Yesterday we pedaled a bit of the 141-mile long Great Allegheny Passage rail-trail that stretches between Cumberland, MD, and Homestead, PA (near Pittsburgh).
We jumped on the trail at about mile marker 72 in Ohiopyle State Park and bicycled east 11 miles to Confluence, PA, and back.
The trail is wide, mostly smooth and beautiful the entire way. It has a packed crushed limestone surface. Built mainly on abandoned rail beds, the trail is nearly level with the average grade of less than 1%. The only bit of concern was a thick carpet of damp leaves covering most of the trail.
Much of the section we rode paralleled the Youghiogheny [yaw-ki-gay-nee] River. Amazing.
Photos: (Top) Julianne G Crane and Jimmy Smith on the Great Allegheny Passage. (Bottom) Around mile post 67 on the Great Allegheny Passage with the Youghiogheny River. (Julianne G. Crane)
