The GAP Is More Than One Trail
The Great Allegheny Passage is a chain of locally maintained trails united under one name in 1996 — and it connects to an entire national network of trails, routes, and bikepacking corridors. Author Paul G. Weigman breaks it all down.
By Paul g. Wiegman
Riding the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is a singular experience – but, did you know, it’s not just one trail. The Great Allegheny Passage is a chain of locally maintained trails. Once carried, each had a different name: the Allegheny Highlands Trail from Cumberland to Confluence; the Youghiogheny River Trail in Ohiopyle State Park; the Youghiogheny River Trail North from Connellsville to McKeesport; the Steel Valley Trail from McKeesport to Pittsburgh; and the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Pittsburgh. To give visitors a unified identity – and to simplify marketing – a single name was adopted in early 1996: the Great Allegheny Passage.
In addition, the GAP is part of larger trail networks, including a cross-county United States Bicycle Route System, described below. At its eastern end, the GAP connects with the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, creating a continuous route from Cumberland, MD, to Washington, DC. Layered onto that is the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, which follows both the C&O Canal and the GAP from Washington, DC, to Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, then continues north along the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail.
Beyond the main corridor of the GAP, designated trails and on-road routes branch off to explore other bikepacking opportunities. Remote corridors in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest offer backroad experiences on the Mon Forest Towns Network, with 60+ routes on forest roads, including Cranberry Back Country and Dolly Sods. Three mapped connectors lead south from the GAP into this gravel network:
Another bikepacking loop from Confluence is The Steel Triangle. It’s a 212 mile bikepacking loop that adds new experiences to the typical GAP ride. The route is a three-sided adventure, with each segment offering a unique experience. The ride passes over the summit of Laurel Ridge using untraveled gravel roads, through local towns east of Pittsburgh, and features predominantly non-technical riding surfaces, including a long leg on the GAP from Boston to Confluence.
Ohiopyle is another key junction, offering access to an extensive system of gravel and mountain bike trails maintained by the Ohiopyle Biking Club. Most of these trails lie in the Sugarloaf Mountain area, with new segments expanding into other parts of Ohiopyle State Park.
The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (LHHT) ties directly into the GAP at the Ferncliff parking lot. From Ohiopyle, the LHHT runs about 70 miles north along the summit of Laurel Ridge to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, with reservable overnight shelters spaced along the route.
The September 11th National Memorial Trail also converges with the GAP. Beginning in Washington, DC, it follows the C&O Canal to Cumberland, then links to the GAP and continues to Garrett, Pennsylvania. From there, it will strike out on its own alignment to the Flight 93 National Memorial, then continue generally north and east toward New York City.
A long-time partner with the GAP is the Montour Trail. The trail is multi-use, non-motorized, around Pittsburgh. The main line extends about 47 miles; branch routes extend it to 60+ miles. The relatively flat half-loop stretches from Coraopolis (along the Ohio River) to Clairton (on the Monongahela River). A northwest branch connects directly to Pittsburgh International Airport. From Clairton to McKeesport is a designated on-road route linking to the GAP.
Just south of Connellsville, Pennsylvania, the Sheepskin Trail joins the GAP. For now, it extends a short distance to Dunbar, PA, but planning and engineering are underway to push it south to Point Marion, PA, on the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border. There, it will connect to trails leading to Morgantown and Fairmont, WV. The long-term vision is a fully connected 180-mile system – the P2P Corridor – linking Parkersburg, WV, on the Ohio River to Pittsburgh, where that same river begins.
The GAP is also incorporated into the Pennsylvania Bicycle Route system, including PA Bike Route S. You’ll see Route S signage along portions of the GAP, where it joins at West Newton and departs at Rockwood before continuing across the state’s southern tier on low-traffic secondary roads.
For riders with truly long-distance ambitions, the GAP forms part of U.S. Bicycle Route 50, a designated corridor of trails and low-volume roads stretching across the United States.
When you ride the GAP, you’re not just enjoying one trail – you’re tapping into an entire network. Enjoy the ride.