C&O from Cumberland to DC

My Friend and I are making the trip on the C&O. We do little day trips, but have never done something like this. Seeking recommendations on hotels versus camping, packing food versus restaurants, packing essentials, daily mileage expectations. We are planning this for the end of the month.

Those are all great questions to ask and research. Three of us will be riding the C&O and the GAP at the end of the month too. It will be our first time. We are in our 60's but ride quite a bit. We decided to camp every other day and spending the off nights in inexpensive motels. We plan on eating at restaurants along the way but will keep snacks and one meal with us as a precaution. You never know what might happen along the way.

We bike packed the KATY Trail, here in Missouri a couple of years ago and went between 50-70 per day. My advice is to ride at a comfortable pace and enjoy the trip. You can always find packing lists on line but I found www.pedalshift.net very helpful.

Items to not forget are food, plenty of water, bike repair tools, pump, patch kit, spare tube(s) and the ability to do minor repairs.

I love riding these types of trails and Ray (webmaster) provides an excellent forum/website for us trail riders.

Having ridden the C&O a few times, here are some thoughts for consideration:

* For your first trip on the C&O, I would suggest that you avail yourself of hotels or B&B's especially if the weather predictions are not favorable. While there are several free hiker/biker campsites along the towpath, they are primitive. If camping, the pay state parks along the way are arguably more hospitable. Having ridden the trail once, you'll have a greater understanding of the trip to choose what you'd like to do for the next time you do it.
* Unless you want to carry a lot of food, you'll find enough cities along the route to find meals as you go. You may want to pick up an extra meal, when stopping to avoid making numerous stops or having to travel some distance off the trail to get food.
* The previous respondent's packing recommendations are spot on. I would add to look at the weather forecast to determine if some cooler weather clothing would be desirable for early morning riding or overnight camping.
* The most common daily mileage is around 50 miles. Without any climbing and more riding hours during the day, you can do more miles to shorten the duration of your trip.
* Lastly, take a little time to read about the history and points of interests along the trail before departing to better enjoy the trip and its history.

Pick up the "Trail Guide" book for $10 from the Great Allegheny Passage store:
https://gaptrailstore.org/collections/trailguide/products/trailguide-15th-edition

This book has everything you will need to prepare for your trip. It also comes with a water proof map in the back.

We’ve been biking the canal every October for last 30+ years and have always camped , but I think it depends a lot on whether you really enjoy camping (we do). Camping gives you real flexibility as to how far you want to go each day as there are campsites every 5 to 10 miles with few exceptions. We used to bike 50+ miles each day but now average closer to 30 so we can really enjoy our trip, it all depends on how much time you have (we allow ourselves a week, 2 weeks if we start in Pittsburgh). The nicer the weather the slower we go, and we like to set up camp early to enjoy the evenings by a campfire. We feel it’s a good idea to eat when you can, taking advantage of most every food stop along the way, but we do carry snacks and a few freeze dried dinners just in case.

I ridden from Cumberland to DC twice over the past few yers. I stayed at the following hotels, which both were satisfactory:
Hancock - Super 8
Harpers Ferry - Econo Lodge

As for food stops, Liberty Gas Station in Paw Paw, WV, Bills Place in Little Orleans (although I have heard it may have closed), Desert Rose in Williamsport (EXCELLENT and VERY biker friendly), and Whites Ferry Grill in Whites Ferry (but I think it closes for the season on 31 October, then re-opens in April). Plus several places in Hancock, Shepardstown, Harpers Ferry, and Brunswick.

Enjoy!

Hello
Bills Place is closed on Tuesdays (I think), but I was there twice in the last two weeks.

I would give a recommendation for the Hillside Hotel 19105 Keep Tryst Rd., Knoxville, Md 21758 (phone 301-660-3585).

This is on the Maryland side of Harpers Ferry. You get off the trail near mile 58 where the Application Trail leaves the towpath.

You don't have to mess with the steps on the Harpers Ferry RR bridge, But you have a steep but doable 1 mile assent to the Hillside Hotel.

Extra bonus is a nice liquor store next door and the Guide House Restaurant across the street.

Camping is for sure the more flexible option, as there are hiker biker sites evenly spread out along the trail. With the flexibility comes the fact that you will be backing heavier than if you are staying in hotels along the way. Same goes with food....if you choose to pack camp/dehydrated meals, you will have to include the stove/pot as well. Totally depends on what your preferences are.

I would highly recommend taking advantage of the Canal Quarters program if you have the opportunity. We stayed in Lockhouse 10 and really enjoyed it.

My packing must haves beyond the normal items would be.....earplugs (train could be loud whether camping or staying in a hotel), water mix-ins like propel...dual purpose...replenish electrolytes and mask the iodine flavor of the well water along the trail (I personally didn't find the water poor tasting, but others in the group did), extra socks, portable USB charger (get one that is at least 10,000 mAh...mine charged my cell a few times before I had to recharge the battery).

I just rode from DC to White's Ferry and the mosquitoes are incredibly bad in that stretch of the trail and i will assume that its no better further up, so i would recommend some kind of wearable mosquito netting if you're going to be camping out, ie hat with attached netting, for example this is what i ordered for my trip around October 31st to Cumberland and i'm leaving then just because of the mosquito problem:
https://www.amazon.com/Camo-Coll-Outdoor-Anti-mosquito-Protection/dp/B01HR5A5JQ/ref=sr_1_194_sspa?keywords=mosquito+netting&qid=1568589450&s=gateway&sr=8-194-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzVUVXOUg1TVcxTEg3JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTEwOTA4MVdOMktCVTJRUDJNSiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzM1MDYyMVBWUjA1TE02VEk1TSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0Zl9uZXh0JmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Also if you don't have "waterproof" panniers, i found that those new "flex" trash bags work really well as they really stretch and don't puncture that easy!

Happy trails!

Thanks for the heads up on the mosquitoes as I prepare to depart for DC next week and camp in route.

Rivnuts, let us know how its going during your trip or if you run into anything along the way, happy traveling!

Thanks for the heads up on the mosquitoes as I prepare to depart for DC next week and camp in route.