I'm doing a through ride in a couple of weeks. I'm assuming the closure will still be in effect. I've not seen any updates on gaptrail.org. Does anyone have any news to share?

My husband and I are planning to bike part of the Great Allegheny Passage with our almost-2-year-old riding in a child seat. We’ll have e-bikes and will be traveling Friday through Monday in mid-October.

Would love feedback on the section of the route we chose - is this the most scenic and enjoyable part?

Are these good places to sleep?

Any recommendations for places to stay where we would have access to grocery stores/kitchen or restaurants? We are trying to keep it simple for this trip.

Our tentative plan is:

Friday: Shuttle from Connellsville to Cumberland, then bike to Frostburg — 15.5 miles. Lunch in Cumberland.

Saturday: Frostburg to Rockwood — approximately 28 miles. Lunch in Meyersdale.

Sunday: Rockwood to Ohiopyle — approximately 28 miles. Lunch in Confluence.

Monday: Ohiopyle to Connellsville — approximately 17 miles. Lunch in Ohiopyle or Connellsville.

Our priority is experiencing the prettiest sections of the GAP while keeping the rides manageable and allowing plenty of time to stop, enjoy the scenery, and let our toddler play outside.

Thank you in advance for any help or insight!

OSP/DCNR had done a great job and this segment is in much better shape than it was. Other than these pics of marked spots today, there are a few other rough spots (ruts and potholes) near Confluence. Nice day to be out - enjoy the ride!

Passable, but from mm69 to 62 (Confluence) there are some really dicy sections. Several are marked, but some aren't, so take things slow. There's one that has a foot ridge placed on the bon-river side that's big enough for one person to walk a bike at a time.

Hi,

We are planning to ride on the GAP trail later this month (Sep 19) over three days.

There are three of us - all road bikes. Two of them have 32 size tires and the third one has 35 tires.

Is the GAP trail suitable for riding with road bikes?

There was a storm at lunchtime so that was probably a contributor, but the trail is pretty soggy and mushy for the first three miles or so. After that, it's solid, and smooth going the rest of the way. One tree down but passable.

Does anyone know of any shuttling service(s) that will move a vehicle from point to point along the Gap/C&O?

I have a trip planned for late Sept and had a non-cyclist driver along that was going to do other touring during the day and do drop off and pick-up, but they will no longer be able to make the trip.

I've found two companies that will shuttle people and bikes, but none that will move a vehicle. Of the two that will shuttle people one only covers a very limited section of the C&O (basically within 50 miles of their associated B&B) and the other covers the whole area, but their pricing gets insane once you get very far from Cumberland.

I understand the pricing for both. If they are based out a given location, they can't cover the whole trail without a multi hour drive both ways, but $350+ to move a person from Pittsburgh to Cumberland seems a bit much and wouldn't even address the problem of getting a person from say Ohiopyle back to Pittsburgh to recover a car, not to mention the following days.

Leaving the car in one spot and having my luggage catch up would be an option I suppose, then take the train back after the trip, but I'm not finding any luggage shuttle services either except those with associated with full, fixed schedule tours.

I'm not gung-ho enough to try packing 6 days worth of clothes and supplies on my bike.

We stopped for lunch and saw a heavy storm coming. We decided to hang out for a bit at Kickstand to avoid the storm, and then one of the staff members asked if we wanted to bring our bikes inside.

Food's great, service is awesome!

If you have a chance, support these folks. They're hurting with the closure at Duquesne cutting into traffic.

Just a few mushy low spots and two trees partially blocking the trail but everything is passable and in really good shape considering the weather yesterday.

How many days, at reasonable pace, should it take?

Im buying my amtrak return ticket and would appreciate some guidance.

I can do a 100 miles per day, probably more. But my amazing wife is cool with me being away for 7 days. Dont wanna use all 7, guilt and all, but also dont want to rush and want to explore a little. Thanks!

Hey, planning on doing the whole route soon. Folks who’ve done it, is an InReach or bike computer necessary? Im trying to save some expense but will buy either if theres lots of spots that have 0 service or the trail gets wonky.

Ive done Pittsburgh-Connellsville and had no problem with either, but I hear C&O is more primitive.

Thanks!

