Seven Days on the C&O and the GAP
Overview
I rode approximately 470 miles over seven days on the C&O Canal Towpath and the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP). My ex-submarine buddy, Joel Mitchell, planned a four-day GAP out and back ride and asked me if I was interested in joining him. I rode the GAP back in 2019 and was excited to ride it again with Joel. We were both on the USS Spadefish, SSN668, submarine back in the late 80s and reconnected 30 years later through biking. We try to do an annual multi-day ride having already completed the Ohio to Eire Trail (OTET) and a ride from Point Marion, PA to Parkersburg, WV on the proposed Parkersburg to Pittsburgh trail.
I had some extra days that I could add on to the trip, so I decided to ride the C&O over three days and meet Joel in Cumberland before we started our trip. I was going to ride from my house to Williamsburg, VA and take Amtrak from Williamsburg, VA to Alexandria, but I waited too long to buy the tickets and they sold out. My awesome wife heard some foul sailor language from my office when I found out that the train was sold out, so she offered to take me to the DC area instead of taking the train. This turned out much better because we spent an evening in Old Town Alexandria and had a great little mini vacation. Old Town Alexandria is a really cool place to visit, and we had a delicious Italian dinner outside in the awesome fall weather at Landini Brothers Restaurant right in the heart of Old Town.
We got up before sunrise the next morning and my wife, did I tell you she is awesome, dropped me off at the southern trailhead of the Mt. Vernon trail south of DC where I started my three-day journey to meet Joel in Cumberland, MD.
Over the next seven days we experienced a huge array of weather from sunny and warm to cold and damp. I even had one day of heavy rain that turned the C&O into a continuous mud hole. It was certainly a character-building trip, but the fall colors were peaking so at least the scenery was beautiful the whole way. Instead of camping, we planned on staying in hotels and B&Bs on this trip, which made for a lighter bike rig. However, the C&O is perfect if you prefer camping instead of staying in lodging. It seems like there are free campgrounds every 10 miles or so with water, labeled non-potable so bring a filter, and porta pots at every campground. There aren’t as many campgrounds on the GAP but several of the communities do provide free camping areas though they are not as plentiful as the C&O.
Check out the following website, www.bikecando.com, which is a great planning tool that shows all of the restaurants, food, lodging and camping options along both the C&O and GAP. It even has milage charts that make it very easy to plan each day of your trip.
Day 1 - Mt. Vernon, VA to Harpers Ferry, WV
82 miles on the C&O Canal Towpath National Park
We got up early and my wife dropped me off at a Mt. Vernon Trail access just north of George Washington’s Mt. Vernon as the sun just started to rise over the Potomac River. I headed north were I would follow the Potomac all the way to Cumberland and she headed south returning to our house.
This was my first ride through DC and I was really surprised how amazingly easy it was to get through DC on separated bike paths and lanes. I made my way to Arlington and crossed the Potomac on the Memorial Bridge at Arlington National Cemetary and took my first real break while saying hello to Abe at the Lincoln Memorial. The weather was absolutely perfect and I was enjoying all of the great sites of DC as I continued my trek up the Potomac River.
After spending some time at the National Mall, I got on the Capital Cresent Trail and stayed on it too long. The Cresent Trail is right next to the C&O for several miles, but I thought they merged together so I had to back track a mile or so when I realized that the Cresent Trail started to bend away from the Potomac towards Bethesda, MD. If you cross a railroad bridge on the Cresent, you’ve gone too far.
I finally made it onto the Towpath and my next major break was at The Great Falls of the Potomac. They are spectacular and definitely worth the short hike from the Towpath to see them. I’m guessing on weekends the boardwalk to get to the falls gets very busy but again they are worth the effort. I have always heard the Towpath wasn’t maintained as well as the GAP, but this portion of the trail was really nice and almost comparable to the condition of the GAP. Note: it doesn’t stay that way.
I had a great lunch at Whites Ferry and continued along the Potomac until I reached my first day’s goal of Harpers Ferry. To get to Harpers Ferry from the Towpath, you have to carry your bags and bike up a flight of steps to cross the Potomac River on an active railroad bridge with a separated pedestrian path. It wasn’t too bad but if you have a really heavy bike, it could be challenging. The National Park Service said they were hoping to build a ramp or something in the future that would be easier for bikers. The Harpers Ferry side already has a ramp so if they can repeat that on the Towpath side it would be excellent.
