The Great Allegheny Passage: An Overview

The Great Allegheny Passage is a spectacular 150-mile rail-trail that spans from Cumberland, Maryland to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is one of the premier rail-trails in the country.

The “GAP” Trail has many segments that make it easy for hikers and cyclists of all ages and skill levels to enjoy the incredible beauty of this trail!

History of the Trail

The Great Allegheny Passage follows the disused rail corridors of several rail lines, mostly the Western Maryland Railroad and the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, but also traverses over small portions of disused Union Railroad and Baltimore & Ohio Railroad corridors.

But to understand the history of the Great Allegheny Passage, we have to go way back to the early 19th century when the region was a hub of industrial activity, particularly in coal mining, steel production, and transportation. The construction of railroads played a crucial role in linking these industries and facilitating the movement of goods and people across the Appalachian Mountains.

The Western Maryland Railroad

The Western Maryland (WM) Railroad, the “Fast Freight Line”, was constructed in the mid-1800s, traversing across upper Maryland, eventually connecting to cities such as Elkins, West Virginia and Connellsville, Pennsylvania at its western end, through Cumberland and on to Baltimore, Maryland at its eastern reaches.  It provided a vital transportation link for coal and other commodities from the Allegheny Mountains to the East Coast.

The railroad’s western corridor stretched from Cumberland, through “the Narrows”, and took a winding course uphill in a general northwestern direction to Frostburg. The corridor then turned north-northeast, continuing its uphill path across the Mason-Dixon line which defines the border between western Maryland and Pennsylvania. The corridor then turned north-northwest to the Big Savage Tunnel, a 3,294 single-track tunnel hollowed out of Big Savage Mountain, and continued west to the Eastern Continental Divide, which marked the highest point on the railroad corridor at 2,392 feet above sea level. From there, the corridor passed through various towns on its way to its western terminus for Pennsylvania at Connellsville, including Meyersdale, Rockwood, Confluence, and Ohiopyle.

The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad

The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, the “Little Giant”, was completed in the late 19th century, and linked Pittsburgh with the coalfields of southwestern Pennsylvania and provided access to the Great Lakes region as far northwest as Youngstown, Ohio.  Despite its name, the lines directly owned by P&LE never actually reached the Great Lakes, though due to partnerships with railroads that did reach the lakes, such as the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway allowed for freight connections between Pittsburgh and the Great Lakes region.

Connellsville was the southeastern terminus for the P&LE. Its corridor from Connellsville to Pittsburgh basically hugged the western shore of the Youghiogheny River in a general northwestern direction until it reached the point at McKeesport where the Youghiogheny flows into the Monongahela River. The corridor then turned east across the Youghiogheny and along the eastern shore of the Monongahela River where it crossed to the western shore at Homestead up to Pittsburgh’s “Golden Triangle” where it remained on the western shore of the Ohio River outside the city and eventually made its way across the Ohio River at Beaver, Pennsylvania and onward to Youngstown, Ohio.

Decline

These railroads were vital in the coal and steel industries during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as the primary mode of transportation for moving raw materials and finished products. However, with the decline of these industries in the latter half of the 20th century, many of these railroad lines fell into disuse and disrepair.

As early as the 1970’s, some portions of these rail lines were starting to see a decline in usage, and others had become obsolete were being abandoned altogether.  Local and regional visionaries recognized the potential of converting these disused rail corridors into recreational trails. Among these visionaries was Thomas Sexton, a former editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who proposed transforming old rail lines into hiking and biking trails that could eventually span from Pittsburgh to Cumberland.

During the following decades, many local and regional trail associations would be in existence.  These included the Montour Trail Council, Three Rivers Heritage Trail, Steel Valley Trail Council, Mon/Yough Trail Council, Westmoreland Yough Trail Chapter, Yough River Trail Council, Somerset County Rails to Trails Association, and Mountain Maryland Trails (Allegheny Highlands Trail Maryland).  While all of these organizations existed, their individual efforts lacked any cohesive bond for coordination.

Coming Together

The concept of a coordinating organization took shape in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when finally in 1995, a conference attended by all many of the local trail associations formed the “Spine Line Trail Association” which was temporarily gate-kept by the Regional Trail Corporation for financial purposes, since the RTC was already a 501(c)(3) organization. In 1996, the Allegheny Trail Alliance was officially incorporated in Pennsylvania and dedicated itself to the construction and completion of the envisioned rail-trail from Pittsburgh to Cumberland.

The ATA was later renamed The Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy.

