C&O Home  GAP Home
The C&O Canal Towpath Trail and Great Allegheny Passage
Georgetown/Washington Bethesda MD Potomac MD Seneca MD Poolesville MD Leesburg VA White's Ferry MD Point of Rocks MD Dickerson MD Brunswick MD Harpers Ferry WV Shepherdstown WV Sharpsburg MD Williamsport MD Downsville MD Big Pool MD Hancock MD Little Orleans MD Paw Paw WV Oldtown MD Cumberland MD Great Allegheny Passage C&O Canal Towpath Merchandise C & O Canal Towpath Trail Map
switch to GAP map Cumberland MD Frostburg MD Meyersdale PA Garrett PA Rockwood PA Markleton PA Ohiopyle PA Connellsville PA Perryopolis PA West Newton PA Buena Vista PA Confluence PA Harnedsville PA Dawson PA Smithton PA C&O Canal Towpath Sutersville PA Boston PA McKeesport PA Homestead PA Pittsburgh PA Great Allegheny Passage Merchandise Great Allegheny Passage Map
switch to C&O map

Reply to Early Spring Ride
Cancel and Return to Forum
Scroll down to see the discussion
All submissions are reviewed for appropriateness. We reserve the right to remove or edit any comment that we consider incorrect, misleading, or inappropriate, at our sole discretion. Please remember that this is a family-friendly website.
Subject:
Reply to Early Spring Ride
Your Name:

This does not have to be your real name. It could be a "screen name", your initials, or just leave blank.
Your Hometown:

Optional - it's just interesting to know where people are from
Email Address
Comment:
So we know you are a human, please answer this easy math quiz:
2 + 3 =
Luke from Pittsburgh on 12/26/2019 8:18:09 PM:
I'm planning a ride from Pittsburgh to DC in the spring. I have a week off of work in mid April. Is that too early in the season to complete the ride in its entirety? Just thinking about trail conditions, etc. Thanks!
 
Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 12/26/2019 11:20:24 PM:
That may depend on whether you plan to camp or lodge along the trail. The average high and low temperatures in April are 61 and 41 while they are 72 and 52 in May. Hence the nights in April can be quite cool for camoing and there is a chance of snow, especially in the higher elevations in mid-April. A mid-May ride has a higher probability of being more enjoyable. It also precludes having to carry both warm and cold weather clothes and gear. The likelihood of rain is about the same but it is much more tolerable at higher temperatures.

I faced the same issue last spring and ended up waiting until early May and a week with little or no rain forecast. Doing so made for a pleasant trip, albeit with some unrelated mechanical issues.
 
Ross from North Augusta, SC on 1/23/2020 1:06:13 AM:
I'm looking at May 17-20, this is great information as I was wondering about if that would be to early or not.
 
Meg from Durham, NC on 1/23/2020 11:59:45 AM:
Hi, my friend and I did the C&O in mid-May last year and it was great. As long as you go after the water pumps are turned on, I think an early spring ride is nice. There weren't too many other bikepackers on the trail, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. We were hammock-camping (with underquilts) so having our pick of trees at the hiker-biker campsites was ideal. It rained a bit before we got there so the trail was definitely muddy at the start, but I think that can happen in any season on the C&O.
 
Meg from Durham, NC on 1/23/2020 11:59:46 AM:
Hi, my friend and I did the C&O in mid-May last year and it was great. As long as you go after the water pumps are turned on, I think an early spring ride is nice. There weren't too many other bikepackers on the trail, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. We were hammock-camping (with underquilts) so having our pick of trees at the hiker-biker campsites was ideal. It rained a bit before we got there so the trail was definitely muddy at the start, but I think that can happen in any season on the C&O.
 
Ross from North Augusta on 2/4/2020 11:54:50 PM:
Sounds great, I'll be hammock camping.. I'm ok alone, hoping one of my friends will join me though..
 
FEEDBACK! - Please let us know if you have suggestions, corrections, complaints, or ideas. Your input is valued and appreciated - thanks in advance!
More info: C&O Home C&O Map Trip Planner Travel Timeline Forum Towns & Services Mileage Chart Events Trail Merchandise Search Advertise Contact Us
 
By using this website, you agree to the Terms and Conditions.
how this website uses cookies
This information may not be copied or reproduced in any way.
© Copyright 2024 BikeCandO. All rights reserved.
BikeCandO and BikeCandO.com are registered trademarks.