Great Allegheny Passage Trail

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PGH, PA, US

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Route Overview

Bikabout

Wander by Bike! Inspiring two wheeled tourism in North America's best biking cities

342 mi.

7,181 ft.

340 miles of dedicated car-free bike trails between Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, makes the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Towpath the most desirable multi-day bike tour in the United States! Use Bikabout's cultural guide and map for a slow paced itinerary packed with eating, drinking, lodging and sight seeing tips.

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Route Details

# About the Great Allegheny Passage Trail (GAP)
Completed in the summer of 2013, the GAP is 150 miles of rail trail through rural Pennsylvania and Maryland open to hikers and bikers. The trail extends from downtown Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, Maryland, following the path of four former railways. The trail passes directly past numerous historic sites, through tunnels, over trestles and bridges, and within a few thousand feet (as the crow flies) of Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Fallingwater home, though actually connecting to it by bike is a longer, hilly ride. The trail has a hard packed surface that rolls well, with good drainage and modest slope inclines.

# About the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath (C&O)
The C&O Towpath, once a thoroughfare for commercial goods on barges that were towed by horses and mules, was saved from becoming yet another highway in 1954 by Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, who organized an 8-day hike up the path to publicize his worthy cause. The trail today is 184.5 miles of dirt path following the north bank of the Potomac River from Cumberland, Maryland to downtown Washington, DC. Hikers and bikers enjoying the trail can expect to see deer, blue herons, and turtles in epic numbers many times of the year. Trail conditions are softer and less well-drained than the GAP, making travel during rains slower and messy, though still quite possible.

## What shape should i be in?
With the exception of the the Great Allegheny Passage's Pittsburgh-bound direction between Cumberland, MD and the Eastern Continental Divide (2000 feet in 23 miles), neither the GAP nor the C&O Towpath have any truly steep hills on them. The grades are gentle and gradual, and you will never need to stand up and pedal, until you leave the trail for some of the more mountainous town stops. You will need to be able to pedal yourself along at about 11 or 12 mph for 6 or 8 hours each day, which isn’t a fast pace, and really isn’t a huge caloric undertaking. It is, however, a good test of your ergonomics and saddle comfort. Prior to the trip, the best use of your prep time is going to be dialing in your handle bar position, your saddle height and angle, and even the saddle type itself. These seemingly small discomforts will add up each day to make you much more tired and unhappy if not addressed. Thus, if you bike to work everyday on the saddle you'll be using, you’re probably in plenty good enough shape to bike the trail. More importantly, if you can be comfortable on your bike for most of a day, then that bike is good enough to ride the trail on. Buying an expensive, light new bike just for the trail that isn’t as comfortable as your old beater would probably be a huge mistake.

## FAMILY TRAVEL TIPS

Kids who are small enough to need naps will need to be strapped into something that allows them to nod off. Older kids will want entertainment, and that can come from the environment – in the form of animal sightings and scenic overlooks – or from you, in the form of verbal games that don’t require constant eye contact. Our daughter was 6 when we rode the trail, so we remembered or made up many such games as we biked along, including “I Spy,” alphabet-based games, number-based games, and some games that just asked crazy “what would you do” questions to let her imagination run full-speed for awhile. If you are using a trail-a-bike setup, make very sure you have good fender coverage, as the C&O Towpath can be dirty and muddy. Kid-sized biking shorts under their normal clothing helps with saddle comfort, as well. Perhaps most importantly, remember that most kids will mirror your reaction to the trip. If you’re able to laugh at occasional mud, flat tires, sore legs, and rain, then they’ll laugh about it too. The other riders you encounter will probably congratulate your kids for being out on the trail, too, which will bolster their confidence.

## ELECTRIC BIKES

We were fortunate enough to have a Pedego Ridge Rider (electrically assisted mountain bike) loaned to us for the trip, and it turned out to be an absolute game-changer, particularly with towing a kid on a trail-a-bike. Categorically, e-bikes make everything easier. Towing a 6 year old (who, let's be honest, won't be pedaling but 25% of the time) on a trail-a-bike, we still got at least 40 miles on the battery without recharging, using the lowest level of assist to help us maintain about 12 mph. Everytime we stopped for lunch, I would detach the battery and dig the charger out of a dry bag, then charge the battery in a quiet corner of the restaurant, which would put about 10% per hour back onto the battery, helping make sure we arrived each evening with some charge left.

## MUD

The C&O Towpath is mostly a “two rut” trail with two tire tracks separated by a grassy center, which tend to collect rainwater and create mud in wet conditions. The textured riding surface, mostly clay and crushed stone, will also test your saddle comfort more than perfectly smooth asphalt, making test runs on your bike before any big trip here very important.

What can you do? FENDERS! Seriously, don't worry about weight. You need fenders. Mudflaps, courtesy of Velo Orange would also be smart. This is also why it's helpful to ride with crocs or spray off shoes as you don't want funky feet. All these pictures were taken at the end of the day (and we had fenders). We got smart on the second day at put our daughter in her rain overalls.

# lodging, bike rentals, shuttles, transportation & more
See Bikabout's full (and FREE) travel guide for the GAP and C&O, including booking links, [online](http://www.bikabout.com/great-allegheny-passage-trail).

# Sights
* @poi[Hot Metal Bridge](2453053)
* @poi[Fallingwater](2086496)
* @poi[Ohiopyle Falls](2453050)
* @poi[Pinkerton High Bridge](2453060)
* @poi[Salisbury Viaduct](2453059)
* @poi[Eastern Continential Divide](2453063)
* @poi[Big Savage Tunnel](2453056)
* @poi[Mason Dixon Line](2453064)
* @poi[Paw Paw Tunnel](2453069)
* @poi[Big Slackwater](2453072)
* @poi[Great Falls Park](2086493)

# Eats & Drinks

* @poi[Bluebird Kitchen](2480016)
* @poi[The Trailside](2086508)
* @poi[Falls City Pub](2100352)
* @poi[Lucky Dog Cafe](2100353)
* @poi[Buddylou's](2100362)
* @poi[Desert Rose Cafe](2100361)
* @poi[Blue Moon Cafe](2100360)
* @poi[Beans in the Belfry](2100363)
* @poi[DBGB](2490892)

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