Building the Trail

The development of the trail proceeded in stages over several decades. Local organizations, volunteers, and government agencies collaborated to acquire land, remove rail infrastructure, grade the trail surface, and construct bridges and tunnels.

In 1991, the first section of the trail to be completed was an approximately 9-mile section between Ohiopyle and Confluence. Work continued apace through the 1990s and early 2000s as additional sections of the old rail corridors were cleared and converted to rail-trail.

In 2001, the final name for the full trail was selected as the Great Allegheny Passage,

The modification of the Big Savage Tunnel was completed in 2003, which was a significant milestone which made access to the Eastern Continental Divide much easier.

Maryland’s portion of the trail opened in December 2006, and thus became a complete trail from Cumberland to McKeesport. The final section of the trail was opened in 2013 when the McKeesport to Point State Park segment was fully completed.

The final link connecting Pittsburgh to Cumberland was completed in 2013 by the completion of the trail section from Homestead to Point State Park in Pittsburgh, with a celebration named “The Point Made”, which reflected the fact that, with the C&O Canal Towpath under the auspices of the National Park Service, it was finally possible to reach Point State Park from Washington, D.C.

Economic and Recreational Impact

The Great Allegheny Passage has had a profound impact on the region. It’s revitalized communities along its route, attracting tourists, promoting outdoor recreation, and providing economic opportunities through tourism-related businesses.

Recognition and Expansion

The Great Allegheny Passage has received national recognition for its scenic beauty and historical significance. The National Rail Trail Conservancy has named it as part of the intended “Great American Rail-Trail” which, upon its completion, will mark the first and only fully traversable coast-to-coast recreational trail in the country.

Legacy

Overall, the history of the Great Allegheny Passage reflects a grassroots movement to repurpose industrial infrastructure for the benefit of communities and visitors, creating a lasting legacy of conservation, recreation, and economic development.

Today, the Great Allegheny Passage is one of the premier rail-trails in the United States, attracting cyclists, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts from around the world. The trail offers stunning views of rivers, mountains, and forests, as well as opportunities to explore charming towns and historic sites along the route. The Great Allegheny Passage not only preserves the industrial heritage of the region but also provides a valuable recreational resource and economic asset for communities along its path.

Trail Details

Trail Length

Starting at Canal Place in Cumberland, Maryland and runs for about 150 miles to Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Trail Surface

For nearly its entire length, the treadway is a standard average 8-foot wide crushed limestone surface.  There are paved portions of the trail, specifically in more urbanized areas such as in Cumberland, through Connellsville, and various portions through Pittsburgh.

With certain exceptions, a majority of the trail is either completely or near-level.  The first mile from Cumberland is paved, but once the trail diverges from Wills Creek, it begins a gentle upslope for 14 miles to Frostburg.  The upslope continues to the Big Savage Tunnel, and then levels out with a slight bump 2 miles from the tunnel across the Eastern Continental Divide.  This is the highest point of elevation on the entirety of the trail.

Certainly the trail from the Eastern Continental Divide to Pittsburgh is not “perfectly flat”, and you will encounter some mild upslopes or downslopes along the way. These include the portion from Meyersdale to Garrett, Rockwood to Confluence, and Ohiopyle to Connellsville – where it slopes downward for about half the way, then changes to a mild upslope until you reach Connellsville itself. None of these grade changes are considered problematic for the average cyclist.

Views and Signage

The signage scheme for the entirety of the Great Allegheny Passage is standardized. Each sign has a distinct color theme, and all official signs carry the authorized Great Allegheny Passage logo somewhere on the sign. Trailhead signs have the name of the trailhead along the short edges of the sign, often with directional signage on the trail-facing flat side, and trail rules and guidance on the opposite.

The major trailheads also have large “access point” signs, some with directional arrows pointing to the parking areas for the trailheads, as you can see below.

There are also a wide number of interpretive signage along the way (unfortunately some occasionally get vandalized). I will be including pictures of these in the segment posts as we come across them.

Along the route, at least at the time of this post, there have been no significant blockages or diversions to the main trail, so it’s extremely easy to follow and *very* hard to “get lost” following the main trail.

Regarding the “views”, I think it’s safe to say that while many words have been written about the GAP trail, none of them – including what I can write here – can adequately do justice for the wide variety of views and vistas that you will see along the Great Allegheny Passage, though in the specific segment posts, I’m going to *try*.

Trailheads and “Trail Towns”

According to GAPTrail.org, the official website for the Great Allegheny Passage, there are 20 specifically-named main trailheads/access points along the Great Allegheny Passage.  However, I think they’ve omitted a couple, and I’m listing the trailheads in order below.

