This trail seems to have been designed by a highway engineer with not enough consultation with bikers or landscape architects or conservationists. Its essentially a bike highway, graded, paved and fenced just like the highway it runs right along. The land around the trail is aggressively mowed so there is no vegetation to support wildlife or provide shade for trail users. Very noisy from highway traffic which at times is only a few a few feet away. We won't be back.

We picked the rail trail as our first venture back into biking after 5-6 years away. We started in Hancock and went west. The scenery was STUNNING and the ride was easy for us unseasoned riders.

From riding along a corn field with a backdrop of rolling hills in dazzling fall colors, to passing a cow field dotted with burnt out houses, to heading along a sheer drop off and between a narrow cut out in the rock, this route was absolutely stunning. I can't wait to head back and tackle another stretch (Or even the same one again!)

I’m handicapped and ride a recumbent trike I am a stroke survivor and my disability is my balance ability. This trail is great for me I used to hike it as a Boy Scout and thought I’d never see it again but my trike made it possible . Love the trail

Rode the Lower Trail on a weekday in September from Alexandria trailhead to Williamsburg and back. Saw 5 other riders and one trout fisherman. Crushed gravel trail surface was good; the several miles of pavement near Williamsburg were rougher. The trail was clear of branches and shaded. Frequent birdhouses and benches along the trail. Unfortunately the Lower Creamery in Williamsburg was closed until next summer.

Most of the recent reviews are spot on. If you are used to crushed limestone or asphalt the bulk of this trail is bumpy and full of exposed rocks, ruts and tree roots. The downside is you have to keep your eyes front and center most of the time. The Paw Paw Tunnel detour is a real challenge. I only had two panniers that were not full and it was a struggle. Can’t imagine how the fully loaded bike packers did it. (But I’ve also not done any mtb, so that could affect how easy/hard it was.) But the amount of history and really cool places to stop and explore make it worth it. Beautiful aqueducts and lock houses as w.landmarks makes up fo me the trail conditions.

***ATTENTION***
The Paw Paw detour due to the tunnel being closed which with talking to the construction crew, will remain closed for another 18 months (Spring ’23) but when reopened, it will have a new riding surface.

The marked detour is not like any other that I have ever experienced on a trail which normally is a divert to local roads until you can rejoin the trail. Eastbound is best described as a mountain bike trail which is narrow in sections and at a 10 to 15 percent grade with exposed roots, rock gardens (rocks vertically embedded in the trail surface) and other obstacles. With a bike loaded down with gear, it is extremely strenuous to make it to the top and over the tunnel. Just pushing your bike up and over East bound is a challenge also.

Westbound is a trail that is a large enough for a vehicle but also has 10 to 15 percent grades but has a loose surface for a majority of it.

From Cumberland to Paw Paw, the trail is need of maintenance as there is numerous hazards to include mud holes that are deep (10” to 12”), segments of large branches and this time of the year with leaves falling, they hide some of the obstacles. You must keep your eyes on the trail and not sightsee for this section of C&O.

Also, confirm your dining options along the trail as even if sites on the internet say they will be open during your visit, you may be disappointed and going hungry due to the lack of staffing.

The rest of the trail is in great condition to DC and be aware as you approach the Capitol and it is on a weekend that there will be plenty of trail traffic as they enjoy this gem in their backyard!

One of my favorites.

My husband and i were on vacation from Maine. We have fat tire mountain bikes and have a shwinn child carrier that we haul for our 2 dachshunds. We have the rails to trail system at home and found out they had it here. So we started in williamsburg and made our way to the very end of the trail. It starts out on pavement then turns to like crushed packed limestone. The trails were awesome, smooth without any pot holes. It was great. There were benches to stop and take breaks and have lunch. There was a picnic area with picnic tables about half way to the end of trail system and our only bad thing that happened during our trip was one of our dachshunds which is only 13 weeks old started to whine, so my husband pulled off the side of the trail to see what was wrong and stepped in someones dog poop and it was all stuck in his sneaker. So i guess some people don’t pick up after their pets. At the end we got the dogs a pup cup icecream at the lower trail creamery. The young man that was running it was so nice and very polite. We met several people along the trail that stopped to talk to us and even and older gentleman as we were loading up. It was a great way to spend our last day here in Pennsylvania. The people here are the nicest people we have run into out of all the states we have visited. The state is just so beautiful and you feel so welcome here by everyone. People here say hi, they wave and even hold the door open for you. We will definitely be coming back again.

I completed this ride the first week of September, cycling from Cumberland to DC the day after Hurricane Ida passed through. The first time I have done a multi-day ride. Took the Amtrak to Cumberland with my bike and stayed at 9 Decatur (recommended). The trail was in good shape. A couple of additional puddles from the rain but very rideable. I had a great time. Four days and three nights. Rode 50/50/50 and 30 miles. Camping worked out very well at the hiker/biker sites. The only major hitch was the Pawpaw tunnel had just closed and taking a bike loaded with gear up and over is quite a slog. Hopefully some entrepreneurial locals have come up with some drive around alternatives. Unless you are a purist I recommend taking advantage if they have.
Don't expect stunning vistas but settle in to a rhythm and enjoy the history and it is a meditative and fulfilling experience.
Thanks to all the park staff who keep the park in such great shape.