6-Day Great Allegheny Passage Heritage Bike Tour

Biking: 15 miles (24 kilometres)
Terrain: Easier

As the rail trail winds out of Potomac River valley toward the crest of the Eastern Continental Divide, you can see rolling mountains in all directions. The trail crosses the Mason-Dixon Line, which is a nice spot for a break. Then it’s on to the Big Savage Tunnel and the highest elevation of the tour. After cresting the divide, there’s a fun downhill roll into the historic town of Meyersdale. You can choose to ride the full 32 miles, ride a van to the very top of the climb or ride a van for one-half of the climb. Lunch is a picnic and dinner is at the inn.
Accommodation: Yoder’s Guest House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Biking: 10, 22 or 32 miles (16, 32 or 51 kilometres)
Terrain: Intermediate or Easier

You start the day with a ride from the Inn in Meyersdale further along the GAP Trail to the town of Rockwood. After exploring the town and river valley, you ride back across the Salisbury aqueduct to Meyersdale. After lunch in town, van to the Flight 93 Memorial nearby for a visit to the site and museum. The Flight 93 Memorial site honors the 40 passengers and crew lost on 9/11. You have time to explore the visitor center, the Tower of Voices, the Wall of Names and the 40 Memorial Groves.
Accommodation: Yoder’s Guest House
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Biking: 12 or 25 miles (19 or 40 kilometres)
Terrain: Easier

The Cassleman River joins the Youghiogheny in the town of Confluence, where the larger and deeper valley takes us away from small towns and into the Ohiopyle State Park. This is the area where George Washington fought for the British in the French and Indian War in the 1760s. The plunging waterfalls and soaring ridges remind you of why this was America’s Northwest Frontier in the late 1700s. Take your time along this stretch of trail and enjoy the views of the river far below before we roll into the town of Ohiopyle, where river rafting vies with bicycling as the main tourist draws. We’ll enjoy dinner at a nearby restaurant followed by a night at the rustic Ohiopyle Suites, just steps from the trail.
Accommodation: Ohiopyle Suites
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Biking: 41 miles (66 kilometres)
Terrain: Easier

Rolling out of Ohiopyle, we continue through the State Park and pass across beautiful, historic rail trail bridges over the Youghiogheny rapids. We enjoy lunch in the first large town since Maryland — Connellsville, PA. The trail and river run right through the historic downtown. From there, rural farm country edges closer to the river and we see occasional small towns until we cycle into historic West Newton. Bright Morning Bed & Breakfast is a collection of four historic Colonial Era houses right beside the trail, and it’s a great location for our final evening together.
Accommodation: Bright Morning Bed and Breakfast
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Biking: 46 miles (74 kilometres)
Terrain: Easier

We bike out of farm country by mid-morning and into suburbs and cycle through a recovering industrial area along the Youghiogheny. It joins the Monongahela in McKeesport, and ride along this majestic, ship-going section of the river. We stop at Mitchell's Fish Market for lunch and then cross the famous Hot Metal Bridge into downtown Pittsburgh, arriving at the Point State Park and the end of the GAP Trail. We finish the day with a special visit to Bicycle Heaven which houses over 4,000 bikes in its collection. Following your tour, we transfer you back to the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh Airport and say our goodbyes.
Accommodation: Not applicable
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Biking: 32 miles (54 kilometres)
Terrain: Easier