Great Allegheny Passage

The Great Allegheny Passage is one of America’s Most Famous Rail Trails

The Great Allegheny Passage is a car-free, Rails-to-Trails bike path or trail that is 150 miles long connecting Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Maryland. In Cumberland, it connects with the well known C & O Canal Towpath that is also a car-free trail extending another 184.5 miles to Washington, D.C. This system provides 330 miles of interconnected bike-dedicated trail, allowing you to bike from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C.

Experience the Great Allegheny Passage on an Inn-to-Inn Bike Tour.

Join one of our fully-supported GAP bike tours, where we take care of everything – meals, lodging, moving your luggage, rest stops, even cleaning your bike. We have three different inn-to-inn bike tours to introduce you to touring on the Great Allegheny Passage. Choose the one that suits your pedaling style. From 6 days along the entire length of the GAP and C&O Canal, to 4 days riding the GAP trail, to a mix of 3 easy days on the GAP and C&O Canal Towpath – there’s a perfect Rail-Trail bike tour waiting for you!

Want to do your own GAP tour? We offer GAP Bike Shuttles and support for independent riders, too.

The Great Allegheny Passage is a perfect bicycle outing for all ages and experience levels.

If you are looking for a one-day outing on the trail, Ohiopyle is the place to start. We offer a fleet of 100 bikes to choose from. Cruisers, mountain bikes, hybrids, and kids bikes and tandems are available to rent.

Riding the Great Allegheny Passage through Ohiopyle PA is spectacularly beautiful! You’ll pass through Ohiopyle state park, enjoying views of the Yough River, waterfalls and streams flowing into the Youghiogheny. The GAP trail is beautiful any time of the year. Visit at the end of July and you’ll see the Rhododendrons in full glory. Visit in December and you might get to enjoy a cross country ski if there is too much snow to bike.

From Ohiopyle, you can bike upstream (towards Confluence, PA) or downstream (towards Connellsvile and eventually Pittsburgh, PA) along the Youghiogheny River. Choose either direction — you can’t go wrong!

Biking the GAP from Ohiopyle to Connellsville

If you pedal downstream, you can entertain yourselves watching rafters try to navigate the Class III waters of the Lower Yough. You will wind through the park, eventually reaching Connelsville in 18 miles. Remember — what you ride out, you have to ride back!

Biking the GAP from Ohiopyle to Confluence

Pedaling upstream toward Confluence following the Middle Yough is a popular direction. After a relatively easy 11 miles, you can lunch at a selection of restaurants or enjoy ice cream from the Outflow Soft Freeze. If you do stop for lunch, try the Lucky Dog Cafe.

Pedal & Paddle

Another great option is the Pedal and Paddle! Ride the GAP toward Confluence. We’ll meet you at the Ramcat Launch Area (which you’ll reach before the town of Confluence). Here we’ll take your bikes, give you a river safety talk and set you off downstream in a raft. It’s a very fun day! You’ll be tired by the end, but very satisfied. You’ll want to pack a lunch to enjoy whenever you get hungry.

The trail surface is crushed limestone. Road bikes, comfort bikes and hybird bikes all work. If the trail is soft after rain, a road bike might not be the best option. Always remember to pack a spare tube!

Wilderness Voyageurs rents bikes by the hour or by the day, and we are open year round. If it’s 60 and sunny in January — you bet you can rent a bike!

Call 800-272-4141 to book your bike tour or ask questions about biking in the area. Our outfitter store is open year round, so stop by when you’re in the area! It’s a great resource for questions about bike and other options in Ohiopyle State Park.

Our Great Allegheny Passage Blog explores all many aspects of the GAP trail. Read about other riders’ experiences on the GAP, and find information on area GAP Rail-Trail area festival, events, peak flower season, fall leaf color season and more.