This trail is one of the most beautiful and spectacular rail trails in the entire country -- you can read all about it here. Upon its completion in 2013, the GAP was the first path inducted into the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. We bike 150 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Maryland, following the gentle grade of the former rail line. Our route allows us to bicycle directly to each of our overnight stays, where we have all the hotel, B&B and restaurant reservations made for you. At the end of the trail we van back from Cumberland to our opening hotel in Pittsburgh.

On this trip we will take a tour - also reserved well in advance - of Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece, Fallingwater. This is included in the tour price. 

As we ride on the trail, leaving Pittsburgh, we pass remnants of giant steel mills. As the miles go by we slowly leave behind the industrialized areas and enter quiet woodlands and deep forests. We travel through tunnels, over bridges and viaducts, including the Salisbury Viaduct 1908 feet long, through the Savage Tunnel, 3,294 feet long on an easy hard packed stone dust surface. The final day is a treat with the last 22 miles down hill to Cumberland. This is a very scenic and fun tour! 

Tour Leaders: Varies depending on dates

Senior Cycling does NOT have E-bikes available for rent, but we have a well established relationship with Bike the 'Burgh which will get you a discounted rate on a weekly rental for the tour. They are located just a few blocks from the Hampton Inn Pittsburgh downtown, so you can walk over and pick up your bike upon your arrival.  Of course, you are welcome to bring your own Class 1 (Pedal-assist only) E-bike on this tour.  

Intermediate. On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being most difficult, this tour is rated a 3. This tour’s trail is hard packed crushed stone. It is quite smooth and suitable for all bicycles. Larger tires will help to provide more stability, however.

Please review Senior Cycling's Cancellation Policy here.  

And, Please purchase trip insurance. Especially at our age, even though no one expects or wants it, health issues arise and accidents happen.  At Travelinsurance.com you can get quotes for coverage from several different providers and get all your questions answered about different levels of coverage, such as "Cancel For Any Reason (COFR)" polices and Pre-Existing Condition waivers. Allianz Travel Insurance and TravelGuard by AIG are also well-known companies with reasonable rates. Please check it out and protect your travel investment.

Riders arrive and check in at our hotel in Pittsburgh, the Hampton Inn Downtown on Smallman St., for our 5:00 p.m. introductory meeting followed by dinner from an excellent local pizzaria.

35 miles -  Downtown Pittsburgh’s Point State Park is our starting point. It’s also the western terminus of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail. We'll ride east along the Monongahela River, then turn south at McKeesport into quiet woods following the Youghiogheny River toward West Newton, our day’s destination. We'll stop for a delicious lunch at a trailside deli in New Boston.

25 miles – We'll get a relaxed start today from our B&B. We'll cycle the beautiful trail and end our ride at our riverside hotel in Connellsville.

27 miles - Today we'll get started early with a gorgeous 17-mile bike ride from Connellsville to Ohiopyle. After lunch we'll have a guided tour of Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece. A short 10-mile ride in the afternoon takes us right to our lodging at B&Bs in Confluence.

32 miles – We bike from Confluence to Meyersdale. We'll have a picnic lunch of fresh deli sandwiches in Rockwood. The afternoon ride includes the amazing Salisbury Viaduct, then on to Meyersdale, where we spend our last night of the tour. Our hosts at the B&B will serve us a delicious dinner tonight.

32 miles – Today we'll cross the Eastern Continental Divide, ride through the 3,295-foot Savage tunnel and emerge to find a picnic area with a view of the surrounding hills and valleys. The trail finishes with a gentle and rewarding 22 mile downhill into Cumberland. After a quick lunch we will drive everyone back to our opening hotel in Pittsburgh. Some riders have continued on the C&O Canal Trail from this point to Washington DC, but we do not offer this as a tour.