GAP C&O Bike Trail Guide, Pittsburgh DC

After leading a lot of bicycle tour groups from Pittsburgh to DC (and DC to Pittsburgh), and in conjunction with Golden Triangle Bike, I've developed a Trail Guide for the GAP and C&O trails. The purpose is to help you navigate the trails from Pittsburgh to DC, help you maintain situational awareness while you're adventuring, and help you make informed decisions as events arise.

This package of route charts, drilldown area maps, and addresses with GPS coordinates will fit easily in a bike jersey pocket or a handlebar bag and is designed to avoid information overload.

The Trail Guide is designed by a cyclist, for a cyclist riding the trail; it's not a car map. Our Trail Guide is an artisanal cartography project. We've curated and hand-assembled it to deliver important information while avoiding the non-essentials. We think it's better than anything else; you'll find it delightful and useful.

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There's a lot of up-front information before you begin the adventure, and you'll learn a lot enroute. This Trail Guide lets you bring along expert insights to reduce uncertainty and make a satisfying experience more likely. When you consider the cost of your trip in time, schedule blocking, and cost — it's a smart investment.

The GAP-C&O Trail Guide is available for $24.95 at Golden Triangle Bike's location on the Great Allegheny Passage, at Mile Marker 149 (one mile from Point State Park). If you're not in Pittsburgh and want to order it over the phone, they'll ship it for $6.95 Priority Mail postage for a total of $31.90. Call 412.600.0675

If you prefer to purchase via Amazon, click here: Trail Guide for Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) and C&O Canal Towpath Trail // Pittsburgh to Washington DC bike guide.

• Includes coordinates for road crossings and trailheads to simplify connecting with support vehicles.
  
• Identifies areas of low- or no-cellphone coverage so you'll know in advance when you'll be incommunicado.
  
• Highlights the "must-see" portions of each segment for riders who aren't going to ride every mile, but want to see the key sights
  
• identifies restrooms, portajohns, water, food, shopping, lodging, camping, bike shops, tool stations
  
• links to a customized Google-map showing the route with tags
  
• primary and alternate routes, including the W&OD transition and the paved WMRT
  

The Pamela Mazeroski Infrastructure Ride

6/13/11 #226 29miles

0730 McD burrito 1000 Pamela's Western Omelette, potatoes, english muffin 1400 honey 1800 steak, spinach, green beans

Fabulous Ride today with K. We used the Casino trail, the Heinz trail, the Strip trail, the Mon-Whorf trail, the Jail trail, the Junction Hollow trail, the Southside trail, and the Station Square trail, along with the 31st Street bridge, the Hot Metal Bridge, the Ft. Pitt bridge, and the Ft. Duquesne bridge. Major infrastructure review.


Segment One: Penitentiary to Pamela's Rode from Western Penitentiary via the Casino Trail to Millvale, stopped for breakfast at Pamela's, excellent as always.

Segment Two: Millvale to CMU We rode the trail from Millvale to the 31st Street Bridge, crossed the river, and rode in traffic via Railroad Street and 24th Street to the Strip Trail.

Stopped at the Convention Center to experience the excellent arrangement of waterfalls at the underground walkway. I don't know if the water-walk predates the Strip Trail, but either way it's remarkable. Very well done. K's video below:


At the Point we found a service sidewalk that seemed to be somebody's bedroom, but also led to the Mon-Whorf Trail. We rode the Mon-Whorf Trail to the end, then backtracked to a staircase, portaged to the surface, and joined the trail system again at the Smithfield Street Bridge.

The Jail Trail has a detour due to construction at Bates Street, and it's a well-planned and well-marked detour. I think somebody was having mischief with the signs, because we ran into this situation and it seemed photo-worthy:



We rode the Jail Trail to the southern terminus, then circled around and rode the Junction Hollow Trail up to CMU. We looped around Oakland on some side streets, and K. posed for a photo at the Forbes Field wall where Mazeroski's homer crossed the fence.

Segment Three: Forbes Field, Station Square, Western Penitentiary We left Oakland via the Junction Hollow Trail, rejoined the Jail Trail, and crossed the river using the Hot Metal Bridge. We ogled the new trail behind the American Eagle building, then ogled it again from the HofBrauHaus. Rode to Station Square, crossed the Ft. Pitt and Ft. Duquesne bridges, and posed at the stadium so K could get a picture along with the Mazeroski statue.

We returned uneventfully to the Penitentiary, to the car that was still there which, happily, was willing to start.

It was a wonderful ride on a gorgeous day. 29 miles on paved trails. It really amazes me that Pittsburgh has done so very well at this.

Urban Ride, Two New Trail Segments

06/09/11 #220.4 25m

0800 yogurt crackers 1000 banana, granola bar 1145 strawberry pancakes (pamela's) 1400 granola bar, honey 1700 peanut butter, crackers, chex mix

Rode 25 miles in 2h12m, road bike, an urban ride.

Started at Western Penitentiary, rode to the stadiums then out to Millvale, had strawberry pancakes at Pamela's. I really enjoy Pamela's, the ride to breakfast is becoming a favorite. Sightings included a squad of four hipsters, each with a messenger bag with a blinky on it, but no bicycles. One hipster had a tattoo of the Boston T system on her calf, that was pretty cool.

Back to the Ft. Duquesne bridge, Point State Park, and then the brand new Strip District trail along the south shore of the Allegheny River, from the Point out to 24th Street.

The Strip District Trail (which I think I'm going to call the Strip Trail until somebody announces a better name) is a very nice paved trail, it climbs and descends - it's not a rail-trail - and it's a great addition. I do think that the section closest to Point State Park might pose a security issue for single female riders after dark - there's just a lot of limited sight areas around the concrete pillars of the overhead highway.

Left the Strip Trail and rode over to Penn Avenue, and rode through the Strip District to Blvd of the Allies, noticed that the Arts Festival is in town, rode down to Grant Street. There was a lunchtime concert in one of the corner parks, it was nice to see the sharrows marked on Penn, very cool ride with an urban vibe.

From Grant Street I took the Jail Trail down to the Hot Metal Bridge, noticed that the trail connector between the HMB and the new trail behind AEO is now open. Rode over to Southside Works, and realized < rant > there isn't much in the way of public waterfountains - or public shade, for that matter - in this development that I local government subsidized. < /rant off>

Stopped at Subway, which is often the best place for a bicyclist to stop - they're very cool about filling your bottles with soda fountain's water lever and ice dispenser. Cooled off there, it was a bit warm outside (88F).

Rejoined the trail at REI, rode north to Station Square, took the Ft. Pitt Bridge, noodled around Point State Park to see where it will eventually connect to the Mon Whorf trail, crossed the Ft. Duquesne bridge and returned to Western Penitentiary.

Interesting Sightings: saw a cool hard-shell locking trunk bag on a parked bike which would be great equipment for a commuter. Also saw a tandem recumbent.