you head to the right, you will first come to the Woodland Trail Spur (one of six trail spurs along the loop), where you’ll cross a tiny creek and the surface will change from dirt to gravel. If you are on the trail in the spring, several stands of redbud will be blooming, providing a vibrant color contrast to the grayish-green of an awakening forest. At certain points, you may have to scramble over, under, or around impressive felled trees, but they only add to the trail’s woodland feel.
When you return to the beginning of the loop, take the path back to the visitor center and explore the rest of the park. Don’t miss the nearby Great Falls overlook, which provides stunning views of the waterfall that separates the upper and lower Potomac River. Pick up a trail map at the ranger station to find directions to the overlook.
CONTACT: nps.gov/grfa
DIRECTIONS
From the Capital Beltway/I-495, take Exit 41 (Carderock/Great Falls), and follow Clara Barton Pkwy. west for 1.7 miles. At the stop sign (at the end of the road), make a slight left onto MacArthur Blvd. Go 3.5 miles to the end of the road at the park. There is an entry fee.
Near Great Falls, this 2.5-mile loop offers something unique for hikers and equestrians.
7 Great Allegheny Passage
Counties
Allegany, Allegheny (PA), Fayette (PA), Somerset (PA), Westmoreland (PA)
Endpoints
Point State Park near Commonwealth Pl. and Liberty Ave. (Pittsburgh, PA) to Western Maryland Railway Station at Canal St. (Cumberland, MD)
Mileage
150
Type
Rail-Trail
Roughness Index
1
Surface
Asphalt, Crushed Stone
Now the longest rail-trail east of the Mississippi River, the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) spans two states in its course along great rivers and across mountain passes. Running from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cumberland, Maryland, the route traces the paths of railroads that helped build America.
Beginning in Pittsburgh’s Point State Park, the trail overlaps the Eliza Furnace segment of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. An array of signage interprets the area’s industrial past. The Hot Metal Bridge, once used to carry iron by rail from the Eliza Furnace to Pittsburgh’s South Side to produce finished steel, leads trail users across the Monongahela River to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail’s South Side and Baldwin Borough segments, which extend south to Homestead.
Cyclists flock to this scenic, shady pathway.
In the small Pittsburgh suburb, massive industrial furnaces from the Homestead Steel Works stand along with smaller artifacts, such as a ladle car. These industrial artifacts and interpretive signage add interest to both the trail and The Waterfront, a modern retail center with offices, restaurants, and entertainment, all rebuilt to reflect early 20th-century charm and its industrial past.
The Great Allegheny Passage heads south from Homestead to McKeesport through former steel mill sites along the banks of the Monongahela River. Here, the GAP splits into two, with the on-road Clairton Connector heading west through Glassport to meet the Montour Trail in Clairton, and the main trail continuing south along the former route of the Pittsburgh, McKeesport and Youghiogheny Railroad.
Built in 1883, the railroad carried coal and coke from the rich town of Connellsville to the Pittsburgh steel mills. Nicknamed the P-Mickey for its initials (P., McK., and Y.), it eventually merged with the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. The freight and coal traffic that sustained the branch dried up by the mid-1980s, and the line fell into disuse in 1990.
As you travel south along the Youghiogheny River from McKeesport, you pass lush green hillsides and once-booming industrial towns. The first 40 miles of this segment go through the Pennsylvania towns of Boston, West Newton, and Dawson. Trailside B&Bs, bike shops, and cafés welcome trail users in these towns, making them great resting spots.
Eventually, the Great Allegheny Passage reaches the historic boomtown of Connellsville, where the industrial revolution is still alive. This self-proclaimed trail town offers wonderful parks, restaurants, and cafés. Near South Connellsville, hikers and bikers can hop on the short Sheepskin Trail to travel southwest to the tiny community of Dunbar.
For the next 28 miles, the Great Allegheny Passage follows the Youghiogheny River through Ohiopyle State Park. Take refuge under the dense canopy of the hardwood forest on the river’s edge. Before reaching the quaint town of Ohiopyle, you cross two impressive trestles. The town is a home base for adventure seekers. The trail is a central attraction, but the wild and untamed Youghiogheny River here makes it a popular whitewater-rafting destination as well.
The trail continues south along the river to Confluence. Aptly named, the town is built where the Youghiogheny River, Casselman River, and Laurel Hill Creek come together. It has plenty of great places to eat or get a good night’s rest.
South of Confluence, the trail leaves the Youghiogheny and heads northeast for 31 miles, following the Casselman River to Meyersdale. You bypass the 849-foot-long Pinkerton Tunnel along this stretch. This segment also features the Salisbury Viaduct, 1,908 feet long and more than 100 feet at its highest point, which you’ll cross shortly before reaching Meyersdale. The town offers a pleasant old trailside train depot that provides good local information.
You continue a gentle climb as the path heads southeast toward the Eastern Continental Divide. Here, the trail follows the route of the old Western Maryland Railroad, which began operations between Cumberland, Maryland, and Connellsville, Pennsylvania, in 1912. Sold to a competitor in 1931, the railroad was operational for many more years before falling into disuse. The Keystone Viaduct, a 910-foot-long bridge, can be found along this gorgeous part of the trail.
You cross the Eastern Continental Divide just before reaching the Maryland state line. From this elevation of 2,400 feet, it’s all downhill to Cumberland. Pass through the 0.5-mile-long Big Savage Tunnel just beyond the divide, and take in stunning views of the surrounding hills and agricultural valleys as you pass the Mason-Dixon Line into Maryland, just beyond the tunnel. Frostburg is the first town
