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A 150 mile hall-of-fame rail-trail connecting Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland; great for hiking, running, or biking.


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Map Key

152.4

Miles

245.3

KM

Point to Point

2,646' 806 m

High

621' 189 m

Low

3,716' 1,133 m

Up

3,837' 1,169 m

Down

1%

Avg Grade (1°)

53%

Max Grade (28°)

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Cave · Commonly Backpacked · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Spring · Swimming · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Family Friendly This is a lovely trail, with towns about 15 miles apart that have ice cream shops, cafes, inns, and bike shops.

Open dawn to dusk. The Big Savage Tunnel is closed for the winter, late November to early April.

Need to Know

The Great Allegheny Passage connects to the C&O Canal Towpath in Cumberland, Md., making a thru-hike to Washington D.C. a wonderful 10 day adventure.

Description

The Great Allegheny Passage soars over valleys, snakes around mountains, and skirts alongside three rolling rivers on its nearly level path from Cumberland to Pittsburgh. Hikers pass through the Cumberland Narrows, cross the Mason-Dixon Line, top the Eastern Continental Divide, wind their way through Pennsylvania’s breathtaking Laurel Highlands, journey through the region’s coke, coal, mining, and steel-making corridor, and end at Pittsburgh’s majestic Point State Park. Stunning views of waterfalls, gorges, river valleys, and farmland are everywhere, especially from outside the Big Savage Tunnel, from the sweeping Salisbury Viaduct, at both ends of the Pinkerton Tunnel, and via the Ohiopyle High and Low Bridges. Travelers overlook the joining of rivers at Confluence, McKeesport, and Pittsburgh, and can explore adjoining peninsulas, state parks, hollows, wildflower stands, and forests on foot at many places along the trail.

Along its corridor, the Great Allegheny Passage features a delightful chain of trail towns connecting travelers with everything they need for a day trip or multi-day adventure. Local flavors abound at restaurants, bars and grills, creameries, and cafés. Along the trail, overnight accommodations range from lovely bed-and-breakfasts to comfortable guest houses, and from campgrounds to hotels. Outfitters and bike shops have a range of gear available. Travelers enjoy art galleries, stately town squares, boutique museums, renovated train stations, holiday parades, craft breweries, and historical sites. Festivals and celebrations take place throughout the seasons. Once connected by railroads, and now by the trail, our towns are destinations to explore, provide fuel for your journey, and give welcome respite every few miles.

With a crushed limestone (or in some sections, paved) surface, and a gentle, nearly-flat grade, the Great Allegheny Passage is a perfect path for families. There are plenty of free parking spaces at trailheads, standard wayfinding signage, and mile markers to guide your outing, and all kinds of places to treat your family to lunch or ice cream in trail towns. Families seeking an overnight adventure on the trail can pitch a tent at one of several hiker-biker campgrounds. Moreover, families with older kids can arrange an unforgettable multi-day trek; some choose to haul their own gear, others hire a shuttle service for backpacks and take advantage of local lodging options, and some make a return trip via Amtrak.

Flora & Fauna

Wildflowers abound from May through September, and while occasionally you'll see a reclusive black bear, most animals are familiar forest creatures—songbirds, raptors, grouse, squirrels, and deer. The forest canopy through Ohiopyle State Park is magnificent, and rhododendron and mountain laurel mark the upper elevations. The GAP intersects Ferncliff Peninsula National Natural Area, the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, the gorge trail at Cedar Creek Park, and Dead Man's Hollow, part of the Allegheny Land Trust.

Contacts

Land Manager: Allegheny Trail Alliance

Shared By:

Bryan Perry

Trail Ratings

  4.6 from 5 votes

#1

in Pittsburgh

#7337

Overall
  4.6 from 5 votes
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4 Star
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Trail Rankings

#1

in Pittsburgh

#128

in Pennsylvania

#7,337

Overall
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2,684 Since Apr 12, 2018
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Photos

Hiker-biker campground at Cedar Creek Park, near West Newton, Pa.
Apr 12, 2018 near West Ne…, PA
In between Connelsville and Ohiopyle.
Jan 28, 2021 near South C…, PA
View of the Youghiogheny River from the Ohiopyle High Bridge, along the Great Allegheny Passage near Ohiopyle, Pa.
Apr 12, 2018 near Ohiopyle, PA
The information board at the entrance to Dead Man's Hollow.
Apr 19, 2017 near Versailles, PA
Cool summer day.
Jan 28, 2021 near South C…, PA
Opening the Big Savage Tunnel along the Great Allegheny Passage near Deal, Pa.
Apr 12, 2018 near Meyersdale, PA

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