A cyclist in a blue helmet with a backpack on the wooden deck of a high bridge on the Great Allegheny Passage, above the green forest of the Youghiogheny gorge near Ohiopyle

Great Allegheny Passage Bike Trip: 4-Day Itinerary

149 miles (239.5 km) of rail trail from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, with a town for every night.

149 mi · 4 days · Moderate
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Photo: FishSpeaker, CC BY 3.0

The Great Allegheny Passage, or GAP, is a rail trail of about 150 miles (241 km) between downtown Pittsburgh and Cumberland, Maryland. The surface is crushed limestone and the grades are the old railroad's, so there are no steep hills. You ride through Ohiopyle, over the Eastern Continental Divide at 2,392 feet (729 m), and through the Big Savage Tunnel.

The classic plan is four days from west to east, 149 miles (239.5 km) with nights in West Newton, Ohiopyle and Meyersdale, then Cumberland. Going this way, the trail climbs very gently for about 125 miles (201 km) to the Divide, 8.2 miles (13.2 km) past Meyersdale, then drops about 1.5 percent on average for the last 23.7 miles (38.1 km) to Cumberland. The Conservancy rates the long approach as barely noticeable underfoot, about 0.25 percent. It picked this direction for the tailwinds and for the long coast at the end, which is a good reason to finish with the easy miles. Riding east to west flips it: the 23.7 miles (38.1 km) out of Cumberland are the climb you notice, then it is easy to Pittsburgh. Days of 30 to 42 miles (48 to 68 km) suit a fit rider; add a night in Connellsville, Confluence, Rockwood or Frostburg and you have five or six easier days. You are never more than nine miles (14.5 km) from a trail town, and the town mile markers are in the leg notes below.

The one decision that matters is the return. It is set out under Logistics: park at one end and ride back by train, or ride one way and arrange a shuttle. If you want more, the C&O Canal Towpath continues from Cumberland to Washington, DC, 184.5 miles (296.9 km), about 333 miles (536 km) in all from Pittsburgh. It is slower than the GAP: mostly packed dirt, roots and rocks, with camps every few miles but towns far apart, so plan the stops before you leave. Several closures change the plan in autumn 2026; the safety section lists them with their dates.

The Route on the Map

Each day in its own color, with the start and every night's stop numbered along the way.

Loading map...

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified.

Day by Day

4 legs and 3 nights on the way, each in a different place.

  1. The fountain at the tip of Point State Park in Pittsburgh, where the trail begins, with people on the plaza, the yellow Fort Duquesne Bridge and the river
    Day 1

    Day 1: Pittsburgh to West Newton

    Point State Park, PittsburghtoWest Newton

    Distance
    34.7 mi 55.8 km

    Day one is 34.7 miles (55.8 km) along the Monongahela through the South Side, Homestead and McKeesport, the climb so gentle you will not feel it. West Newton has dining and bed and breakfasts. Town mile markers on the trail's own scale: Pittsburgh 148.8, South Side 145.2, Homestead 140.5, McKeesport 132.5, West Newton 114.1.

    The Dravo hiker-biker campground at GAP mile 122.6, about 26.2 miles (42.2 km) into the day, is the camping option on this stretch. The Conservancy says hiker-biker sites are free, first-come and one night per site, per trip, and often limit groups to six per site.

    Sleep
    West Newton · Town
    Water
    Trail-town businesses may fill bottles; the Dravo hiker-biker campground at GAP mile 122.6 has seasonal water, often April 15 to October 31.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    City signal in Pittsburgh; gaps possible between towns.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: Kimon Berlin, CC BY-SA 2.0

  2. The rust-red Ohiopyle Low Bridge carrying the trail across the Youghiogheny River, with rapids in the foreground and autumn woods on the hills behind
    Day 2

    Day 2: West Newton to Ohiopyle

    West NewtontoOhiopyle

    Distance
    42.2 mi 67.9 km

    The longest day: 42.2 miles (67.9 km) through Cedar Creek Park and Connellsville to Ohiopyle. Connellsville is at GAP mile 88.8 and Ohiopyle at 71.9 and the Conservancy lists the Connellsville Coke Ovens, Yough River Park, Ohiopyle State Park and Cucumber Falls as stops along the way. Connellsville is the lunch town, and Ohiopyle has several places to eat and sleep. You enter Ohiopyle State Park for the last 16.9 miles (27.2 km), under forest cover.

