Trail conditions

Hi - we are thinking of riding the trail in mid to late April and wondering what the conditions will be like? We are open to doing either the C&O or GAP. Thanks in advance.

Let's begin with the historical weather data along the trail for mid to late April. The data below is for Pittsburgh:

Average High Temperature on April 15: 62
Average Low Temperature on April 15: 39
Average High Temperature on April 30: 67
Average Low Temperature on April 30: 44
Average Monthly Total Rainfall through April 15: 1.5 inches
Average Monthly Total Rainfall through April 30: 3.0 inches
Percentage of Days of the Month Receiving Some Precipitation: 30%
Daily Hours of Sunlight: 13.3
Typical Wind Speed: 6 mph
Humidity: Dry

That said the temps will be lower at higher elevations along the trail such as Meyersdale. In fact, while not prevalent, one could encounter up to 0.5 inches of snow during that period. Temps closer to DC will be warmer.

Aside from the first 19 miles outside Pittsburgh and the 26 miles of the WMRT in Maryland if you choose to ride it, the rest of the trail is compacted crushed stone and dirt. Accordingly, the bulk of the trail condition is a function of the precipitation prior to and during your ride. In general the sections of crushed gravel will range from firm, to soft, to small stretches of puddles. The dirt sections will range from firm, to soft, to long stretches of puddles and mud of varying depths.

During the period the trees will be leafing out.

Subjectively, I find April to be earlier than I would normally plan a multi-day ride on the trail especially if camping. In my opinion, May is more preferable and conducive to a pleasant ride.

Late April in the PA section will be notably colder than DC. I’ve seen snow in the Laurel Highlands that time of year.