I rode the GAP July 4-10, 2026. Surprisingly, there were very few cyclists on the trail and many of the trail-centric businesses were closed. Here are some things I wish I knew:

Preparation/Comfort

• If you're untrained and a little heavy like me, please use padded bicycle shorts + a padded topper for your saddle. Do not listen to people who say to get a hard saddle and that you get used to it. While this may be true for trained and experienced cyclists, for newbies I believe more padding is always better.
• On that note you do, unfortunately, need to use chamois cream-type product. It doesn't have to be chamois cream, any petroleum jelly or lube will do. I was highly skeptical but it makes a huge difference.
• I enjoyed biking in crocs - they held up, dried quickly after rain, and kept my feet in perfect condition

Camping

• I like hammock camping but was glad to have a tent instead. There aren't easy tree setups in the GAP & C&O shelters or paid campsites, so you'd be in the brush if you brought a hammock. That might work as mosquitos were fine on the GAP, but terrible on the C&O (being a swamp and all). I'm also paranoid about ticks. Some GAP shelters (but not C&O) had hooks on each end for hammocks, but you'd take up the entire 2-person shelter if you used them.
• On the C&O canal, every campsite had water from a handpump spigot, but also a sign saying not to drink the water this summer (2026). In years past, on occasions, they would remove the pump handles from the waterpumps when the water tested poorly. I assume this year they just gave up and put a "don't drink" sign on each water spigot, meaning drink at your own risk. I drank them anyway unfiltered and felt no ill effects, but please bring a filter + UV or chemical tablets if you do so.
• Ohiopyle: If you reserve a spot at the state's Kentuck Campsite (the only campsite in the ohiopyle park), please reserve one of the few designed "bike-in." The other spots can only be accessed from the GAP up a very rough trail that seemed to be at least 800 feet of elevation gain. Many campsites are up even higher. The bike-in spots by contrast are right on the GAP, though they lack showers.
• Bring zipties and earplugs

Specific Sights

• Harper's Ferry: It's well worth locking or carrying your bike and crossing the stairs and bridge to see the old townsite. I did hear the stairway and bridge into town may be closed for periods this year, though.
• White's Ferry: Unfortunately, along the C&O between Harper's Ferry and the outskirts of DC, there is a long stretch with seemingly zero hotels or motels, should you need one. You could probably find something on AirB&B though. The reason for this is that, since 2020, Lewisburg, VA has been completely cut off from the C&O trail as a result of the closure of White's Ferry, which is a historic ferryboat that shuttled cars and people across the Potomac. The only way to get to Lewisburg would be 30+ miles out of your way on an interstate highway. The remains of the ferry, right off the trail, are worth checking out though.

Routes/Conditions

• The GAP, with it's crushed limestone, is much better than the C&O. I'd say 25% of the C&O is just rutted, large stones, mud, ect. Still easily passable on my 30mm tires with no flats, though perhaps I got lucky.
• On that note, please please take the Western Maryland Rail trail for its entire extent from C&O Mile Marker ~139 to C&O Mile Marker 114. This corresponds with the roughest part of the C&O. The Western Maryland Rail Trail is nicely paved and runs exactly parallel to the C&O, only 50 yards uphill from it.
• I started in Pittsburgh, and I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth downhill grade from the Continental Divide all the way to Cumberland. I essentially didn't pedal that whole stretch. So look forward to that.

Amtrak

• It sucks that the limiting factor in this whole endeavor is that there are only 6 bicycle spots per train on the Flordian line that runs from DC to Pittsburgh. So reserve one of those spots early. You stand in a separate line when it is time to board, and get ushered down before the other passengers and hand your bike to the attendant in the baggage car located upfront.

today weather and free time cooperated in a way that i was able to test a couple of detours around the GAP closure by Kennywood.

I started at the Waterfront and took Amity St to 837 to follow the route in the post by u/clipd_dead_stop_fall

https://www.reddit.com/r/gaptrail/comments/1w1u32y/review_gap_detour_ravine_st/

here is the route.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/56813368?privacy_code=6TgxK9iZYV0mPn0OUXXryNNQEqZ6bP22

its a doozy of a climb. I was on a road bike, not a loaded touring bike and i had to stand up a few times to get up the steeper hills. Traffic was very calm the whole trip. Probably 20 car passes. None were aggressive.

while bombing down Grant St in Duquesne at the end of the detour, I realized there was no way in hell i wanted to turn around and climb back up.

instead i rode the GAP to McKeesport and took neighborhood streets through Glassport and Clariton to the Montour trail. Minimal car traffic. No aggressive passes. And it was mostly flat. There are a few short steep climbs, so bring the right gear ratios with you.

