A bikers guide to riding the Great Allegheny Passage

[@captainjonphaler4341]

Thank you for the cords! I use a handheld GPS for my routes and coordinates help so much. The stops and names of where you stopped and ate and rested were helpful also.

[@davidfazenbaker3640]

Good video. Thanks for making it. I would add one thing. It is useful to know that from DC to Pittsburgh (with stops along the way, including Cumberland) there is an AMTRAK passenger train with a train car dedicated to carrying bikes. This is possibly the easiest way back to your car no matter which end of the trail you parked at.

[@rodmccrady]

This is a great video. Thanks! I wish there were similar videos for some of the other trails I plan to ride, like Mickelson and the Tucson loop.

[@livingthemidlifeadventure5882]

Thanks! We do have other videos, including the Michelson Trail. Bike Touring Trail Guides kzbin.info/aero/PLlSvA0oadDwBYsmzvaj0RmVYuzWwF04uE

[@FollowThomas]

Thank you for overview 👍 I'm starting C&O Canal Trail to Cumberland in a few days and hopefully continue from there GAP Trail all away to Pittsburgh. Thanks for the heads up 😊

[@JRNY07]

Awesome video. Got some great shots along the way. Also, another tip is that you can use the Amtrak going to or from Pittsburgh, Cumberland or DC - you just have to get reservations early enough in advance. They have, I think, 7 slots for roll up bike service in the luggage car.

[@outofthewildernesschannel]

Great commentary, and a very well put together video. Thanks!

[@BobCycleBrisbane]

Great info. We hope to do this ride one day when we get to visit from Australia.

[@kwaktak]

Great video. I appreciate all the info. This ride is on my bucket list and I've ridden many sections from the Point all the way to Confluence, PA individually but have yet to make it south of there. We also live just off the Montour Trail (which connects with the GAP trail in McKeesport) so I've been tempted to just leave from my house but was curious about the lodgings along the way. Now I know. Thank you. Now I just need to read up on the ins and outs of bikepacking.

[@livingthemidlifeadventure5882]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mediumrick7667]

Lots of GAP vids. This one actually has useful info. Thanks for that. Coming from the west coast we have zero local knowledge of this area, so your tips are greatly appreciated.

[@livingthemidlifeadventure5882]

I saw the same problems as you; lots of video with no help in planning. Feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

[@NavigationTraining]

Thanks for the tips!

[@timh991]

Great video and informative. Thank you. My wife and I plan to do some or all of the trail later this year. Just have a couple of questions: which town along the path would you recommend for sight seeing / adventure as we will likely rest an entire day somewhere around the half way point? Are there places around Cumberland to leave our vehicle until we return or what would you suggest about vehicle parking? If you were to only have time to complete half the trail, which half would you do - GAP or C&O?

[@livingthemidlifeadventure5882]

There is a parking lot near the GAP/C&O terminus in Cumberand off of Howard street under I-68. AS for site-seeing around the halfway mark, Ohiopyle is the place. Lots to see around there. As for which trail; they are two very different experiences. The GAP is more refined and better supported, but the C&O is more natural. Hope this helps!

[@timh991]

@@livingthemidlifeadventure5882 thank you. Very helpful.

[@georgemacheel2039]

The must see attraction on this tour is the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Fallingwater, the most famous house and garden design in North America. It is a short way from Ohio Pyle. A business there will bus you to Fallingwater and back (its a steep trip) and will watch your bike while you go. You need reservations to visit Fallingwater and will have to book in advance. This side trip will cost you about two hours. If, at the end of your GAP trip, you want to return by Amtrak, you must book one of the limited bike stalls well in advance. We found it cheap and more convenient to rent a pickup truck: from Reagan Airport in DC to the Philadelphia airport ($75). We found the train schedule to be inconvenient.

[@miker4481]

I'm riding the GAP and C&O west to east in July. I'd prefer to not camp. Was it easy to find indoor lodging?

[@livingthemidlifeadventure5882]

On the GAP, most of the lodging is B&B's, with the notable exception of Connellsville which has a hotel. Almost every small town along the way has at least one B&B. As for the C&O, all of the lodging is off trail, sometime by a few miles, but they are there. IIRC the towns with hotels were Cumberland, Hancock, Sharpsburg, Harpers Ferry, Williamsport, DC, and Leesburg.

[@SnappingTurtle801]

Thanks for this video. I would love to take this bike trip. Question: Why would you not bike back home? What am I missing?

[@livingthemidlifeadventure5882]

Biking back home is fine. To make the best use of my time off from work, I would rather drive home, than double the time off to see the same sights a second time.

[@SnappingTurtle801]

@@livingthemidlifeadventure5882 Well, that makes sense.....lol. I think I'd like to bike back with the time off of course. I say that, but probably wouldn't now that I've thought about it....lol. Thanks for answering me.

[@cherylkilgore2183]

We are thinking of starting the trail at Homestead. Can you leave your car for a couple nights at this trailhead?

[@livingthemidlifeadventure5882]

There is no dedicated overnight parking at the trailhead in Homestead, but I do know of people who got permission to park overnight from one of the hotels near there. I also know folks who have parked in the mall parking at Homestead without any permission, but I personally would avoid that. Lastly, you can contact the police department in McKeesport and park in the lot along the trail. They just need to know it is not an abandoned car.

[@rickfonte1423]

What month of the year did you do your trip. Looked like the weather co-operated.

[@livingthemidlifeadventure5882]

Second week in July. Rain on the first day, hot and humid for the last two.