    Sleep
    Ohiopyle · Town
    Water
    Hiker-biker sites at Cedar Creek (GAP mile 110.2), Roundbottom (99.6) and Connellsville (89.4) report seasonal water.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Gaps are possible between towns.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: VitaleBaby at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0

  3. The trail running straight along the deck of the Salisbury Viaduct near Meyersdale, with wooded hills and farmland on both sides under a blue sky
    Day 3

    Day 3: Ohiopyle to Meyersdale

    OhiopyletoMeyersdale

    Distance
    40.0 mi 64.4 km

    Forty miles (64.4 km) through Confluence, Rockwood and Meyersdale. Confluence, where Laurel Hill Creek and the Casselman River join the Youghiogheny, is the lunch stop. East of it the trail crosses the Pinkerton Low and High Bridges and later the Salisbury Viaduct before Meyersdale, where you sleep in a bed and breakfast or an inn. The Pinkerton Tunnel is unlit; walk your bike. Meyersdale is at GAP mile 31.9. If you want a shorter day, Confluence at GAP mile 61.6 is 10.3 miles (16.6 km) from Ohiopyle and Rockwood at 43.8 is 28.1 miles (45.2 km) from it.

    Sleep
    Meyersdale · Town
    Water
    Trail-town businesses often fill bottles in Confluence (GAP mile 61.6) and Rockwood (43.8); campground water is seasonal.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Gaps possible between towns.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0

  4. A portal of the Big Savage Tunnel, inscribed 1911, with its doors swung open and the trail running into the dark between rock walls and green woods
    Day 4

    Day 4: Meyersdale to Cumberland

    MeyersdaletoCanal Place, Cumberland

    Distance
    31.9 mi 51.3 km

    The shortest day: 31.9 miles (51.3 km) to the end of the trail. The trail crosses the iron Bollman Bridge and enters the Big Savage Tunnel; the Eastern Continental Divide is at GAP mile 23.7, 2,392 feet (729 m), 8.2 miles (13.2 km) from Meyersdale, and from there to Canal Place it is a 23.7-mile (38.1 km) downhill coast. Frostburg is 6.5 miles (10.5 km) past the east portal of the tunnel, a good lunch stop on the National Road. Cumberland, 15.5 miles (24.9 km) beyond, has dinner, the Allegany Museum and the end of the trail. Stay another night or ride home by train.

    Water
    Trail-town businesses may fill bottles in Frostburg (GAP mile 15.5) and Cumberland; no campground water is listed on this leg.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Gaps possible between towns.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0

Permits

No permit is required

No permit or pass is needed to ride or walk the trail as an individual or a small group. The Conservancy says commercial activity and organized events with paid registration or more than 25 people need advance permission and a paid permit; for those, call the Regional Trail Corporation at 724-872-5586.

The official permit page

Getting There and Back

How to reach the start of the Great Allegheny Passage Bike Trip, and how to get home from the end.

The start

Pittsburgh, at the western end near Point State Park, GAP mile 148.8 on the trail's markers. Mileposts count up from Cumberland, so you ride the numbers down. Amtrak's Pittsburgh station is downtown, and the trail runs through the city along the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers.

The end

Cumberland, Maryland, at Canal Place, GAP mile 0. This is also mile 0 of the C&O Canal Towpath, which carries on to Washington, DC. Amtrak's Cumberland station is in town. To get back, park in Pittsburgh, ride to Cumberland and take the Floridian back (it stops at Cumberland, Connellsville and Pittsburgh), or park in Cumberland, take the train to Pittsburgh first and ride back to your car. Reserve the bike in advance: bikes ride in the baggage car at trainside stations, slots are limited, and Amtrak shows the fee at booking (the Conservancy quotes $20 on top of the fare). Amtrak is running the Floridian in place of the Capitol Limited and Silver Star while New York tunnel work lasts. The alternative is a one-way ride with a hired shuttle (below).

Shuttle

Outfitters along the trail run shuttles, luggage transfer and bike rentals, and the Conservancy lists them by town on its outfitters and shuttles pages. Operators seen working in 2026: 2 Wheel Escapes (West Newton, one-way shuttles, 2026 trips on its site), Wilderness Voyageurs in Ohiopyle (800-272-4141) and Wheelzup Adventures in Cumberland (14 Howard Street, 240-362-7021, year-round store hours posted). Call to confirm one-way service and dates. The Conservancy says most hiker-biker campgrounds cannot be reached by shuttle or car.

