10 Highlights from Biking on the GAP and C&O Canal

The Red Waterfall

Our first day biking out of Pittsburgh put us on rather familiar trails that we bike often. As you leave the city, you bike past many notable highlights like our resident steel mills, Kennywood, Carrie Furnace, and so much more.

Admittedly, many of these views are quite far away from the trail. So for our first highlight, we wanted to stick to something that is quite literally on the trail- The Red Waterfall!

Mining in Pittsburgh was quite a robust industry in the early days, and unfortunately, acid mine drainage has become a problem as a result. The Red Waterfall is perhaps one of the best examples of this, as the iron-rich water that came out from the mine stained the land a dark, almost blood red color- giving the falls their name.

Although this one is not the largest waterfall you’ll see (that comes later), it is perhaps the most interesting, which is why it is a highlight from our ride.

Ohiopyle State Park

In a perfect world, you would have three days to give Ohiopyle State Park justice. It is one of our favorite parks in the Laurel Highlands outside of Pittsburgh and is known for many beautiful hiking trails, several stunning waterfalls (Ohiopyle Falls is right in town, if you have a few minutes to spare), white water rafting, and having the iconic Fallingwater a few miles away, too.

When biking the GAP, unless you are spending overnight in Ohiopyle town, odds are good you may pass through or stop for lunch and quick views. Still, the ride through the park is a highlight as you’ll get incredible vistas of the Youghiogheny River, may see white water rafters near town, plus those in canoes and tubes floating down the river outside of town, and overall it is just a beautiful stretch of nature no matter how you look at it.

Salisbury Viaduct

One stretch of the GAP that caught us by surprise was the Salisbury Viaduct, near Meyersdale. This massive bridge is rather high off the ground, and has incredible views of the Laurel Highlands in every direction (plus the turnpike, but, hey, we’ll give that a pass).

If you are prone to vertigo, perhaps don’t look down at this one, but you’ll still get some incredible views looking out all the same.

Eastern Continental Divide

The Eastern Continental Divide is perhaps the most rewarding sight apart from Mile 0 markers on the ride. Why? It marks the high point of the trail!

If you are heading east towards Washington DC, this marks the start of an epic, 22-mile downhill ride that requires little effort of you (a nice change of pace from the 75+ mile gradual uphill before that). If you are heading west towards Pittsburgh, it makes the end of a rather grueling climb up that same hill, where you’ll get a downhill ride, albeit at a much more gradual grade, to Ohiopyle.

Suffice it to say, everyone who passes through the Eastern Continental Divide, regardless of direction, stops to celebrate a little bit in addition to checking out the art and history.

Big Savage Tunnel

The Big Savage Tunnel arrives quickly after the Eastern Continental Divide and is the longest tunnel you’ll see on the ride. Clocking in at just over one kilometer in length, this one is quite imposing and, dare we say, rather surreal to bike through. Be sure to take a head torch for some extra light!

Even better? After exiting the Big Savage Tunnel (when heading east), you get some commanding views that are quite stunning. But we’ll let you discover that one for yourselves.

Mason-Dixon Line

The highlights keep coming on this stretch of the Great Allegheny Passage, because as you begin your downhill ride after the Eastern Continental Divide, you’ll quickly come up on the Mason-Dixon Line.

We forgot that we’d pass over this line, which denotes the boundaries between Pennsylvania and Maryland, and honestly were a bit surprised to not only see a marker, but also a literal line on the trail. Yes, the Mason-Dixon Line along the gap is denoted with a line, and it felt very symbolic to mark our departure from Pennsylvania and arrival in Maryland here.

Locks and Lock Houses

For those continuing onto the C&O Canal Towpath, you’ll quickly recognize that the trail conditions are, shall we say, not as good. This is partly because the C&O Canal Towpath was not a rail trail, as it was a towing path to pull boats along the canal which runs parallel to the Potomac River for most of the ride. (We’d also argue that Maryland needs to do a better job at keeping up with the trail, but that’s maybe our Pennsylvania pride coming through a bit.)

The canal has dozens of locks and lock houses found throughout, and you’ll be seeing most all of them along the ride. Some of the lock houses are even available to rent, but tend to have no amenities like power, water, or even linens, and is a bit more suited for those who are camping and just want a roof overhead.

Still, these are quite beautiful, and you’ll have no shortage of locks and lockhouses to see along the ~185-miles on the C&O!

Paw Paw Tunnel

We have a second tunnel that was a highlight for us on our ride, and that is the Paw Paw Tunnel near the aptly named Paw Paw, West Virginia.

First, there is the name. Paw paws are a delicious native fruit to the USA that have a custard-like texture and a flavor that is somewhat like a blend of mango and banana. There are so many paw paw trees around this area, and if you’re lucky to bike through in mid-September, odds are good you’re going to enjoy a lot of the fresh fruit found, well, everywhere (we saw trees starting here all the way to DC!).

But the tunnel is also interesting because the canal passes through it, and you are advised to get off and walk your bikes through due to the uneven nature of the trail. So you’ll be spending a lot of time in this long, dark, and dare we say, kind of creepy tunnel before exiting with some even more stunning views that, like the Big Savage Tunnel, we’ll keep secret for you to see on your own ride!

Biking the Potomac River

As previously mentioned, the C&O Canal runs mostly parallel to the Potomac River, and you have no shortage of views through the trees along the ride.

But as you get closer to Washington DC, you get some segments where you bike alongside the Potomac. One stretch takes you away from the forest and has you biking for many miles quite literally along the water. It is rocky, exposed, and stunning. The only downside here is that the trail conditions vary wildly here. One moment you’re biking on a paved stretch, the next is rocky gravel, then back to paved again.

Still, this one was a favorite section for us because it was quite long and a welcomed change of pace from biking thorugh the forest. In the above image, you can see how far this stretch goes when looking down the far side of the river!

Great Falls

Finally, we come to Great Falls, a gorgeous park just outside of Washington DC. To see the falls themselves, you’ll need to look out for the sign and walk just a few feet off trail, as the best views are not visible from the C&O itself.

But after that, you bike alongside the river with some of the most stunning rock formations from the entire ride. Despite visiting Washington DC many times, we had no idea this park was so close to the city, and truly was one of the biggest surprises from our entire ride!

Overall, the above are only a sampling of some of the highlights you’ll see when biking from Pittsburgh to Washington DC on the GAP and C&O Canal Towpath. We are purposefully not sharing more if only becaus we want the rest to be a surprise for when you ride. But be on the lookout for these notable highlights all the same!

What were your favorite highlights from the ride? Comment below to share!