C&O and GAP Trails - Biking & Hammock Camping - Self-Supported

In September 2021, I traveled, self-supported and by hammock, along the 184.5 mile C&O trail and 150 mile GAP trail, stretching from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh. This included the Paw Paw Tunnel Bypass Detour. In this video, I share the different sections of the trail, trail surfaces and conditions, access to hammock camping, and a description of the trail and my journey. By the end, I covered 344 miles over six days.
National Park Service, C&O Canal www.nps.gov/choh/index.htm
C&O Canal Trust www.canaltrust.org/
Cycling the Great Allegheny Passage thegreatalleghenypassage.com/... Allegheny Passage gaptrail.org/
Gear:
Dutchware Chameleon Hammock dutchwaregear.com/product-cat...
Insta360 One X2 Camera www.insta360.com/product/inst...
Surly Midnight Special - Custom surlybikes.com/bikes/midnight...
Arkel Dry-Lites Bags www.arkel-od.com/dry-lites/
Arkel Tailrider Bike Trunk Bag www.arkel-od.com/tailrider-bi...
Tubus Airy Titanium Rear Rack www.tubus.com/en/products/rea...
Oveja Negra Front End Loader www.ovejanegrabikepacking.com...
Givi Waterproof Cargo Bag www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/g...
Lodging:
Fairfield Inn & Suites Cumberland www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...
Husky Haven Campground www.huskyhavencampground.com/
Restaurants:
Rockwood Mill Shoppes & Opera House www.rockwoodmillshoppes.com/
Kickstand Kitchen, LLC, Connellsville kickstandkitchen.com/
00:00 Intro \ Amtrak
00:36 Day 1 - DC to Turtle Run
03:23 Day 2 - Turtle Run to North Mountain
06:26 Day 3 - North Mountain to Cumberland
08:50 Day 4 - Cumberland to Husky Haven
14:03 Day 5 - Husky Haven to Cedar Creek
18:17 Day 6 - Cedar Creek to Pittsburgh

[@waynelake9183]

Brian, thank you so much for your videos on your biking experience. It helps my wife and I on what trips we decide to do each year. I especially like your C&O Gap Autumn ride. Again, thanks for all you do. Take care.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you Wayne. KZbin videos have been a great resource for me and I hope mine are helpful for others. I hope you and your wife have some great trips planned for this coming year.

[@tpe54]

All those free campsites..sounds wonderful

[@georgemacheel2039]

Nice video, Brian. There are a lot of GAP/C&O videos on KZbin, but this one captures the essence of the ride with no chit chat. Reader, if you go your experience will depend on the weather. I did it in early October and enjoyed mostly sunny conditions with some unpleasant rain, but no mud. Mud on the C&O can sometimes stop you dead in your tracks. Yet I prefer the rustic nature of the C&O Trail: in places it has almost degenerated into single-track. The whole of the C&O trail is a national park: the camping is free and reservations are not required. The camaraderie of other campers adds to the experience. Having camped in the rain, I can understand why Brian favors the hammock. In my opinion, there are three off-trail attractions that should not be missed: Antietam Battlefield near Sharpsburg, Md; Harpers Ferry, and Falling Water. These are all near the trail. At Ohio Pyle, you can catch a shuttle that will save you the steep climb up to Falling Water. As Brian mentioned, you can use the Amtrak to reach to the start of your trip, but bike slots are few and you must reserve them early. I missed my chance, but we found that renting a pickup truck at National Airport was a convenient and cheap way to get back to our car in Pittsburgh.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you. I also agree with everything you said. The weather can certainly affect the trip, but one nice thing about that is that it makes each trip along the trail a unique journey. I'm getting ready to do the trail again; the first time I've done it in October.

[@mattf4357]

I’ll add to the comments of “great video! I plan to do this next summer!” I am planning a hammock camping trip and this is exactly the information I was looking for. Great job, great info.

[@bikebob66]

Awesome video! Hoping to tackle this route in the opposite direction this summer. I will also be using Amtrak to get me from Chicago, were I live, to Pittsburgh, and then Amtrak back from DC to Chicago. Thanks for all the hints and pointers!

[@briansadventures]

Thank you Jesus! I am always thrilled to hear of others deciding to make the ride. I hope you enjoy Amtrak as much as I do, it has been a great part of the journey to me.

[@138modified]

You answered all my questions about this ride. I'm making plans to ride the gap next fall and was worried about hammock camping. Thank you

[@briansadventures]

Thank you! The fall is a great time of year for this ride.

[@boxlid214]

You can hammock camp the entire way easily, either rogue or campgrounds. If you're staying in DC for a night, you can sneak and camp in a bivy or tent in the small mile 0 marker area next to the marina. I rode it the same way you're going to, Pittsburgh to DC. My friends and I had to pick up a rental car early in the morning and didn't want to deal with hotels, so we just rogue camped at that marker. In the morning there was a few other people that showed up late and did the same lol

[@orionlightheart640]

Dude I live on this trail. I always manage to do this trail each year. I usually like to play uplifting trance music while I'm cycling the GAP. It definitely suits it.

[@briansadventures]

Each time I ride this trail it is a different experience. Definitely worth doing each year.

[@orionlightheart640]

@@briansadventures oh yeah it's a great bikepacking trail. A true gem from real close to where I live. My favorite part is when I'm in Bosto, PA and on going towards Cumberland, because then I know I'm out of metropolitan area and into peaceful rural PA. People are usually more nice from there anyways.

[@HikerBiker]

Glad to know I can use my hammock, great video

[@rogervancleave8670]

Thanks for sharing this video. I’m planning my trip in May and had resolved myself to a tent for the trip, but I think I will take my hammock now.

