Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal from the Philadelphia area
The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) and Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) canal trails are biker-friendly rail trails that together go from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. The GAP is 150 miles from Pittsburgh PA to Cumberland MD and the C&O is 185 miles going from Cumberland MD to Washington DC. These two trails seamlessly connect, allowing bikers to ride both without going out of their way. There are plenty of hiker-biker campgrounds on the trail or cute towns where one can spend the night. I am from the Philadelphia area and did not want to get my car involved. I utilized Amtrak to get to Pittsburgh from Philly and to get from D.C. to Philly. I chose to stay in Bed and Breakfasts along the way because I wanted a little glamour. I went in October and the weather was perfect. Most days were 60 miles, which was manageable for our group. I wanted to put my experience out there for others in the Philly area who are considering doing this trail and want to see how it played out.
The Logistics
Day One: Philadelphia, PA to Pittsburgh, PA
Day Two: Hang out in Pittsburgh, PA
Day Three: Pittsburgh, PA to Connellsville, PA
Day Four: Connellsville, PA to Meyersdale, PA
Day Five: Meyersdale, PA to Cumberland, MD
Day Six: Cumberland, MD to Hancock, MD
Day Seven: Hancock, MD to Harpers Ferry, WV
Day Eight: Harpers Ferry, WV to Washington D.C.
Day Nine: Washington D.C. to Philadelphia, PA
Gear: I brought my Trek Domane AL 2 road bike. I took my bike to my local shop before the trip for a tune-up and some gravel tires that they recommended. I had two Ortlieb saddlebags, an Osprey backpack with a 2.5L bladder, and a small rack bag for snacks. I had a portable pump, extra tube, pepper spray, a flash-light, lock, backup battery pack, some first aid basics, glasses, and my Garmin.
I had basic toiletries, bike shoes with clips, bike gloves, a hat, Birkenstocks for stops, 3 bike outfits (chammy shorts and shirts), a Patagonia fleece, raincoat, 3 pairs of outdoor pants, a few casual outfits, a bunch of socks/underwear/bras and a water filter.
Food is very important to me and I need little comforts from home along the way. I made some date and nut bars and granola to last the whole trip and then also brought some fruit and nuts. A lot of this was un-neccessary for many, but this was a necessity for me. I brought a portable ProOne gravity water filter, but this broke on my travels to Pittsburgh. Also unneccessary because there were plenty of water stops along the way, but I would have preferred my home water for another comfort from home.
There wasn’t anything I had to buy along the way in terms of equipment. I wish I had packed a bit lighter, which I will do next time. I also would have preferred some better equipment. Next time I will buy a GoPro for pictures and have a nicer flashlight. I think having an emergency GPS signal device is good too. I went with two people, but if I went alone I would have one of them.
Day One: Philadelphia, PA to Pittsburgh, PA
I decided to bike from my apartment to my local train station and then to 30th Street Station. From here, I took Amtrak at 12:00PM from 30th Street Station and would arrive in Pittsburgh at 8:00PM. This was the only train option and it was a direct ride to Pittsburgh. I stayed in a hotel in Pittsburgh that night.
This was not an easy day. Hopping on that bike and heading to the train station was the moment I realized I never actually biked with this amount of weight. I was scared the bike would topple. Once I got to 30th Street Station, it was all good. You do need to check your bike and then the staff take you on the elevator at the time of boarding. I ended up checking my saddle bags as well, but this was not necessary as they could be carried onto the train just as easily. My bike was stored with the checked bags on a vertical bike stand. This process was very easy, but just make sure you get a tag for your bike when you get to 30th Street Station.
Once on Amtrak, it was 8 hours of gorgeous views.
I arrived in Pittsburgh, got my bike and bags and headed over to my hotel. I stayed at Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown. I chose this hotel because it was close to Point State Park and I wanted to make sure I had easy access to the start of the trail. The next day was spent relaxing in Pittsburgh before heading out the following day.
