GAP + C&O Towpath

Bike rental can be included in this tour (Pittsburgh start only) through Bike the Burgh. If you will not be returning to Pittsburgh, there is a D.C. drop-off fee of $99/bike. Ebike rental is also available.

Great Allegheny Passage/C&O Canal tours start in Pittsburgh and end in D.C. We find this direction works best for the flow of the tour and travel logistics. The steep elevation change at the PA/MD border is another reason to start in Pittsburgh as this allows for the slower days of riding on the C&O to be primarily a downhill.

Most tours start in Pittsburgh and riders can utilize the Pittsburgh International Airport, Amtrak, or local parking facilities for arrival. Those driving to the trail find that parking at the Pittsburgh end is more accessible and lower priced than parking in D.C., although we can offer shuttling in either direction.

Those flying often find that coming into Pittsburgh and out of D.C. works best logistically. This also allows for extra time to enjoy Washington at the end of the tour.

Our trip coordinators are happy to discuss different scenarios to determine which starting and ending location will work best for you.

The Great Allegheny Passage is a well-maintained crushed gravel trail which is comfortable for most riders on most types of bikes. The C&O Canal Towpath is maintained by the National Park Service as more of a dirt trail/road, although improvements to the trail surface have been underway for the past several years. That said, riders will find the western end of the C&O from Cumberland to Little Orleans (where the Western Maryland Rail Trail can be accessed) to be bumpy and sometimes muddy and rutted.

Overall, the towpath is not technically difficult to ride, but you will feel the vibrations and over time it can become taxing. You pace on the C&O Towpath will definitely be slower than it had been on the GAP and we recommend taking time in Cumberland to prep your bike for this change in surface. Because of the state of the towpath, we recommend planning your mileage and equipment with the bumpiest part of the C&O in mind, knowing that you’ll be able to travel over the GAP with few to no issues.

The GAP passes through rural SW Pennsylvania with small towns about every 10-20 miles which offer food, bathrooms, and bike services. There are also relatively frequent trailheads with port-a-johns along the length of the trail.

The C&O Towpath is a linear park and as such the NPS maintains hiker-biker campgrounds with port-a-johns and water pumps (these are sometimes capped) every 8-10 miles. There are also several larger towns accessed from the C&O which offer more variety of restaurants and lodgings than you can find along the GAP.

Cell coverage is fairly strong on the entire trail, particularly Verizon. Wifi can be limited, although most B&Bs and hotels will offer the service. *There is no wifi and limited cell service in Ohiople and Paw Paw.

The best bike for the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Towpath is a hybrid/touring/gravel bike with at least 32 mm-wide tires with tread; 40+ wide tires are even better. We discourage the use of road bikes and tires on the C&O Towpath, where narrower tires can more easily puncture and lose traction on the soft/muddy surface. Many parts of the towpath are similar to a dirt road and there is a mounded, grassy middle berm down the center.

Trikes and bikes with trailers which have tires running along the middle of the trail can find the center berm to be an issue. That said, we have had riders successfully complete the trail on tandems, trikes, recumbents and other non-standard frames, keeping in mind tire choice other accommodations they may need to make for a dirt trail.

Remember that if you are riding with loaded panniers, the added weight will affect your tire traction. If trail conditions are wet and you are running a loaded bike, a wider tire (or less inflated tire) is recommended so you don’t sink into the trail too much, making pedaling more difficult.