I stayed at the Quality Inn, which is very accommodating to bikers and a decent hotel especially for the price.
Day 2 - Harpers Ferry to Hancock, MD
67 miles on the C&O Canal Towpath.
I was treated to another beautiful day of weather though the temperature was a little cooler on this day. However, the forecast didn’t look good for the following day so the high 60s to low 70s and blue skies were about to end. Regardless, I still had to push through to Cumberland in three days as I had to meet Joel.
The Towpath was still in very good condition with mostly smooth crushed limestone as the surface. I did hop on the Western Maryland Rail Trail between Fort Frederick and Hancock. Fort Frederick is a nice stop if you like history and it is easy to get to right off the Towpath. It is a well preserved and reconstructed fort used during the French and Indian War. The staff are dressed in period clothes and are very eager to tell you all about the history of the fort. It was quite informative.
To get to the trail head of the Western Maryland Rail Trial, you have to exit the state park with a bit of climbing and a short ride on Rt. 56, Big Pool Road, to the trail head. The road wasn’t very busy, so it was a nice ride.
I made it to Hancock and stayed at the Super 8. There weren’t a lot of lodging options in Hancock, so I gave the Super 8 a shot. It’s a very basic hotel that could probably use a refresh though they are very accommodating to bike riders. The price is very good, but you pretty much get what you pay for.
Day 3 - Hancock, MD to Cumberland, MD
61 miles on the C&O Canal Towpath
I got up very early and rode with my head light trying to beat the heavy rain that was forecast. There were some very early light showers but as the day progressed the rain got heavier turning into a very wet and uncomfortable day, especially with the temperatures falling into the 50s. Additionally, the towpath pretty much turned into a continuous mud hole as this portion of the Towpath is basically a two-track dirt road and is very susceptible to rain.
I made it to Oldtown, MD and stopped at the School House Restaurant. It was a welcomed dry oasis in the middle of the heaviest rain. The restaurant is in an old school cafeteria that’s been converted to a commercial restaurant and it actually works pretty well. They serve good food at good prices and they are at a section of the Towpath that has limited options for services. I was soaked and muddy and drug all kinds of mud into the restaurant. I asked if I could get some rags to clean my mess up and the fine folks said not to worry about it. I left a good tip.
I continued towards Cumberland and the heavy rain just kept coming down in sheets. As previously stated, this section of the Towpath is the worst even when it is dry as it is more like a two-track dirt road with very little crushed limestone. It is highly susceptible to rain and the water easily puddles and creates mud holes that last a long time even when the rain stops.
The Paw Paw Tunnel is finally open after a couple of years of closure. It’s definitely worth going through as it is long, dark and truly amazing how they engineered and built a canal through a mountain tunnel.
I finally made it to Cumberland with mud everywhere on my bike and everywhere on me. I stayed at the Fairfield Inn right on the Towpath and thankfully they have a bike wash station. I had so much mud on me that I just used the hose to spray off my bike and my entire body including the top of my head. For the most part, my gear held up pretty well with the exception of my OR Helium Jacket. It was completely wetted out, which I’ve experienced before so that evening I submitted a claim with OR to have the jacket replaced. OR responded immediately and a new jacket is on the way.
I met Joel and we went to dinner in downtown Cumberland where we discussed our plans for the next four days on the GAP.
Day 4 - Cumberland, MD to Confluence, PA
63 miles on the Great Allegheny Passage
The weather continued to be cold and damp with temps in the 50s with some light sprinkles here and there. Overall, we had the right gear and were comfortable for the day. Immediately out of Cumberland you have to tackle a 24 mile climb to the top of Savage Mountain. Though it’s railroad grade, the continuous 1-3% for 20+ miles certainly reminds you that you are climbing. The fall colors were getting close to peak and the views from Savage Mountain are expansive. You even get to climb right up to a whole bank of windmills adding more interest to the first part of the GAP.
We passed the Mason Dixon Line, went through the Big Savage Tunnel and eventually finished the climb as we crossed the Eastern Continental Divide. From here to Pittsburgh the trai is pretty much downhill or flat.
We stopped in Meyersdale, PA for lunch at the GI Dayroom Diner. The food was good, the prices were very reasonable, and the service was great. The restaurant is an old diner right in the middle of downtown and it was neat watching the cook make all of the orders.
