Wide-open views, quiet forests, and meandering rivers make the Great Allegheny Passage a perfect break. And ten trail towns spaced just right invite you to spend an overnight at a welcoming trailside inn or bed-and-breakfast. Check out these five itineraries set up for busy professionals who just need a quick out-and-back escape.
King of the Mountain (Cumberland to Meyersdale, 31.9 miles one way)
Start your day in Cumberland at “Mile Zero” of the Great Allegheny Passage, adjacent to the historic Western Maryland Railway Station, with the sun on your back and an adventure ahead. For gear or advice, stop in at Wheelzup Adentures. You’ll follow Wills Creek out of town and head through The Narrows, a cut in the Appalachian ridge that carries travelers westward. A fifteen-mile jaunt takes you uphill at a steady pace, passing through the Brush Tunnel, Borden Tunnel, and 180-degree Helmstetter’s Curve. At Frostburg, stop for lunch at Giuseppe’s Restaurant, Tunnel Hotel and Trail Inn Cafe, or Clatter Cafe, and explore bookstores and art galleries along the National Road. Then make your way to the Mason & Dixon Line, shaded by woods and a perfect place to reflect, recall, and recharge. Next up is the Big Savage Tunnel (open and lighted, spring, summer, and fall), and at 2,391 feet above sea level, the Eastern Continental Divide. You’re at the highest point on the GAP! Then a final leg to Meyersdale, where you can unwind and relax — choose from among Inn on Main, Adventure Lodging, Red Lantern Bed and Breakfast, Yoder’s Guest House, Levi Deal Mansion, Morgan Toole Company Hotel, Donges Drive-In & Motel, Upstairs on the Avenue, Center Street Retreat, or Top of the GAP Guesthouse. Treat yourself to some amazing stargazing from the Salisbury Viaduct. The next morning, head back to Cumberland with a breeze at your back and your bike pointed downhill. You’ll be back in time for lunch (if you’re goal-oriented) or dinner (if you’re more leisurely). Choose from a wide menu of restaurants, including the Crabby Pig or Lefty’s Place, with dessert at Queen City Scoop Shop.
An Escape from the City (Downtown Pittsburgh to West Newton, 34.7 miles one way)
Leave your daily routines in the dust and head out on the Great Allegheny Passage heading east from Point State Park. Your goal? A cozy bed-and-breakfast in West Newton, along a quiet section of the Youghiogheny River, just a half day’s bike ride away. The GAP will carry you over the Hot Metal Bridge and into Homestead; pause to walk a labyrinth at the site of the 1892 steel strike and lockout. From there, you’ll ride underneath Kennywood Park, and over the Riverton Bridge. You’ll zip through McKeesport and past suburban ballfields in “Little Boston,” where you can rest and refuel at Rich’s Parkside Den. Pause at the Red Waterfall, infamous for its colorful iron oxide, and then at Dravo Hiker-Biker Campground, a perfect place for swapping stories with other bicyclists under a friendly pavilion. Then you’ll arrive at West Newton, once known for its paper mills but now known as a respite along the Great Allegheny Passage. Need to upgrade your bicycling accessories or tools? Head to West Newton Bicycle Shop. Delicious dinners and craft beers await you among The Trailside, The Outpost, or Bloom Brew Tap Room and Kitchen. And you’re invited overnight at the Bright Morning B&B, GAP Trail Campground, or the Historic Plumer Guest House. Tuck in for sweet dreams. The next morning after a gourmet breakfast, face westward and head back to Downtown Pittsburgh to complete your overnight adventure. After enjoying dinner, dramatic city views and yummy cocktails await at The Distillery Complex. If you’re from out of town, stay another night at EVEN Hotel, Hotel Indigo, or Traveler’s Rest Hotel and explore the local bicycling scene on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.
