joemastro

Hi everyone:
I have a question for anybody that has ridden the C&O and GAP trails. Are hotel rooms and private campsites readily available? I値l be doing my first multi-day tour there in September. I know there are a lot of hiker/biker campsites along the route. My plan is to camp most of the time; however I値l need to stay at a few Hotels or at least campsites with showers. Should I be making reservations at these places now? I would prefer to not follow a mileage schedule. Has anyone done the ride without advanced planning?

indyfabz

Try looking at the official web site for the GAP. It has a list of services, including lodging and campgrounds. I believe the map does as well.


There are no sowers at the free campsite in Connellsville, but there is a shower across the river from Husky Haven Campground in Rockwood. (It's an easy ride, and you will need to go into town if you want food and water.) The owner has a bunk house in town. Your $10 camping fee includes the right to use the shower and bathroom. He also said I could use the recreation room in the bunkhouse. I stayed there on the Sunday after Labor Day a few years ago. I was the only person there.


The day before Husky Haven I stayed at Connellsville and simply went without a shower. When I passed the private campground a few miles north of town it looked pretty crowded, but that was on a warm Saturday.


Never done the C&O.

alan s 

I usually do a 2 or 3 day C&O/GAP trip every year. The only hotel (if you can call it that) I've ever stayed at is the Red Roof Inn in Williamsport, MD, because it's cheap and fairly nice. One night a hurricane was passing over, another night it was near freezing, and another night it was 80F+ and high humidity, none of which are particularly conducive to camping. No reservation seems necessary there, but I've always called ahead that day to make sure there was room before making the climb out of the river valley. Other than that, camping is plentiful and cheap or free.

joemastro

Thanks Guys, very helpful. I plan on spending 10 or so days on the trail. Leaving from DC and heading towards Pittsburgh and then turning around (not very exciting I know). I think I値l just take it day by day and see what happens. I値l be bringing a trail map and there seems to be plenty of internet resources that list services along the trails. Assuming I have access to cellular data along the route.

indyfabz

Also check this:


The C&O Canal Bicycling Guide - Overnight Lodging

balto charlie

GAP Trails:
If you make it all the way to Pittsburgh I highly recommend the McKeesport Hostel, inexpensive, clean, showers and only 15 miles from Pitt.
https://www.facebook.com/McKeesportTrails/

Near Confluence there is a decent campground called Outflow, good showers.

hotel listings for the entire GAP:
https://gaptrail.org/plan-a-visit/lodging

Tourist in MSN

I did it in 2013, so my experience is a bit dated. We camped across the street from the Y in Cumberland, I do not recall the cost but they have showers. I think the Y owned the land we camped on.

And stayed at a Hostel on Main that had showers, do not recall the details, google it.

And there was a bunkhouse associated with a bike shop, it was a three sided building that had a fourth side that was bug screening. They had showers.

tyoungs

I've ridden from DC to Pittsburgh twice. I've done "credit card touring" and always stayed at hotels or B&Bs. I found that I did need reservations in most places and will happily share names and locations. Also, I live in the City of Pittsburgh (Squirell Hill) and about two miles off the GAP if you need a place to stay in Pittsburgh.

Tom

joemastro

Awesome info thank you. I have the C&O logging link but I missed the GAP information. Thanks for that link.

Tom thanks so much for the invite. I may take you up on that. Any information you can pass on would be apreciated.

spinnaker

Never been but I can tell you that the Yough Shore Inn is a million times better (if Lyn is still in business). The place has loads of character. Each room is decorated to a theme with a huge mural on at least one wall. My favorite is the Caribbean room with the dope smoking monke.


You have got to be kidding or things have really changed since the last time I was there. While I just love Confluence (best town on the GAP and C&O except Pittsburgh and DC) and the campground in general is wonderful, the bathhouse is DISGUSTING.

spinnaker

I also highly recommend the hostel in Rockwood.