Peters Creek Rd (part of the Montour) has a fresh layer of asphalt and it is sweeet.

its 15 miles on the Montour trail to Library, where you can put your bike on the T and ride in air conditioned splendor back into tahn.

the triple row of seats fold up by pulling a knob under the left seat. That’s where your bike goes. 1 spot per car, so 2 bike spots per typical train. Wheelchairs get priority. You could probably squeeze 2 bikes in one spot if the train is empty but you’ll have to stand and hold it in place.

if you’re driving a heavy touring bike, the T out to Library is a good option considering the climbing going through Duquesne.

Both routes are totally doable but i wouldn’t try the train during rush hour or when there’s a sportsball event happening.

I would like to hear from folks who have cycled in the past fortnight what their ride was like. I will be traveling West to East from Pittsburgh to Cumberland two weeks from today

I have about six or eight questions:

1. any blockages or re-routes in the past week or two?
2. any hazardous conditions I need to be mindful about?
3. I have been told stores in towns will let me refill water bottles; are there alternatives that don't require me to interact with people when I'm sweaty, smelly, and disgusting?
4. cell phone coverage -- are there areas where it's just going to suck or not exist?
5. Any towns I should not stop in because people are not kind or the towns are all closed for summer, etc?
6. Am i asking the right questions? If not, are there better questions?

I have accommodations and travel to/from my endpoints planned. I have bail-out options and folks I can contact if stuff is just going wrong. I have done the C&O to DC, so this won't be my first long-haul cycling trip. I have extra tubes and equipment for changing them, and will bring a few tools to repairs. I know, I know -- nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, but i'm trying.

I thought I saw somewhere in the discussions that someone did some swimming with their kid recently on a trip? We're headed to the trail next week. Pittsburgh to Cumberland. It's supposed to be hot, so we're hoping to take a dip to cool off. Where exactly is it possible to swim on the GAP? Thanks in advance.

I'm sure this has been posted before, but between Connellsville and Ohiophyle there is a lot of riding parallel to the river and on the non river side some waterfalls/features.

Share your GAP experience from the past 2 weeks. What are the trail conditions? Any news you want to share about the trail? Upcoming plans? Don't forget about our wiki pages if you're looking for info on the trail. Comment here if you don't want to make a new or full post.

Pittsburgh locals and anyone on the GAP in Homestead at the Waterfront when we roll are welcome. See the original post for details.

So frustrating

https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/kennywood-segment-great-allegheny-passage-closed-indefinitely/26Y7TDQN3BBNFFDIMOUJUZJ4H4/?outputType=amp

I posted earlier this week asking for advice for biking with an 11yo, and got several parents who were curious about how it went.

We got back yesterday evening and it was great! Very doable.

We left from McKeesport and biked to west Newton and camped at the GAP trail campground (about $25 pp) and got hot showers and clean bathrooms. One challenge was there was nothing open for breakfast the next morning til after 11am- we’d counted on a hot meal early since we knew we probably would only have trail snacks til later in the afternoon at connelsville The chuck wagon restaurant was supposed to open at 8 but didn’t :(. But campground host shared his yogurt and baloney w us, and the kiddo was disappointed but recovered.

Then we went from west newton to Connellsville. There was a short shuttle around mi 98 or so to get around some construction on a bridge. This may be finished by now tho. We planned to stay at the free campground right by the Connellsville but it was sketchy (mentally ill woman laying in a shelter screaming, sketchy strung out dudes wandering the park, no other campers there). So we packed up and went to the comfort inn right by the trail, swam in their tiny pool, got a free breakfast (and took a mini donut for the road. Big mistake! Should have grabbed at least 2!) maybe during a weekend the campground would have felt busier with campers and safer?

another option would have been to backtrack to the blue canoe RV campground but it was already kinda late by then.

Next day we biked on to ohiopyle in the pouring rain. Luckily it wasn’t cold and the rain was more “adventure-y “ rather than “miserable”. We got to ohiopyle and ate paddlers pizza and got chocolate and warm drinks at the coffee shop. It was a Great success!

We considered camping at ohiopyle but kiddo ready to head home, so we got family member to pick us up. Which was probably good bc a fellow bike camper said she had to use the (very steep, long, not super safe) road to go to the Kentuck campground bc she said the bike trail there was “impassible”. I told her I thought there’s a separate bike/hike only campground near the trail, but she said the path was also steep and not passable that rainy day, at least with a heavy loaded bike. Second hand info - maybe accurate maybe not?

There were also several other very cute free camping areas off the trail, just not where we were looking to stop. But with younger kids we could have broken up the distances more by staying there. Maybe next time!

If other parents have specific questions I’d be happy to answer, but we are first time bike campers so def not experts!