Pittsburgh to DC: Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal

The initial 125 miles of this tour are on the Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, MD, located on abandoned railroad beds. The final 184 miles from Cumberland, MD to downtown Washington, DC, are on the C&O Canal Towpath, which is the heart of the C&O Canal National Park. You will not believe the tranquility and the beauty of this park; located in the middle of the suburban east coast.

Talk about bucket list opportunities; your journey will visit, three states, PA, MD, WV and the District of Columbia, and pass through four national parks, C&O Canal, Antietam Battlefield, Harpers Ferry and Rock Creek Park.

Your 300+ miles of car-free rail trails begin just outside of Pittsburgh, PA. It won’t be long until the buildings are exchanged for a canopy of trees. We start at 761 feet in elevation, cross the Continental Divide at 2,932 feet and end at sea level. Along the way, we will ride past remnants of the early 1900s industrial revolution when Pittsburgh Steel was king. All of this happens with a maximum grade of 2% with only a very few exceptions.