered the phone, sounds like I got lucky.

A friend has suggested we do the Pittsburg to DC route this summer. Does this ride go through towns, or just close to them? Is the scenery canal and trees, or something more varied? Thanks for your help

There are quite a few youtube videos that showcase the GAP and C&O which will give you a good idea of what the trails are like.

On the C&O portion, you have the canal on one side and the Potomac river on the other. There are plenty of great sights along this section. The GAP has a whole different look to it. You will ride through some towns, or at least part of town and you will ride close to others. You will not have a day of riding where you don't have a chance to stop at a town.

As you travel the trail you'll get a nice mix of town and country. You'll go past the edge of plenty of towns and right through a few of them. There will also be times that you won't have to bother with the rush and crush of a town.

As for the GAP section, the trail passes through the towns of Connellsville, Confluence, Ohiopyle, Meyersdale and Frostburg. There are places to eat and lodging in each and a bike shop in Connellsville. As for the C&O it passes through Cumberland, Hancock (a serious bike shop here), Williamsport (Hagerstown is about 6 miles north on US 11) Brunswick and Point-of-Rocks. The towpath skirts Oldtown (there is a diner about .5 miles off the towpath next to the Post Office), Paw Paw, WV (about .6 miles on Maryland 51 then cross the Potomac River), Little Orleans (you have to pay attention to the signage but best just to get off at Fifteen-Mile Creek Campground, Bill’s Place is 100 yards north), Sharpsburg (about .5 miles north on Snyder’s Landing road into town) or Shepardstown, WV (cross the highway bridge at lock 38 then about .5 miles into town) Harpers Ferry, WV (.3 miles across the bridge over the Potomac River) and Dickerson (get off at the Monocacy aqueduct, take Monocacy Rd the right on Maryland 28 into town). Enjoy

Four of us are planning to ride from Pittsburg to DC in late May 2015. We will be self supporting, staying in B&B's along the way (already reserved).
My concern is what options are available if something goes wrong - such as a bike crash, illness that prevents someone from riding, etc.

Is it feasible for someone else in the group to ride to a 'nearby' town to rent a car, hire a taxi or something like that. In the worst case, is it feasible for someone to return to Pittsburgh (via train, taxi, rental car, or whatever) to retrieve our car and allow the out-of-commission member to drive the remainder of the trip while the rest of us ride it?

Thanks,
Bob

My wife and I did our 3rd thru ride along the Passage and part of the C&O this past fall. Had a few mishaps and will do some things differently next time. If you'd like to contact me via email I could forward my cell # and give you some real life advise. I will be out of town this coming weekend Nov. 14/16 but you could contact me early next week. Feel free to get in touch. athiker80 [at] cox [dot] net

I rode from Pittsburgh to DC last June with 3 friends, staying in B&Bs and inns along the way. Generally there are towns within 20 miles along the entire route. Some are larger and have more services, but I would think that you could arrange support if needed in most of them. The trip planner on this site shows the locations of all bike shops, and some of them provide shuttle services. The most remote sections are from Cumberland to Hancock MD, and from Harpers Ferry to Georgetown.

Well, I can only offer this advice...the one thing that nearly derailed my entire KATY trip last year (not the same I know) was a stick through the rear wheel that nearly broke my derailleur and broke some spokes... so my advice is to steer clear of brush and sticks in the way. I'm riding the GAP and C&O in May and will be heeding my own advice :) Good luck

Strongly recommend that do not stay at Little Orleans Lodge in Little Orleans, MD mp 141 and slug it out the additional 20 miles to Hancock, MD due to persistent health issues in the kitchen. There is plenty of lodging in Hancock ranging from B&B, motels and a bunk house for $10 a night per person. If you do say at Little Orleans Lodge pay up front in cash (do not charge it to your credit card) and plan on eating breakfast or brunch in Hancock. Also do not get any of the lower level rooms and check for wasp and other creepy crawlers. If you don’t believe me, get a good look of the kitchen if you spend the night. Better yet, get a photo of the mess and submit a complaint to Allegany County Commissioner Bill Valentine in Cumberland who has received numerous complaints over the years.

Ok guys I have been slowly gathering the necessary equipment for my July 3,4,5th ride down the C&O. I am getting tight on space and will need to have a handle bar bag or use a camelbak bag (which I do not want to wear).

I have no clue or if it is even necessary, summer rain gear. Any thoughts or ideas on this? I would obviously love perfect weather.

If it rains on you that time of year it should be a warm rain so what happens is you wear the rain gear to stay dry but you sweat underneath it so you are still wet. I only use and did use rain gain once I was off the bike and I was glad I had it. That being said, try Frogg Toggs rain gear. Its super light, breathable and I got the pants and bottoms for $20.00

Add.......I meant to say tops and bottoms. The whole set only weighs ounces.

Mount a water bottle on your bike and that should be enough. You'll be passing water pumps every 5 or 6 miles at the hiker/biker campsites.

Water is important. Along the C & O, there are pumps at the hiker/biker campsites and towns where water is available at convenience stores. If the ground is pretty soggy, the water quality at the pumps may be in question. My preference is bottled water.

I spent two glorious days on the GAP and three days of rain on the C&O that only ended when I was about thirty miles from Washington. Light rain gear will work for a few hours and keep you from getting soaked but water will find its way in and make you miserable eventually. On the plus side since you'll be under trees it's a uniform drip. It's also very loud.

The important thing about biking, or hiking, in the rain is to stay warm enough. Like Greg K. said, you'll eventually get wet. Also at all costs, keep a set of clothes to change into and your sleeping bag dry at all times.