Parking

The Conservancy says there is parking in every trail town, but overnight parking is limited to certain locations. The Conservancy's lot pages list free overnight parking at West Newton, Confluence, Ohiopyle, Meyersdale and the Howard Street lot in Cumberland, and the First Avenue garage in downtown Pittsburgh (600 First Avenue, fee) as suited to overnight stays. The Canal Place lot in Cumberland is pay parking with no overnight parking. If you park overnight or will come back after dark, the Conservancy suggests telling local police or a nearby visitor center.

Safety

  • Daylight only: the trail is open from dawn to dusk. Plan each day's miles so you arrive in town before dark, especially in autumn.

  • Tunnels: carry a bike light or headlamp. The Pinkerton Tunnel is unlit and the Conservancy says to walk your bike through it. The Big Savage Tunnel closes every winter with no easy detour (see the season note), so a late-season ride can end at Meyersdale.

  • Closures change with little notice, so read the Conservancy's trail alerts the day before you start and each evening. As of October 31, 2026: the stretch between GAP miles 87 and 89 near Connellsville has been closed since a landslide on October 17, and riders arrange their own shuttle from Dunbar, two miles (3.2 km) along the Sheepskin Trail (Wilderness Voyageurs, 800-272-4141, was the suggested service). The two-mile (3.2 km) segment near GAP mile 137 between Duquesne and Homestead is closed for rock scaling with no posted detour; the Conservancy's daily shuttle ended on October 31, so hire a private shuttle (Bill's Car and Transport is the closest) or use Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus routes 59 or 61C. A bridge replacement at Layton, GAP mile 99, causes stops of 20 minutes or less for 2 to 3 years. The Borden Tunnel at GAP mile 17.9 closes on November 25, 2026 with no detour or shuttle and is scheduled to reopen on April 1, 2027, with work and flaggers through April 30. Big Savage dates for this winter were not posted yet.

  • Phone signal: coverage is improving but you may have none between trail towns. Call 911 in an emergency and tell someone your daily plan.

  • Trail etiquette: the speed limit is 15 miles (24 km) per hour. Ride single file, keep right, call out before passing on the left, and stop at road and railroad crossings. Slow down on wet limestone, in tunnels and on shared road sections.

  • Overnight rules: no camping and no fires outside the designated hiker-biker campgrounds, and alcohol is not allowed on the trail. Most of the land beside the trail is private.

Great Allegheny Passage Bike Trip: FAQ

Do you need a permit for the Great Allegheny Passage?

No. Individual riders and walkers need no permit. Commercial activity and organized events with paid registration or over 25 people need one from the Regional Trail Corporation (724-872-5586).

How many days does the Great Allegheny Passage take?

The Conservancy's classic plan is four days, 34.7, 42.2, 40.0 and 31.9 miles (55.8, 67.9, 64.4 and 51.3 km) from Pittsburgh to Cumberland. Adding stops in Connellsville, Confluence, Rockwood or Frostburg makes it five or six. The first three days climb gently to the Divide just past Meyersdale; day four coasts down.

Which direction should you ride?

West to east, from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, is the usual way. The Conservancy says it gives you tailwinds, and the last 23.7 miles (38.1 km) from the Eastern Continental Divide coast downhill to Cumberland.

Can you take a bike on Amtrak back to Pittsburgh?

Yes. Amtrak's Floridian stops at Pittsburgh, Connellsville and Cumberland and takes bikes in the baggage car with an advance reservation. The details and the fee are under Logistics.

What is the surface like?

The Conservancy says nearly all of the trail is evenly topped with crushed limestone, with some short paved sections. The C&O Canal Towpath beyond Cumberland is bumpier and often two-track packed dirt, roots and rocks.

Can you camp on the trail?

Only at the designated hiker-biker campgrounds, which the Conservancy says are free, first-come and one night per site, per trip. Sites on the GAP include Dravo, Cedar Creek, Roundbottom and Connellsville.

Is the Big Savage Tunnel open in winter?

No. It closes every winter with no detour, from late November (some Conservancy pages say early December) to early April. Last winter it was closed from November 26, 2025 to March 25, 2026. Check the alerts for the dates in the year you ride.

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