GAP and C&O Canal

 

Arrive Pittsburgh and do a little sightseeing. From lively Station Square, you can ride the famous Inclines to enjoy panoramic views of the ‘Burgh, or explore the famous 3 Rivers by taking a tour on the Gateway Clipper. Grab some dinner before making your way back to the hotel for tour orientation.

Nearby Highlights: Point State Park; Station Square; Andy Warhol Museum; Carnegie Science Center, and many more. Use Google Maps to explore additional attractions near the hotel.

 

In the morning, the team provides bike fitting for those on our rental bikes, and then we jump on the saddle for our first leg of the GAP.

We leave Pittsburgh behind as we head for the beautiful rural reaches of Pennsylvania, taking us through old-growth forests and following the majestic Youghiogheny river. The trail delights with charming small towns and nostalgic train depots which have been converted into visitor’s centers, cafés and gift shops. After our lunch stop in W. Newton, we continue on to cool Connellsville nestled on the bank of the beautiful Yough.

 

In 18 miles we reach Ohiopyle State Park where we encourage you to take time to explore this unique PA State Park, by bike and by foot, the many paths that showcase the beautiful Youghiogheny river. We stop for a picnic lunch in Confluence then it’s on to the soaring Salisbury Viaduct which is over 100’ high and 2,300’ long making for one exciting ride! We continue on making our way to Garrett, where we’ll shuttle 15 minutes to our hotel in Somerset.

 

Today we hit the trail for an exciting 37 miles taking us across the Eastern Continental Divide and the Mason Dixon Line,  and through the famous Big Savage Tunnel. Exiting Big Savage, plan to take a long pause to appreciate the stunning views of the Allegheny Valley before beginning your downhill cruise to Cumberland, the junction of the GAP and C&O Trails, and our stop for the evening.

 

Say good morning to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath! Along today’s route you’ll pass aqueducts, locks, and remnants of Colonial and Native American settlements before reaching the iconic Paw-Paw Tunnel, one of the most significant features on the C&O.  We cycle on passing through Greenridge State Forest and Little Orleans before ending our day in Hancock, Maryland.

 

We being the day with a short shuttle to Fort Frederick, where you can explore one of the largest forts built by the English Colonists. Then it’s on the bikes enjoying the downhill glide and passing many of the historic canal houses and locks. After a trailside picnic, the trail comes within 2.5 miles of Antietam Battlefield ($20), and those interest can divert the short distance to explore the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Our day ends as we roll into famous Harpers Ferry for our overnight stay.

 

We leave Harpers Ferry behind as we enjoy another day of cycling, meandering with the powerful Potomac and taking in the beautiful scenery as we make our way to Great Fall, a series of waterfalls, rapids and drops which present significant challenges to early engineers in order to make it navigable. You’ll have time to explore Great Falls before we shuttle to our nearby hotel for the night. In the evening, we’ll venture out to historic Old Town Alexandria with lively restaurants, shops and nightlife.

 

This morning we’ll wrap up our last 15 miles on the incredible C&O Canal Trail, ending at Mile Marker 0 in Washington, DC. However, our adventure continues for a while longer as we take in the sites of the US Capital by bike making visits to the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Memorial, as well as a number of other highlights along the National Mall. After a wonderful afternoon of sightseeing we’ll shuttle guests back to IAD for travel to homebound or other destinations.