I'm a long time backpacker (35 plus years.) Also thru hiked the AT. Been bike packing for close to 29 years. Typically I do without rain gear UNLESS the temps are colder. In any conditions, wearing any manufacturers rain gear, regardless of the cost you will get wet. I wear synthetic clothing that allows me to dry out quickly. I do favor the Marmot Precip Rain Jacket. When I do wear it it seems to keep me drier/longer without that "clammy" feeling. As stated make sure your spare gear is protected so that after making camp you can change into warm/dry clothing. Most people tend to carry their tent and sleeping bag attached to their rack in stuff sacks. If so I suggest that you double bag your sleeping bag or have panniers that are waterproof and large enough to carry your bag inside. I use a 20 degree down quilt so it does pack very small. I always use down bags and very rarely have any problem with wetness. Also, I'd do without the rain pants. Unless your on the small size the pants will constrict and make for uncomfortable riding. Feel free to email me and I can share a lot of info about being comfortable/safe during a multi day ride.- athiker80 at cox dot net

What's the weather like during the middle of June? I'm assuming a lot like around here, hot and humid with t'storms on occasion. Any advice for a first timer doing the trail? Thanks in advance.

I think you are dead on with the weather. My only advice is bring earplugs for the trains that run near the trail at night and either mosquito repellent or netting to keep the skeeters off you at night if you are camping.

I always have some backpacker meals and extra water in my panniers. There are some areas, particularly along the C & O where you may want to camp that are not near a town. Little Orleans, Confluence and Ohiopyle for whitewater rafting are all places I love to stop plus there is always great food available at these locations.

Ok this board is great my first question regarding bike security was answered. I just wish there was a way to search.....So anyhow I know there are water pumps along the way at the campsites, is it necessary to filter or treat the water? What do people normally do for water biking along the tow path.

I was thinking about using a sawyer mini to filter the water, the send it through a charcoal filter to help with taste. I will be carrying 4 drink bottles with me so it won't take long to fill.....Any knowledge on this would be greatly appreciated.

When I did my thu hike of the C+O I didn't filter or treat water I got from the hand pumps and never got sick. When I did the thru hike of the Gap I filtered all water I took from the ground. Also didn't get sick then either.

The handpumps at each campsite on the C&O are treated with iodine and checked regularly so unless you are allergic to iodine you will be fine, just remember that the water will turn your camp stuff a bit dull orange that can be cleaned up once you get home.

The water along the C&O is safe to drink...but it does have a slight to moderate metallic taste and will indeed turn water bottles etc a nice shade of orange. I once added some to a freeze dried meal and there was a bluish color to the meal. For normal drinking during the day I usually add some Mio or Gatorade powder just to hide the taste a bit.
The park service will remove handles from pumps on occasion if the water is tainted. We once did a 62 mile day and rolled into camp. Never looked at the pump until after setting up camp. we were too tired to reload the gear so one guy rode another 6 miles round trip for water.

The first time you have it you really don't notice the iodine taste too much but after a couple days you begin to tire of it. That said, it's such a great resource to have especially when you might be miles from town. I had bottled water some of the time and used the pumps to supplement the rest of the water I needed. I never got sick or felt any ill effects from drinking it. Totally fine.

looks like they've closed .. the house is for sale . . .time to update the services list

For the last several days I've been unable click on the blue trail town icons at the top of the page and get info. Just a blank page. Anyone else having this problem or is it my computer.

Yep, just tried a few of them. Don't work.

Thank you for pointing this out. Something got locked up on the web server. I restarted it and everything seems to be OK.

Again, I appreciate you bringing it to my attention.

Happy trails!

Thanks to you for this useful tool for trip planning.

What are some "must-have" books to buy before I take a trip on the GAP and C&O? I've already ordered the Trailbook 10th edition, but I've seen a few others that look interesting. I don't see them listed at my local library, but have not used all their tools.
Which books were the best you've read on this trail system?

You can't go wrong with the Trail Book. We buy one every year. Another book we have used is "Linking Up" by Mary Shaw & Roy Weil. You can Google it, looks like it is on Amazon. We have used this GREAT web-site too. Tons of info. here. Read the old posts that are on here. Many questions have been answered. If you have any specific questions, ask away!

I concur about Trailbook. I have the 2011-12 edition so I'll probably get the latest version this spring. The book is great but what clinches it for me is the vinyl waterproof map that comes with it. Very handy and can handle the all the wet, heat, folding, etc., you can throw at it. Also, to get a taste of the GAP/C&O before you depart, there are a couple of nice DVD's out there: "On the Passage" and "On the Canal" both by John Urman. I found them on the GAP site store online.

I purchase the official Trail Guide about every other year. There's always a new tidbit of info and various services are always opening and closing. I guess my money helps in some way. Apart from that, there are several really good books that tell the C&O Canal Story including life along the locks and the people (often families) who lived on and piloted the boats along the 184 mile passage from Georgetown to Cumberland. I'm a history buff so I enjoy that type of stuff.

Meant to add that most of these books are available on the C&O website. I purchased most of my books at the Cumberland Md. C&O Visitor Center.

So I am coming to DC to ride the C&O on Sept 28th 2014 I have just over a week and was hoping to ride the GAP also. The problem I am facing is getting a ride back to DC if I do the both the C&O and the GAP.The price I have gotten for the shuttle is around $300. Is there a less expensive way to get back. Thanks for your help.

Do you mind if I ask who your shuttle is? The best price I can find is $395 for my wife and I from Dc to Pittsburg. Thanks.

I am taking the Capitol limited train from Pittsburgh to DC with my bike and pedaling back. $49.00 total

That's leaving Pittsburgh for Washington at quarter to six in the morning. But then the other way from Washington you would get to Pittsburgh around midnight, so I guess the train is a toss-up.

My understanding is that the train will not take more than six bikes. I am curious about your train experience....were you able to reserve a spot for your bike?