We stayed at the Rivers Edge B&B, which is a nice quirky place with a shared bathroom for all three rooms. They have a highly rated attached restaurant, but it was closed as they are only open on weekends. We went to Mitch’s Fuel and Food in downtown Confluence instead and enjoyed an excellent dinner in the gas station, convenience store, restaurant combination. Both Joel and I had the bean and ham soup special, and we both thought that it was some of the best we had ever had.
Day 5 - Confluence, PA to Boston, PA
67 miles on the Great Allegheny Passage
It was another cold and damp day with some sprinkles a few times during the day. We had a small continental breakfast at the River Edge B&B and we got an early start right at daybreak.
Since the continental breakfast was somewhat small but good, we targeted having a second breakfast in Connellsville, PA figuring out where to eat once we got there. As we dropped into town and stopped at the information board to determine our options, an older gentleman who looked like he was local was walking past us on the trail. We asked him where the best place to get breakfast in Connellsville was, and he immediately said the Valley Dairy Restaurant. So we looked it up and rode through downtown to the restaurant. We were not disappointed as the food was superb. We even had ice cream for desert though this turned out to be a bad idea as it kind of chilled us for a while when we started riding again in the cool and damp weather.
One of my favorite parts of the these long multiday rides is the ability to eat what and as much as you want because you just burn it off. I actually have to eat a lot or I really start suffering due to a lack of calories. Since I like food, this works well for me.
We stayed at the Little Boston Inn right off the trail, which was the nicest place we stayed on the whole trip. The rooms are large, clean and recently updated. They even have a bike cleaning station with rags and provided a locked garage for our bikes.
We went to Rich’s Parkside Den right across from the Inn. I would call this restaurant quant as they appear to have been serving the steel workers in the community for many decades. It was a bit like stepping into a time capsule and they even had an old cigarette machine. The food was OK, but we really enjoyed talking about the many names on the banned for life list on the back of the bar while enjoying an Iron City beer.
We were close to Pittsburgh, but the plan was to turn around and head back to Cumberland tomorrow.
Day 6 - Boston, PA to Confluence, PA
67 miles on the Great Allegheny Passage
The weather was slightly warmer today and no sprinkles.
The Little Boston Inn doesn’t provide a big breakfast, but they do provide a couple packets of instant oatmeal which is plenty to get us started. Since we both knew we wanted to stop at the Valley Dairy Restaurant in Connellsville for another second breakfast, a quick and small first breakfast worked well.
We got another early start and used our head lights on the trail for a half hour or so. Stopping at our new favorite restaurant for breakfast again I went for it and had their Haystack breakfast. It has biscuits, sausage patties, real hashbrowns and two eggs all topped with sausage gravy. I was in heaven, and I think I ended up licking the plate it was so good.
During the ride we passed the biggest section of coke ovens I’ve ever seen. Coke ovens were normally part of a coal mining operation where they refined the coal to coke prior to it being shipped to steel mills. These coke ovens obviously supplied the coke that was used to fire the blast furnaces at the steel mills in and around Pittsburgh.
We stayed at the Rivers Edge B&B again and ate dinner at Mitch’s again. We bought extra sandwiches and wraps for the following day as we were planning on getting up very early and eating lunch on the trail to save us some time.
Day 7 - Confluence, PA to Cumberland, MD
61 miles and our final day on the Great Allegheny Passage.
We got up very early as we were planning on getting on the trail well before sunrise. We rode in the dark with our headlights for about an hour then the sun started to come out. We hadn’t seen blue skies in several days and it was really nice to finally get some sun and a bit warmer day with temperatures in the 60s.
We stopped for a quick lunch near the Eastern Divide then started the 24 mile downhill into Cumberland. On the way down, we passed the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad train being pulled by an old steam engine going up the mountain. Interestingly, it was also being pushed by a diesel electric engine. I guess the scenic railroad is sort of like all of the e-bikes out there, where it is nice to have a little extra help when you need it. They had several passenger cars and they all seemed completely full, even though it was a midweek day.
The fall colors on this ride were absolutely amazing. Looking at the fiery color and details of a single leaf just fascinates me but combining that single explosion of color with millions of others makes some wonderful views and we got to enjoy a tremendous amount of that beauty while riding on the C&O and GAP.
We finally made our way down Savage Mountain to Cumberland, got all our gear packed in Joel’s truck, then drove the 5+ hours back to my house in Virginia. Joel headed back to his home near Savannah, GA the next morning.