Reply to Biking the GAP Trail

I just finished doing the GAP trail on April 24, 2019 from Frostburg to Pittsburgh and here is some current info:

Most people go from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, I chose the other way for a few reasons. Once you get past the Continental Divide around MP 23, it's mostly downhill to Pittsburgh. I'm an older biker so I got a shuttle from one of the Cumberland Bike shops up to Frostburg (MP 15), the major part of the climb to 2392 feet. I stayed at the Trailside Inn. You can camp, stay in the hostel or rent a room. The folks at the Inn offer a cheaper shuttle service and can either pick you up in Cumberland and take you up the hill or just shuttle your gear to make the climb easier.

Parking in Cumberland is easy. There's a long-term lot for free just next to the Visitor's center downtown.

Getting back was simpler. Enterprise rental car has an office in downtown Pittsburgh and Cumberland. For less than $100, you can rent an SUV one-way that easily fit my bike and gear. They have larger cars and pick-ups for more than one bike (no bike racks). The office in Pittsburgh is on 11th street and easily accessible by bike. When you reach the end of the GAP trail in Point State Park, continue around the point along the bike path/walkway and in about a half mile there's a large pedestrian ramp to the right under the David Lawrence Convention Center. Go up to Penn Avenue, take a left onto a designated bike lane and go one block to the Grant Street Transportation Center. Enterprise has on office right there. It was very easy. The office in Cumberland is a few miles from downtown. I got there after closing. After unloading gear into my car in Cumberland, I was able to drop off the rental car (they have an after hours dropbox for the keys)and take a taxi back.

Notes on camping:

Husky Haven Campground in Rockwood isn't on a lot of GAP sites but it's a great place to stay.

The Outflow campground in Confluence no longer accepts walk-ups, you have to reserve the site through recreation.gov online or by phone (877) 444-6777. The number listed on the GAP trail camping list goes to the Ranger station.

The hiker/biker campground in Connellsville is right next to town, there's lots of traffic and noise. The KOA campground about two miles north was a lot quieter and had showers.

I just passed them by, but the Roundbottom, Cedar Creek and Dravo's Landing hiker/biker sites looked like really nice places to camp.

The GAP is a great ride, enjoy!

Bill|

We crossed paths at the Pumphouse in Homestead. Glad to hear you found your way to and around the Point to get to the Enterpise office downtown. I presume you, indeed, made it there in plenty of time.

Thanks for the info about no longer taking walkins at the Confluence camping area. It wasn't that way when I last stayed.

The Rond Bottom, Cedar Creek Park and Dravo Landing camping areas are indeed nice camping areas. That said you'll hear the trains along the other side of the river throughout the night at all of them not unlike at the Husky Haven campground in Rockwood.

Thanks to your directions I made it in plenty of time! Hope to cross paths again, Bill