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

Very nice trail in Newville down to Shippensburg. Being from Carlisle, the 1-mile section is also nice but just not long enough. While I respect Tom Garrity's land rights, it is really a shame that he has prevented the connection of the Carlisle section to the rest of the trail. It really would be a community enhancement to be able to take my kids on a trail and not have drive so far. I lived near the Schuylkill River trail at one time and it was something that everyone really appreciated.

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!

It was alright - the trail didn’t give much view of the lake itself and also didn’t circumnavigate it. You just kind of end up in a neighborhood. That said it was wide and well maintained and easy to navigate.

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.

My husband and I biked the larger section of this trail this weekend and had a great time. Beautiful rolling farmland, nice facilities and friendly people. Looking ahead to them completing this to Carlisle. We will definitely be back to check it out.

After riding this trail I'm not sure why it has so many 5 star ratings. I did ride it just after Hurricane Ida and there were some washouts but that did not affect my rating as I suspect those will be quickly repaired. We started from Tatesville and the section to the bridge over the Raystown Branch Juanita River was decent. It had a fairly good trail bed and was in the woods. No outstanding scenery until the bridge which was very nice. Not too far after the bridge the trail becomes a shared use gravel roadway for 2.3 miles. This is easy enough to ride and the river (flooded when we were there) is alongside all the time at this point. However, it is a gravel road. At the end of the road you ride some paved roads through Hopewell for a bit then back on to a decent portion of trail until Riddlesburg where you ride pavement again for a bit before turning back onto the trail which is a coarser gravel at this point - certainly rideable but not as much fun. (This section is actually beyond where the TrailLink map indicates that the trail stops). The trail dead ends at Red Cut with a gate. As a positive there were numerous benches along the way and some picnic tables. I did not see any tire pump or repair stations as mentioned by another poster though there may have been one in Riddlesburg where we pulled away from the trail just a bit. Amenities were basically non-existent. There was a small gas station in Riddlesburg which might have something and the post office advertised food but appeared closed. Hopewell may also have had a small business but it wasn't along the trail.

I would not drive any distance to ride this trail and will likely never ride it again. There is just nothing outstanding to warrant it and the gravel road ride probably sealed the deal on this review. In short, there are much better trails - and some worse.

Signs for riders to take caution or maybe even to STOP should be posted at the crosswalk located at Pinecrest Road overpass. Riders are can only see one direction depending on what way they are riding due to sound barriers. On coming traffic from East will only see them when they emerge from sound barriers.