The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath and Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is a 280 mile long popular cycling path from Washington DC to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I made this trip May 7 to 20, 2021.
Washington DC to Pittsburgh
I drove to Seattle with my boxed-up bicycle to catch a non stop flight to DC. Things did not get off to a great start during the drive to Seattle. There was a huge accident on the freeway and I had to make a two hour long detour. Turns out a man walked across the freeway and was hit and killed. This led to two big truck crashes with tons of fish and milk cream all over the highway. I heard later on the news that the interstate was closed for 10 hours.
Traveling always requires problem solving. After quite a few airline with bicycle trips, I have finally figured out the best luggage system. A cardboard bike box (free or small charge at most bike shops) is large enough that the rear wheel does not need to be removed. Helmet, tools, and one empty pannier can be included in the box. Chose the right airline. A bike as checked baggage can cost any where between $0 and $150. For carry on - another pannier with clothes and everything attached to a light weight wheeled luggage cart, and a small collapsible backpack. The wheeled cart also serves to move the bike box during departure and arrival.
Following an uneventful flight I arrived at the hotel in Arlington VA, unpacked my REI bike and found some critical parts missing. Fortunately, there was an REI store only four miles away by a very convenient bus ride. I next morning I was at the REI store as soon as they opened the doors. They said it was hard to get bike parts these days, but they just had a bike like mine returned and they were going to use it for parts. They fixed my bike while I waited and didn't charge me anything. They also provided some friendly tips about the trail. I rode the bike 4 1/2 miles back to the hotel. From there I crossed the Potomac on the Key Bridge to Georgetown just to locate the beginning of the C&O Canal Towpath Trail.
Day 1 I set out at 7:30 am on the C&O Towpath planning to stop for coffee and a light breakfast on the way. It was a beautiful day - mostly sunny and about 60 degrees. The surface was mostly gravel and compacted dirt. It was a beautiful ride, much of it with the canal on the right and the Potomac River on the left. The wildlife was amazing - blue herons, white egrets, Canadian geese with small chicks, cardinals, bluebirds and many others. The trail follows the old canal with historic lock-keeper houses every few miles.
But, no coffee shops. I finally reverted to an energy bar and some cashews from my pack. There were no convenient hotels along this section of the trail, so I took a detour to my overnight reservation made through Warm Showers (an organization of volunteer bikers who open their homes to other bikers). I arrived at the nice suburban home in the small town of Poolsville, Maryland population 6,000 where I had my own private quarters in the nicely furnished basement. I was hosted by fellow cyclist Steve an engineer (soon to retire). We swapped cycling stories and shared a pizza dinner and a cold beer. It was a very nice evening.
Day 2 In the morning I followed a winding hilly road out of Poolsville back to the C&O trail which parallels the Potomac River northwest toward Harpers Ferry. Wildlife along the trail included several red Cardinals and a family of turtles. I was happy to hit the town of Brunswick just before noon where I found a lovely coffee shop built into an old church building. Arriving in Harpers Ferry I was dreading the fact that you have to carry your bike and gear up a tall winding stair case to the bridge which crosses the river to Harpers Ferry.
But, more good luck. Just as I arrived at the bottom of the bridge, two couples offered to help me and they carried my bags and I carried the bike and it was not too difficult. What a historic town. This is where abolitionist John Brown made his famous raid, and it was later the site of several civil war battles.
Day 3 I headed out northwest with mile after mile of trail along the river. As planned, I made a detour to Sharpsburg site of the civil war battle of Antietam Creek. However, I forgot that battles often take place on the high ground, so getting there involved a lot of hill climbing as well as a headwind.
September 17, 1862 at Antietam remains the bloodiest single day in American history, with more than 10,000 casualties on each side. After touring the large battlefield site I returned to the C&O Canal trail along the river. I then took a shorter highway route detour to my destination of Williamsport, Maryland. Shorter yes, but unfortunately more hills.