The Great Allegheny Passage includes a number of “Trail Towns” along the way, that showcase the history and heritage of their respective regions and of the industries that were serviced by the railroads that traversed the corridor now known as the GAP Trail. These Trail Towns are known for cyclist- and hiker-friendly cafes, restaurants, guesthouses and outfitters. Many of these Trail Towns are also known to feature public art, museums, farmers’ markets, live music and festivals.

Specific details about each trailhead/access point and Trail Town are available on the GAPTrail.org website, and will also be detailed in future posts here as I go segment-by-segment.

GAP Mile	Trailhead	Type
0	Cumberland	trailhead, Trail Town; eastern terminus
15.5	Frostburg	trailhead, Trail Town
27.7	Deal	trailhead parking
31.9	Meyersdale	trailhead, Trail Town
36.5	Garrett	trailhead parking
43.8	Rockwood	trailhead, Trail Town
50.0	Markleton	trailhead parking
54.3	Fort Hill	trailhead parking
61.6	Confluence	trailhead, Trail Town
63.3	Ramcat	trailhead parking
71.9	Ohiopyle	trailhead, Trail Town
88.8	Connellsville	trailhead, Trail Town
95.1	Dawson	trailhead parking
103.0	Layton	trailhead parking
105.0	Whitsett	trailhead parking
108.1	Smithton	trailhead parking
110.3	Cedar Creek Park	trailhead parking
114.1	West Newton	trailhead, Trail Town
118	Sutersville	trailhead parking
120.9	Buena Vista	trailhead parking
128.2	Boston	trailhead parking
132.5	McKeesport	trailhead, Trail Town
140.5	Homestead	trailhead, Trail Town
144.2	Pittsburgh’s South Side	trailhead, Trail Town
147.7	Downtown Pittsburgh	trailhead, Trail Town
149.0	Point State Park	trailhead; western terminus

Riding the Trail: Trail Tips

Many of my trail tips and features along the Great Allegheny Passage will be found on the individual segment posts.

Trail Impression

As the first among the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Hall of Fame entries, as well as the effective cornerstone of the “Great American Rail-Trail”, the Great Allegheny Passage is one of the most famous long trails in the country, one of the most well-maintained, and one of the most popular for both cyclists and hikers.

I think that a summary from the GAPTrail.org website is a perfect description of the impression awaiting you as you experience the Great Allegheny Passage!

From the GAPTrail.org website:

The GAP Trail soars over valleys, snakes around mountains, and skirts alongside the Casselman River, Youghiogheny River, and Monongahela River on a nearly-level, crushed-limestone surface. Tracing old footpaths and railroad corridors through the wilderness, it offers glimpses into the country’s westward expansion and industrial might. When paired with the connecting C&O Canal Towpath, it makes long-distance trail travel possible between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. 

Along its route, the Great Allegheny Passage squeezes through the Cumberland Narrows, crosses the Mason & Dixon Line, tops the 2,392-foot Eastern Continental Divide, weaves through the breathtaking Laurel Highlands, bisects lovely Ohiopyle State Park, journeys through the region’s coke, coal, mining, and steel-making corridor, and ends at majestic Point State Park.  It yields stunning views of waterfalls, gorges, river valleys, and farmland, especially from sweeping Helmstetter’s Curve and outside Big Savage Tunnel, near the delightful Bollman Bridge and within the imposing Keystone Viaduct, at both ends of the Pinkerton Tunnel, and via the soaring Ohiopyle Low and High Bridges.        

The Great Allegheny Passage passes through a dozen welcoming trail towns, where overnight accommodations range from lovely bed-and-breakfasts to comfortable guesthouses, and from campgrounds to hotels.  Local flavors abound at restaurants, bars and grills, creameries, and cafés, and festivals and celebrations take place throughout the seasons.  Outfitters, tour operators, and shuttle services abound, making it possible for bicyclists and hikers of all ages to travel easily.  Parking and branded wayfinding signage is ample from end to end.

Because of its easy access and many amenities, traveling the Great Allegheny Passage is a sought-after, “bucket list” adventure that delights local users as well as tourists from all 50 states and over 40 countries annually.  It receives around a million visits every year, and tourists drive tens of millions of dollars into the local economy.  Upon its completion, the GAP was the first path inducted into the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. 

“About the Great Allegheny Passage”

On Secrets of the Trails, we’re going to explore each segment of the Great Allegheny Passage in more detail.

Stay tuned!