[@jtock133]

Thank you for the wonderful video, Brian. It was extremely helpful. I will attempt to do some of the GAP next year.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you Jeff! I'm sure you will have a great time on the GAP. It is a fun trail.

[@johneric3886]

Excellent review very informative particularly as it relates to campsite information. All my best John from Northeast Ohio.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you!

[@JimConnelley]

Thanks. My gear includes an AMOK hammock. Gives me confidence to go for it.

[@briansadventures]

I don't plan to do it without a hammock again.

[@buffalobybicycle716]

Nice Brian! I'm heading to Pittsburg in the morning. My friends are doing an out and back - Pittsburg to DC. I'm probably going to turn around near Cumberland. Had I planned it I would have done the train as you did. Thanks for the video. It was timely and very informative.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you! I do enjoy the train. Not only does it give me time to rest after the late night drive to Pittsburgh, it has become part of the adventure for me.

[@johneric3886]

Enjoy your trip I did the same thing and stopped in Cumberland Maryland and took a Greyhound back home. What a wonderful Trail.

[@wjrm91]

If you were around Harper's Ferry on 9/17/21, you might've rode past me vomitting on the C&O!

[@briansadventures]

Can't say I remember that. Lol. I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time. I'm sure that was miserable, but glad you made it through.

[@Sr89hot]

I have ridden the GAP and C&O, and yes they are different. The history of the GAP is more industrial America, while the C&O is Revolutionary war to Civil War era. I rode the Pittsburgh to D. C. And it felt like going back in time. Plus so much to see at the end in D.C.

[@briansadventures]

I agree!

[@james2514]

Hi Brian Great videos. Last spring I rode the ECT OTET and GAP. I watched your great vids and relived my adventures. Thinking of riding Florida next! From Sheffield Village Oh

[@briansadventures]

That sounds like it will be an amazing trip!

[@joshomalley4852]

Instead if crossing the hot metal bridge you can ride straight through Southside into downtown for a different perspective!

[@hugopalacios3112]

Nice vídeo amigo. Nex. Summer. DC to. Pittsburgh

[@Iliketoadventure]

Great video!👊🏼🚲😎

[@briansadventures]

Thank you!

[@StephenRudolph]

NIce video! Better than I could do. I have hammock camped the GAP and C&O too. A quick recommendation though, you should consider getting some wide, 2" x 4', webbing for the ends of your hammock cords. The slim cord on the hammocks can damage the bark and kill the trees.

[@briansadventures]

Thanks. I do use tree hugger straps from Dutchware, which the whoopie slings then attach to. The C&O requires use of straps of at least 1 inch to hammock camp.

[@MrRay645]

great video, a few weeks late :) I was really nervous about finding places to hang my hammock but had absolutely no issues. It was scorching hot (mid to high 90's) when I did it, fine when moving but stoping/camping was tuff in the heat so I eded up only taking 4 days.... doing it again in a few days... slower and hitting more towns along the way. little harder to pack a larger tarp and under quilt for the cooler weather and rain this time. Will make it a totally different trip, cant wait.

[@briansadventures]

I have a UGQ Zeppelin underquilt for cold weather, and it sure does not pack down as much as I would like. But it would be great to do the trail in cooler weather, especially when the leaves are changing color.

[@zekemead]

Great video, I don’t use a hammock, but try to camp as much as possible. Good to hear there are plenty of camping spots along this route!

[@FollowThomas]

I wanna do all thing also. I did DC to Harpers Ferry this summer. Hopefully next year I can do all thing.

[@briansadventures]

It is a great trail, whether you can do part of it or work in the entire route. I hope you can do it next year too.

[@barefootpastor]

I am doing Pittsburgh to DC next summer

[@marlinweekley51]

Just ran (on foot) the C&O last weekend (june 3-5, 2022) from Cumberland to mile marker 0 in 2 days and 15 hours. Am now planning to run the GAP. Everything i have seen so far show more towns and food right on the trail vs the CO however nothing explains the availability and frequency of drinking water. I learned the hard way that the last 20 of the CO had no water. Is there any “water deserts” on the GAP? Watching the c&O portion of your video brings back many memories for sure. Thanks

[@briansadventures]

Amazing! There were sufficient places along the trail, often stores, to get water while biking. I'm not sure how that translates for running. However, I do not believe water is easy to find, if at all, between Cumberland and Frostburg.

[@marlinweekley51]

@@briansadventures thanks 👍

[@Liam__G]

Not sure when you plan to do this, but the GAP has many streams. A few pumps. Would need a good filter, add a charcoal type for taste/silt. . More an issue for on foot.

[@GeezerBoy65]

Brian, were your tires fine for all the conditions on both trails? What width and make were they? Thank you. I hope to do this same route but in the reverse direction. Your videos are excellent.

[@Liam__G]

Heads up: pretty sure the Rockwood mill shop is now closed (may2022).

[@briansadventures]

You are right. There is a microbrewery in town now though. They were working on expanding their kitchen when I was there a couple months ago.

[@martinpetrella3296]

Nice video. What camera did you use? What was your mounting setup? How did you manage the camera rotation?

[@briansadventures]

Thank you. I use an Insta360 OneX2. It allows me to select the field of view and manage the rotations when editing the footage.

[@davidhartinger636]

Thanks Brian. Is there parking at the point, where I could leave my vehicle for the week?

[@briansadventures]

In Pittsburgh I park at the Grant Street garage. It isn't cheap, but I think it is safe. They have a form to fill out to let them know how many days your car will be there. pittsburghparking.com/gstc