Plan on spending three days and two nights on the full ride, or opt for a shorter journey.
The Great Allegheny Passage connects Cumberland, Md., to Pittsburgh, passing around and through the Allegheny Mountains, the Laurel Highlands and 10 towns in Pennsylvania and Maryland. While its 150-mile span may sound daunting, the full through-ride offers ample opportunities to rest, eat, swim and sleep: There are bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants and ice cream shops in towns like Frostburg, Md., and Confluence, Pa.; campsites and shady spots in the mature forests of Ohiopyle State Park; and the Casselman, Youghiogheny and Monongahela rivers offer dips for tired toes and opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, rafting and fly fishing. Plan on spending three days and two nights on the full ride, or opt for a shorter journey. One one-day trip between Meyersdale and Rockwood, Pa., allows bikers to explore old railroad structures (like the Salisbury Viaduct, a destination for 360-degree views) or try an overnight ride from one trail town to another with an available shuttle service. (Amtrak’s Capitol Limited line also runs parallel to the route.) The trail is a stellar example of how prioritizing cycling infrastructure can be a boon to local communities — according to Bryan Perry, the executive director of the Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy, the trail created approximately $121 million in economic impact for the region in 2019 alone.