I rode my bike from Pittsburgh to DC on the GAP Trail, one of America’s best cycling routes. Here’s what I loved and hated about the experience
The GAP Trail and C&O Towpath belong to one of America’s most iconic bicycle routes. Biking 330 miles from Pittsburgh to DC was legendary, but I didn’t love everything about the experience.
Two bike paths connect Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. — the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail and the C&O Towpath trail. The paths converge in Cumberland, Maryland, so cyclists can ride almost the entire 330 miles with no car traffic.
Despite the physical challenge, bike tours are one of my favorite ways to vacation. So, after traveling to Pittsburgh for a wedding, I wanted to see what the GAP and C&O Towpath trails were all about.
The route took 6 days. For the most part, it was a cycling paradise. I loved not worrying about car traffic, and the abundance of campsites was impressive.
Yet there were a few drawbacks to the experience. While not major enough to ruin my trip, the downsides caused some hiccups along the way.
These are the 4 things I loved and 3 things I hated about bike touring the GAP and C&O Towpath trails.
I loved how easy it was to find camping along the trails, although it was somewhat easier on the C&O Towpath
One of the more challenging aspects of bikepacking is finding campsites, but figuring out where to pitch a tent was a breeze on the GAP Trail and C&O Towpath.
The GAP trail’s website offers a detailed list here of all campsites along both the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Towpath trails, listed by mile marker. I recommend printing or taking a screenshot of this page before your trip to ensure you can access the information offline while en route.
The C&O Towpath has nearly forty campsites, most of which are just a few miles from each other. Most campsites are free, hiker-biker sites that offer just a porta potty and well with non-portable water. There are a few select public campgrounds along the way that may offer additional amenities.
Related: 12 most useful tools to pack on a bike tour
Because the towpath’s campgrounds were so abundant, we never had to plan where to end our ride in advance. If we felt tired, we knew there were only a few miles until we would pass a campsite.
Campsites on the Great Allegheny Passage, on the other hand, were more spread out. Some campsites were nearly 20 miles from each other, so it was necessary to plan where to end our ride in advance. However, a number of commercial campsites were available on the GAP trail, making it easier to find showers and other basic amenities.
For those who don’t plan to camp on the trail, the GAP trail’s website has a separate page listing hotels, bed and breakfasts, and lockhouses along the way.
I hated that I didn’t pack a stove, as I could have eaten healthier while riding on the GAP Trail and C&O Towpath
One of my biggest regrets from riding the GAP Trail & C&O Towpath was that I didn’t pack a stove.
When my boyfriend Ryan and I planned our 6-day ride, we decided against bringing a camp stove. At the time, we figured it wouldn’t be worth the extra weight. There seemed to be more than enough towns near the trail where we could find something to eat.
By the third day of riding, though, we came to regret this decision. Don’t get me wrong: the small towns along the trails had excellent food, but we found cuisine options fairly limited. We ended up eating a lot of pizza, greasy sandwiches, and other bar food during the ride.
While delicious, the restaurants available didn’t always offer the healthiest options. We felt tired of eating the same type of food for days on end. Had we packed a camp stove, we could have made more balanced meals.
Plus, it would have been convenient to pull over and make food whenever we felt hungry. Instead, we found ourselves constantly searching Google Maps for the next town to grab a bite to eat.
I loved the quaint towns along both trails. It provided a unique insight into small-town America.
I was born and raised near Pittsburgh, but I never explored the areas around the GAP and C&O Towpath trails. Most family vacations brought me to Virginia Beach or Florida — we never thought of making a trip to Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania, for instance.
Therefore, riding the trails let me explore this relatively little-known area of the United States. Stopping in towns isn’t necessary while riding, but I tried to visit as many as I could during my tour.
Related: Bikepacking vs Bike Touring: What’s The Difference?
Whether cycling through the old-fashioned streets of Confluence, Pennsylvania or walking along the historic center of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, the towns provided me with a new look into small-town America.
I particularly enjoyed passing through Amish country, too. I could never pass up the freshly-baked pies!
Without riding the GAP and C&O Towpath trails, I may never have visited this region of the United States. Consequently, visiting such small towns gave me the chance to meet locals in these off-the-tourist-track destinations, most of whom loved to strike up a conversation.
I hated the smelly bathrooms on the C&O Towpath
Even though I appreciated the amount of campsites available on the C&O Towpath, I felt the porta potties could have been serviced much more frequently.
Whether riding past a campsite or setting up our tent for the night, it was hard to escape the dreadful sewage smell coming from each porta potty. Each campsite has one porta potty, but I found that these were rarely emptied.
During our ride in early September, I was horrified to see the porta potties had not been serviced since July. In the heat of summer, the smell was beyond unpleasant. Most of the time, we found the woods to be a more sanitary spot for a bathroom break.
I loved that the GAP Trail and C&O Towpath were at railroad grade — it made cycling a breeze
Hill climbs and I have a love-hate relationship. Although I won’t deny feeling accomplished after a challenging climb, the most steep grades have me questioning why I bought a bike in the first place.
Fortunately, on the GAP Trail and C&O Towpath, hill climbs were not an issue. This made it an ideal route for cyclists of any skill level. Most of the route is at railroad grade, with the average grade at less than 1 percent. This makes the route seem largely flat, albeit with a few exceptions.
Those traveling from DC to Pittsburgh, for instance, need to climb 1,500 feet between Cumberland and Frostburg, Maryland. Although the climb isn’t extremely challenging with just a 1.8% grade, it’s something to be aware of!
If you’re starting in Pittsburgh and riding to DC, you can enjoy a relaxing downhill during this section. However, there’s a very slight uphill grade all the way to from Pittsburgh to Frostburg that you’ll have to ride first.
I hated the unexpected resurfacing of the GAP Trail
One day, as Ryan and I turned a corner on the GAP trail, we ran into a problem. A large piece of machinery was resurfacing the trail.
Until that point, it was effortless to ride on the crushed limestone path. Yet once we passed the machinery and started pedaling on the resurfaced path, it was a nightmare!
Unfortunately, the limestone dust used to surface the GAP trail must be wet when applied in order for it to compact properly. This means that until it dries (and is well-patted down by cyclists), the path is soft, sandy, thick, and slippery.
At first, it was an absolute nightmare to ride on! It was easy to slip, and I became overly cautious with any slight turns to ensure I didn’t fall. After a couple miles I became more comfortable with the soft surface, but it was definitely not ideal.
Finally, I loved how you can take an Amtrak between Pittsburgh and DC
One of the most convenient things about planning a bike tour on the GAP Trail and C&O Towpath is that the start and end points — Pittsburgh and Washington DC — are connected by the Amtrak Floridian train.
Planning a one-way bike tour is simple with the Floridian train, as it runs directly between the two cities. Some cyclists prefer riding the train before the GAP Trail. Others ride it back to the starting point upon completion.
Schedule from DC to Pittsburgh (direct train)
Leave DC at 4:05PM and get to Pittsburgh at 11:48PM
Schedule from Pittsburgh to DC (direct train)
Leave Pittsburgh at 5:20AM and get to DC at 1:05PM
Each train on the Floridian has room for 6 bicycles, which cost $20 to reserve. Due to limited capacity, you should reserve bicycle slots well in advance. See Amtrak’s website for a full list of bicycle policies and limitations.
