Touring the
GREAT ALLEGHENY PASSAGE
and the
Chesapeake & Ohio ( C & O ) Towpath
By Shari Galiardi & David “ Hutch ” Hutchison
Over the past 9 1 / 2 years of full-time RV life , we ’ ve left our rig “ Hamlet ” in some epically beautiful places while we ’ ve taken off for a backpack , bikepack , or sea kayak camping adventure . This October , we left Hamlet behind at a friend ’ s house , near Washington DC , so that we could bikepack from Pittsburgh to DC along the gently graded miles of Great Allegheny Passage and C & O Canal Towpath trails . Winding through southern Pennsylvania , up and over the Eastern Continental Divide , and down along the Potomac River to our nation ’ s capital . This trip had long been on our bucket list and the experience was a highlight of 2021 !
The only plans we made for this journey were the one-way Amtrak tickets from DC to Pittsburgh ( which can easily be done in reverse ), our first night ’ s lodging just two miles from the train station , and a place to park our rig . Fortunately , we have great friends within 7 miles of downtown DC who were pretty cool with our non-specific return date . We knew that we ’ d take longer than a week , but less than a month .
We met hundreds of people from age 20 to 80 cycling along this historic path — some folks were out for the day , others a long portion of the trail , while just a handful of us were doing the whole enchilada . While many of the Pittsburgh to DC riders sought to complete it in 5-6 days , we paced ourselves at around 20-30 miles a day with all of our camping gear and a few days worth of food in tow . We packed our camping , clothing , and cooking gear in a bike cart that I pulled with my mountain bike , and two rear panniers on Shari ’ s gravel bike . We also carried a small backpack and hydration pack for extra layers , snacks , and other things we ’ d like to have at the ready . It ’ s not an ultralight solution , but when you are out for 2 + weeks , the creature comforts override the desire for minimalism . We were probably the only riders out there carrying a laptop . As digital nomads we blend travel and work seamlessly , cycling for a bit , and working each day — even from a tent !
Short Tales from Both Trails
Rails to Trails — A New Type of Commerce Once an important transportation artery from the developed cities in the east to the rugged interior of the Appalachian Mountains , the GAP trail is now a pristinely surfaced trail maintained by
The Great Allegheny Passage ( GAP ) at a Glance
• 150 miles of converted railroad bed , from Cumberland , Maryland to Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania
• 9 tunnels , 30 bridges and viaducts
• 2 % maximum grade over a well-groomed gravel surface
• Highest elevation 2,375 ’ above sea level , the trail drops 1,754 feet in 24 miles to reach Cumberland ( to the east ) and drops 1,664 feet over 126 miles to reach Pittsburgh ( to the west ) — here ’ s a hint , go east !
proud , hardworking volunteers . For nearly 150 years , the trains spewed coal dust and diesel fumes into the air while bringing commercial life into the heart of our young country . Now an altogether different kind of life breathes along this path . The tiny towns which used to fuel the railroad , now welcome riders with open arms . In every town we saw signs welcoming riders and guiding them to local businesses for lodging , meals , bike repair , or supplies . Some villages greeted us with shady rest stops supplied with free water bottles in a cooler and snacks on the table .
Conversely , the C & O Canal Towpath which brought goods up river from Chesapeake Bay using canal barges and mules in the 19th century , is now maintained by the National Park Service . The trail itself has a much more backcountry feel than the GAP trail . While you still pass through plenty of villages , this corridor is much quieter , there are less services at the campgrounds , and much of the trail surface is rougher and potholed — though it has been greatly improved in some areas .
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