Day 4 I spent a pleasant evening in Williamsport last night after a large dinner of spaghetti and meatballs. The trail along the river this morning was very quiet, interrupted only by the sounds of so many birds. It's a bright sunny day, but the trail stays cool below the thick forest cover. After about 18 miles I transferred from the gravel C&O trail to the parallel Western Maryland Rail Trail, and enjoyed the smooth pavement for 10 more miles to Hancock, Maryland. One thing about cycling, it takes you to small towns you would not ever intentionally visit.
Day 5 In planning the trip, there were no hotel rooms of any kind between Williamsburg and Cumberland available for this day. So, I booked a shuttle ride through the bike shop and arrived in Cumberland at 10 am this morning. This gave me a relaxing day to explore the town and rest before tomorrow's 1212 foot trial climb up to Frostburg. The small Allegheny Museum was interesting. At Cumberland the C&O trail ends and the GAP (Great Allegheny Passage) trail towards Pittsburgh begins.
Day 6 Leaving Cumberland, I was not looking forward to the long climb up the Cumberland Gap to Frostburg. In anticipation I had only planned a 17 mile ride. However, the gravel trail followed the railroad bed, so while climbing the grade was steady and not steep. Consequently, I arrived in Frostburg early and enjoyed a wonderful late breakfast at a quaint café called The Princess. There's not a lot in Frostburg, so it was a relaxed afternoon reading and writing.
Day 7
The forecast was for afternoon rain so I left Frostburg early planning to arrive in Rockwood, Pennsylvania ahead of the rain. The trail climbed gently up to the Mason Dixon line and then reached the Eastern Continental Divide.
Here rivers on the eastern side flow to the Atlantic and on the Western side to the Mississippi and Gulf of Mexico. I was glad to reach there knowing that it was now mostly downhill all the way to Pittsburgh. After 34 miles, I arrived in Rockwood just before noon, but not before encountering some cold and light drizzle. Rockwood is a small town which looks like it has seen better times. When I arrived at the Trail house B&B no one was there and a sign on the door said "Come on in. Your name is on the room". I never saw anyone the whole time I stayed there. I guess this is a trusting small town.
Biking through small towns gives one a real feel for rural America. I stopped at Confluence, PA for a coffee break. A local pointed me to Mitch's Food and Fuel just off the town square. This was a real down-home experience, with a couple of old timers inside enjoying their breakfast. The little town of Ohiopyle, located on a bend of the scenic Youghiogheny River, was a pleasant surprise. Nice shops and cafes line the streets and the town serves as a meeting point for both cyclists and kayakers. It looked a little more prosperous than the last couple of towns. Today was one of the longest rides of the trip so after 44 miles, I was glad to arrive at a nice hotel in Connellsville, Pennsylvania for the evening.
Day 9 It's 9 am. I've been on the trail for an hour and am sitting on a bench being warmed by the morning sun. The only sounds are the chirping birds and falling water from a nearby creek. I have to keep an eye on the trail to avoid the deer leaping across and the many chipmunks scampering out of the way. The trail yesterday and today is built on the old Pittsburgh to Lake Erie Railroad bed and is mostly flat and wide. I arrived at my B&B in Boston, Pennsylvania in early afternoon as the thermometer reached 80.
Day 10
Today will be the last 20 miles to Pittsburgh. Early morning saw no one on the trail except the numerous rabbits and an occasional bright red cardinal. From McKeesport on most of the trail was paved. I passed through a fairly grim industrial landscape.
But, reaching the suburb of Riverside I found a good breakfast restaurant right next to the trail. Finally, I reached Pittsburgh and Point State Park and the fountain marking the end of the Great Allegheny Passage.
My hotel was close by and I spent a relaxing afternoon and evening. Displays at the nearby Fort Pitt Museum demonstrated the importance of this place in the 17th and early 18th centuries. One treaty signed during that time reserved "all lands from the western slope of the Allegheny mountains to the Mississippi River to native Americans".
Heading home. I picked up a rental SUV in Pittsburgh, threw the bike in the back, and drove 4 hours to the hotel in Arlington, Virginia near DC. There I disassembled the bike and packed it for tomorrow's flight home. Overall it was an awesome trip. I learned some history of the area, met some interesting other cyclists. I witnessed the beauty of the flowing rivers, the solitude of the woods, and the variety of wildlife along the trail. I'm already thinking of options for my next cycling adventure.
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