Day Two: Pittsburgh
I haven’t been to Pittsburgh in a while, so I wanted to take a day to eat some good food and relax. On this day I also found out that my water filter broke so I biked to REI to get a different one because I didn’t know that there would be plenty of places to get water on the trail. I hung out at De Fer Coffee & Tea during the day, got my nails done, went to Point State Park (which is the start of the ride), biked around the city a bit, and got dinner at Di Anoia’s Eatery. It felt pretty safe biking around Pittsburgh. It was the perfect amount of time in Pittsburgh.
Day Three: The start of the trip
This was the first day of biking. I met up with my biking friends at Point State Park that morning and we headed off.
We ended in Connellsville and stayed at Connellsville Bed and Breakfast. I would recommend this B&B. They provided bike storage, bike pumps, and had a hearty breakfast. We ate dinner at Kickstand Kitchen in Connellsville. The food was good, and there were plenty of healthy options and vegetables.
The gorgeous tree that greeted us at Connellsville
Day Four: Connellsville, PA to Meyersdale, PA
We took a few stops on this day and got into Meyersdale at 5 or so. It was a Sunday so food options were limited. We stopped in Ohiopyle for some coffee, tea, and views of the Youghiogheny River.
After Ohiopyle, it was a quick stop in Confluence and then Meyersdale for the night. We stayed at Morguen Toole Hotel. Food was very limited in Meyersdale. Next time, I will eat a big lunch on the way and a light dinner in Meyersdale or rely on the food I brought.
Day Five: Meyersdale, PA to Cumberland, MD
This was the most exciting day. We had our shortest ride of 35 miles, over half of which was downhill. We headed out early, saw the Eastern Continental Divide, the Mason Dixon line, a passed through Frostburg, MD and then ended our time on the Great Allegheny Passage in Cumberland, MD! There were alot of wide open views on this day and a very positive vibe. We stayed with a family member outside of Cumberland and then headed back to start the C&O Canal the following day.
Day Six: Cumberland, MD to Hancock, MD
This was another long day that involved walking our bikes through the Paw Paw Tunnel (luckily it was open). We ended in Hancock, MD and stayed at a lovely B&B called the 1828 Trail Inn. The hospitality was lovely. The owner let us wash our bikes off and provided oil for our chains. He gave us pie from Blue Goose Market and Bakery, and served us an amazing breakfast. I would go back to Hancock solely for this Inn.
Day Seven: Hancock, MD to Harper’s Ferry, WV
I was super excited for this day. I really wanted to see Harper’s Ferry, and it lived up to the hype I gave it. We made a stop in Williamsport, MD at the Lotus Moon Cafe. This was a little off the trail, but they had healthy food and we were able to bring it back and eat along the canal.
Once we got into Harper’s Ferry, we were greeted by the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. The charm of Harper’s Ferry was unbeatable. You have to walk your bike up a bunch of stairs to get to Harper’s Ferry from the trail, but it was worth it. We stayed at an inn in Harper’s Ferry where you could use the kitchen to make your own food. Next time, I will probably stay in a B&B where breakfast is provided. We ate dinner at a cute vegan spot called Kelley’s Farm Kitchen in Bolivar, WV which was about a mile walk from Harper’s Ferry.
Day Eight: Harper’s Ferry, WV to Washington DC
The final day!! Alot of excitement on this day. We walked our bikes down a bunch of stairs and were off to DC. We took a nice break at the Great Falls Overlook. There was a detour about 15 miles from D.C., but we were determined. We searched for the C&O canal mile 0, eventually found it, got a picture, got a drink, and later got dinner at an Italian restaurant in the city to celebrate our trip.
Day Nine: Washington D.C. to Philadelphia, PA
I left D.C. early on a Friday to get home. I took Amtrak back to Philadelphia and then took an Uber home.
Final Thoughts
This trip was such an experience. There were a few small detours along the way, but it was easy to get back to the trail. I would recommend it to anyone. Completing it in 6 days was doable for our group. I hope to do it again in a few years and go on more bike trips in the meantime.
With love,
Nicole
