Seven Bridges, Two Rivers, One Tunnel, and a Great Loop
Seven Bridges, Two Rivers, One Tunnel, and a Great Loop: Riding the GAP from Confluence Town Square to Pinkerton Horn If you’re looking for a ride that packs in river views, historic bridges, a genuine railroad tunnel, and just enough adventure to feel like you’ve earned your lunch — look no further than this out-and-back…
Seven Bridges, Two Rivers, One Tunnel, and a Great Loop: Riding the GAP from Confluence Town Square to Pinkerton Horn
If you’re looking for a ride that packs in river views, historic bridges, a genuine railroad tunnel, and just enough adventure to feel like you’ve earned your lunch — look no further than this out-and-back gem on the Great Allegheny Passage.
Start your ride at the Confluence town square, right in the heart of this charming little community where the Youghiogheny River, the Casselman River, and Laurel Hill Creek come together in a natural meeting point called the “turkey foot.” If you didn’t bring your own wheels, no worries — Confluence Cyclery offers bike rentals to get you rolling in style.
From the town square, ride Ross Street between the Cyclery and Hardware Store. Then use the convenient bike/pedestrian bridges over the Casselman and Youghiogheny Rivers and pick up the GAP around Mile 61.5 and head southeast with the first bridge on the trail, the Rt 281 Bridge over the Yough.
The trail surface is smooth crushed limestone, the grade is gentle (this was a railroad, after all), and the Casselman River will keep you company nearly the whole way. It’s the kind of riding where you can actually hold a conversation — or just soak it all in.
Within the first couple of miles, you’ll cross the Confluence Casselman Bridge, a 404-foot span that offers a lovely, elevated view of the river below. A little further on, around Mile 59, comes the Harnedsville Casselman River Bridge, a 302-foot deck plate girder bridge with a subtle three-degree curve built right into its design. That’s not a quirk; that’s railroad engineering showing off.
Keep pedaling, and the valley narrows, the trees close in, and you start to feel something special is coming. It is. Around Mile 51, you’ll arrive at Pinkerton Horn — a dramatic natural peninsula where the Casselman River loops almost entirely around a stubborn rocky promontory.
You’re entering from the downstream end and crossing the 543-foot Pinkerton High Bridge with the Casselman about 100 feet below. The views from this overlook are spectacular, and you’ll more than likely make a mental note to come back in the fall.
As you cross the bridge, the Pinkerton Tunnel is ahead. It’s an 849-foot passage that cuts straight through the solid rock of the horn itself. It was originally built for the Western Maryland Railroad in 1911, fell into disrepair, and was then rehabilitated and reopened to bicycle and foot traffic in 2015.
Coming out of the tunnel’s cool climate, the 242-foot Pinkerton Low Bridge is immediately ahead. The river passes about 30 feet below. The 70’ difference between the two bridges is the drop of the river around its loop, making this a favorite place for kayaks and rafts when the water is high.
Time to head back. Take a different route for your return trip — skip the tunnel and use the Pinkerton Tunnel Bypass instead. This 1.5-mile trail loops around the outside of the horn, giving you a completely different perspective of the landscape.
From there, it’s an easy, pleasant roll back into Confluence. The total round trip from town is roughly 21 miles — a very manageable ride for most adults and a genuine highlight reel of what makes the GAP one of the best rail trails in the country. Treat yourself to a meal in town when you return. You’ve earned it.
Lunch Rock on the Casselman