Cyclists from Western Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C., certainly know the power of the Great Allegheny Passage — or GAP for short.
But it’s always good to know that others are hearing its praises as well.
The 150-mile trail from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Md., was recently named among the Best Long Rail Trails in the U.S. by Bicycling magazine.
“When you connect the crushed limestone Allegheny Passage with the 184.5-mile C&O Canal Towpath in Cumberland, you can ride all the way from Pittsburgh to D.C. without having to worry about busy streets or traffic,” Caitlin Giddings wrote in explaining what makes the trail so great. “It’s the perfect place to try your first week-long bike tour.”
In addition to the GAP, Bicycling magazine also gives a nod to the Greenbrier River Trail in West Virginia. The 78-mile trail runs along the the Greenbrier River from Cass to Caldwell, W.Va.
The GAP not only is a boon to cyclists, it’s been great for businesses located along the trail.
A 2014-15 study revealed that an average of $124 was spent on overnight stays along the trail. In addition, the majority of businesses in the study had established themselves within the previous decade, and many said they would expand as a result of trail activity.
In 2020, the Great Allegheny Passage was visited by about 1.4 million people, up about 50% compared to 2019. An estimated 117,000 users were considered “thru-riders,” or those who traveled multiple days on the passage. The conservancy tracks trail usage between March and November with infrared counters interspersed along the passage and volunteers doing synchronized counts.
The trails were first carved out in the 1800s by the Western Maryland Railway and Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, which used the passages to transport coal, coke and freight. Their rail lines traversed along the Youghiogheny River and through the Laurel Highlands from Pittsburgh to Cumberland. After the lines were abandoned in the 1970s, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy began buying up the lines and the conversion began.
The trail was completed in 2013.