The Original (Connellsville to Confluence, 27.2 miles, one way)
Start your journey with a visit to Bikes Unlimited to get oriented. Then pedal your way from Connellsville through the towering tree canopies of Ohiopyle State Park on this overnight adventure to Confluence, on the original 26.7 miles of the GAP. Laid down over 40 years ago, this beautiful section parallels the fast-moving Youghiogheny River, passes Jonathan Run Falls and Sugar Run Falls, and soars over the Ohiopyle High Bridge and Low Bridge. Each mile is serene, with undisturbed forest on both sides of the GAP, a perfect place to quiet your spirit and reflect. Explore the tiny borough of Ohiopyle, where outfitters retrieve and launch whitewater rafts (arrange an outing ahead of time!). Or walk Ferncliff Peninsula, a National Natural Area dotted with rare wildflowers and fossils. Pick up a picnic lunch and enjoy it overlooking the river. Afterward, continue through the park to Confluence, where over 20 inns and guesthouses await, including Smith House Inn, The Parker House, The River’s Edge B&B, Stonewood Lodge, Casselman Overlook Guest House, or Hanna House B&B. You can find a great meal at Rivers Edge Cafe, Mitch’s Fuel and Food, or Pamela’s Pints and Provisions, and before you retire for the evening, walk or ride over past Outflow Campground and watch anglers fish for brook trout. The next morning, enjoy breakfast and coffee at Tissue Farm, then head back through Ohiopyle State Park to Connellsville.
Quiet Canopies (Ohiopyle to Rockwood, 28.1 miles, one way)
This overnight escape starts in Ohiopyle, home to spectacular Cucumber Falls and close to Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous architectural gems, Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob. Before you get rolling, stop at the state park visitor center for a look at its interpretive exhibits and expansive topological map. On the Great Allegheny Passage, head east, winding along the Youghiogheny River, far below Baughman Rock Overlook. You’ll pass through several cuts made by railroaders when they constructed the Western Maryland Railway over a century ago. Feel the breeze at your back and enjoy the solitude. After 11 miles, you’ll arrive at Confluence, a perfect stop for lunch. Stop in at Confluence Cyclery for gear or advice. Then, wander a short footpath through the Joshua C. Whetzel, Jr. Recreation Area to a spot overlooking the Turkeyfoot Valley below. Back on your bike, head further east on the GAP along the lovely Casselman River. In the late spring and early summer, look for rhododendrons and mountain laurels; by August, black raspberries will be abundant along this segment. Eventually, you’ll arrive in Rockwood, which sits near the base of Mt. Davis, the state’s highest point. And with overnight lodging at Rockwood Trail House B&B, you’ll be ready to relax. Wander into town to Trailhead Brewing for a craft beer if you like. The next morning, head back to Confluence, then Ohiopyle, feeling great. Want to extend your getaway with dinner at Falls City Restaurant and Pub and a next-day float trip with Wilderness Voyageurs? Stay another night at Ohiopyle Suites.
Off the Beaten Path (Homestead to Smithton, 32.4 miles one way)
Looking for a less-traditional out-and-back overnight route? Pack a picnic lunch, and depart from Homestead, where the GAP winds around The Waterfront (a modern retail shopping area) and past the historic Pump House, heading toward Duquesne and McKeesport. This section of the GAP succeeds a section of the old Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, and a hundred years earlier, saw General Edward Braddock and his troops get routed by the French and their Native Americans allies. The GAP follows the Youghiogheny River at McKeesport, and you’ll pass through tiny hamlets like Boston, Buena Vista and Sutersville. At West Newton, wander up the steps to peek at the stately West Newton Cemetery grounds. Proceed east to Cedar Creek Park, where you can dismount and walk the two-mile gorge trail, a lovely footpath along a rushing cliffside creek. Find a bench or pavilion for your picnic lunch, and relax under a sprawling tree. In a few more miles, you’ll arrive in Smithton, the onetime home of Stoney’s Beer, and now anchored by Adele’s Bed and Breakfast, which contains a vintage pub where brewery workers and coal miners once relaxed after their shifts. Stretch out on the second floor deck and rest up overnight. The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, turn around and head back to Homestead, watching for paddlers and anglers all the way.