On April 27 through 29 my wife and I rode the Allegheny Highlands Trail of Pennsylvania, which is part of the Great Allegheny Passage. We stayed in Somerset and rode 3 out and backs. Day 1 was from Confluence to Rockwood, a 38 mile round trip, day 2 was from Rockwood to Meyersdale, a 28 mile round trip and day 3 was from Meyersdale to the PA/MD state line, a 24 mole round trip.

Day 1 started out cold and windy and stayed that way. The temperature was in the high 40’s with a wind of 15 to 25 mph. To complicate maters the trail was soft from 2 previous days of rain. We only saw one other brave person riding that day.

On day 2 we arrived in Rockwood around 11:00 in the morning and decided to wait a couple of hours before riding because the temperature was still in the 30’s. We just started to explore the town and what a surprise. Rockwood is delightful. We found the restored Opera House, which is full of small, interesting shops and a “Pizza Parlor”. We ordered our pizza and explored the shops. One of the shops had a great selection of Great Allegheny Passage T-shirts (up to size XXL). We both got a shirt and went back to the Pizza shop and enjoyed one of the best hand made pizzas we have ever had. Now on to the not so pleasant part of the day, the bike ride. Conditions did not improve much, still cold and very windy but the hard pack was not as soft as the first day. The scenery was beautiful and the Salisbury Viaduct was worth the ride in the cold.

Day 3 was much warmer and the sun came out. The ride from Meyersdale to the Eastern Continental Divide was perfect. We did not feel deserted as we passed many other riders. The trip down the eastern side of the divide featured the Big Savage Tunnel. What a thrill to ride through a 3300 ft tunnel and the view on the east side is breath taking.

Overall we had a great 3 days of biking and would highly recommend the Allegheny Highlands Trail of Pennsylvania to all who are up to 3 days of uphill travel. We will return to the GAP.

"We completed the entire route from McKeesport/ Boston to DC, 5 times. The Allegheny trail is in very good condition. The trail is mostly crushed stone with a hint of dirt every so often. One thing you must understand is when you are traveling W-E on the trail it is all on a gradual incline until right before you hit the Big Savage Tunnel. It is then downhill into Cumberland. For a majority of the way it is not noticable but can be a little difficult for new riders. The Newmyer House is a fantastic place to stay in Connellsville. You will not be disappointed. This would probably be where you would stay on your first night. I believe that the trail is complete now all the way into Cumberland, MD. This is where you would start the C & O Canal. The Canal has much more history and character than the Allegheny but is not in as good of condition. There are many spots where the path has pot holes and is usually not the smoothest of trails. Overall though the trail is well maintained and a great experience. There are many places to stay and sights to see. If you are looking for a place to ride do not hesitate to ride both the Allegheny Trail and the C & O Canal."

"My husband and I rode the C&O canal in Maryland in Oct 2006. It was beautiful, with the leaves changing, the canal on one side and the potomac river on the other. We found that we were by ourselves for most time. We decided to take our time and enjoy the scenery. We started on a Friday morning in Cumberland and arrived in Georgetown D.C on Tues. We stayed at B&B's along the way. There was a bad rain storm the night before our first day, and so the trail was muddy with ruts which made our first day slower than we had thought. The trail is very well planned and very scenic, with the sound of trains in the distance. I would recommend traveling in the direction we traveled as it really is slightly more downhill, the wind tends to be at our back, (always good), and the accommodations got better and better as we neared D.C. I hightly recommend the Bavarian Inn with a jacuzzi tub and a fire place in the room. "