3 Spring and 2 Fall Dates to choose from:
- May 20 - 25 SOLD OUT
- May 27 - June 1 (begins on Memorial Day)
- June 3 - 8 * 3 Spots Left *
- September 16 - 21
- September 23 - 28
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!
Included
- 150 miles of bicycling
- 5 nights lodging in hotels and charming B&Bs
- 2 dinners, 4 lunches, 5 breakfasts
- Gratuities for included meals
- In-ride drinks and snacks
- Van support
- Reserved, timed admission to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Not Included
- Airfare/transportation to and from Pittsburgh/Hampton Inn Downtown
- Bike rental (choose additional ticket)
- Alcohol with meals
- Items of a personal nature such as laundry
- Gratuities for Tour Leaders
- Trip Insurance (Please purchase!)
- Pre-& post-trip hotel stay (Sunday/ Saturday nights NOT included)
Itinerary
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Day 1 - Monday
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.
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Day 2 - Tuesday
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.
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Day 3 - Wednesday
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.
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Day 4 - Thursday
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.
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Day 5 - Friday
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.
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Day 6 - Saturday
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.
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
This tour’s trail is crushed stone. It is quite smooth and suitable for all bicycles. Larger tires will help to provide more stability, however.
Suggested bicycle: Touring bikes, road bikes, hybrids
Suggested tire size for this tour: 28mm – 37mm (or larger)
Pricing
$2,350 (spring), $2,450 (fall) per person (based on double occupancy)
$480 – Single Supplement (extra price to have your own room)
$150 – Bike Rental (helmet and bike bag included)
Trip Insurance and Cancellation Policy
Please review Senior Cycling's Cancellation Policy here.
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.
Your Travel Plans
For this tour we meet riders at our downtown Pittsburgh hotel, where we spend the first night. On the last day of the tour we shuttle back from Cumberland to Pittsburgh. We plan to be back at the hotel not later than 5:30 PM but we cannot guarantee arrival time since traffic delays are always possible. If you'd like a room reservation for that night so you can spend Saturday evening in Pittsburgh and travel home refreshed on Sunday (this is NOT included in base Tour price), you may contact the hotel directly to receive our group rate -- instructions will be contained in your confirmation email.
If you are driving, you drive to the hotel. You may leave your car there during the trip for free!
If you are flying, take Uber/Lyft to our hotel from the airport -- about a 30 minute ride.
Note: Some riders have parked their car in Cumberland, then traveled to Pittsburgh for our tour. At the end of the tour their car is waiting for them. A large public parking lot sits at the end point of our tour (Visitors Center for the C&O Canal). Other riders have said goodbye to us in Cumberland and continued on their own, riding on the C&O Canal to Washington DC, about 185 miles away. We will do our best to accommodate your specific needs.
Your Lodging Plans
Five nights of lodging during the tour are included, from Monday night in Pittsburgh through Friday night in Meyersdale. We bike to our lodging each day. The day we return to Pittsburgh does not include an overnight hotel stay. If you'd like to stay in Pittsburgh upon returning Saturday night, that night is at your expense and reservations for that night are your responsibility. You'll get contact information for our Pittsburgh hotel in your registration confirmation email; for maximum success at a reservation at the best rate, make that reservation promptly.