The motel in Ohiopyle is comfortable and clean but very expensive for what you get.

axolotl

My friend & I rode the GAP & C&O about 7 years ago, beginning at the end of June. We made no reservations except for the first night in Pittsburgh before we began riding. We had no problems finding a room. We stayed in 2 hotels, 2 motels, & 1 B&B while on the trails.

tyoungs

On my most recent trip last Sept., I stayed in -

Hotel Lombardy in Washington, fairly inexpensive for DC, very bicycle friendly, half mile or so from Mile Marker 0 which is a bit difficult to find
Econo Lodge in Harper's Ferry, very bicycle friendly
Riverrun B&B in Hancock, MD
Ramada in Cumberland, quite good breakfast included and bike friendly
Yough Plaza Motel in Ohiopyle, so-so, expensive for what it is, not many choices in town

My email is tyoungs1@gmail.com. Email me if you need a place to stay in Pittsburgh (also very bicycle friendly).

AusTexMurf

Trail Inn in Frostburg, Md.
Inn, bunkhouse, and quiet, beautiful campground.
Friendly owners, other bike tourers, great fried chicken.
Frostburg is a small university mountain town and entirely worth checking out.
Good food and drink, library, live music, etc…


Also stayed at the Red Roof Inn in Williamsport, Md as described by Alan S. Waffle House adjacent opens early for hearty breakfast. We hoteled it there for one night due to storms and tornadoes. Good pizza and a couple of decent restaurants to choose from in Williamsport.

Nice adirondack shelters in Connelsville, Pa.
B&B's in Ohio Pyle and Confluence.
Husky Haven, hostel, B&B in Rockwood.

balto charlie

Was clean when I was there.

joemastro

Tom thanks again for the invite. If I make it out there I will definitely take you up on that.

csport

I have just done the GAP without advance planning. For the first night I stayed at the Cedar Creek campsite near West Newton, 40 miles from Pittsburgh.It is free, it has drinkable water. (The next campsite is Roundbottom, 10 miles further, the water is non-potable there.) There are many B&B's in Confluence. For the second night I stayed in ROckwood at the Husky Haven campground. They also have a guesthouse, but it has limited spaces. However, the campground is $10, and this included firewood. You can also use the hot shower, internet and cell phone charging station. Laundry is a few extra dollars. Super-nice place.
So yes, it is totally possible to do the GAP without advance reservations.

indyfabz

How were the trains?


Go to YouTube and search "train in rockwood" to find a video I posted from my stay there. I would do it, but I am at work right now and cannot access the site. Make sure you turn your computer volume up to get the realistic effect.

Philly Tandem

I rode the GAP for the third time this past July. It was a mostly spontaneous trip, and I had no advance reservations at all.

I booked the Sheraton on the river in Pittsburgh at around 5:00 p.m. (for that night) using Hotwire, and got a good deal (~$65). See my review at https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...nsylvania.html

In Connellsville I stayed at the Melody Motor Lodge and called to book when I got in Connellsville (I had planned to stay at the free shelters on the trail in town, but a heavy thunderstorm was rolling in and the weather was really hot, so I wimped out). The Melody isn't "all that," but it's the only game in Connellsville. See my review of the Melody Lodge, including GAP-specific details, at https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...nsylvania.html

In Rockwood I camped at Husky Haven, which is a very nice private campground, albeit very noisy with the trains coming through town all night (you'll hear them anywhere you stay in Rockwood, from the hostel to nearby B&Bs, so don't let that scare you off). Take earplugs! On previous trips I've stayed at the Rockwood Hostel, which is nice, and also at the Trailside B&B (with my wife and son), which was ok, but overpriced IMO for what we got. Again, plenty of train noise at both of those locations, too. It's a railroad town, so it's a fact of life. Out of the three, I'd probably choose Husky Haven for my next trip, although their Port-a-Potties were in big need of being emptied when I was there.

With inspiration from IndyFabz, here's my Rockwood train video (make sure volume is on):

csport

There ARE trains there. Actually at the Cedar Creek park there are even more trains. When I was in the tent falling asleep the whistles of approaching trains made me instinctively feel as if I was going to be run over by them
After that Rockwood was super easy. When I fall asleep the only thing capable of waking me up is a bear breaking into the tent and trying to eat me up.

indyfabz

The train you hear in the video I took is Amtrak's Capitol Limited on its way to Pittsburgh and Chicago. I heard the locomotive in the distance and knew it would blow it's horn at the crossings in town so I started the camera. Traffic eased later in the night. Got up at 5 a.m. to make coffee. By 5:45 three had come through. I am a railroad guy and have a financial interest in how well CSXT, the owner of that line, does. So rail traffic is money to my ears.