My East Coast Bikepacking Trip...By The Numbers

This summer’s cycling trip the C&O Canal Towpath and Great Allegheny Passage was a completely different adventure than most long-distance trails. My daily mileage was bigger, the amount of time I spent moving was shorter, and I was in town far more frequently than normal.

Moving faster than I might while hiking (yet still far slower than a drive through the countryside) provided me with a different set of metrics on my adventure too. My brewery ratio went up significantly. The number of cat holes I had to dig went way down. And there was absolutely no hitchhiking involved – as it’s more difficult to get a ride when you have a bike and bags in tow.

So, without further ado, here’s a roll-up of my 2022 East Coast bikepacking trip – by the numbers!

OVERVIEW

Official distance of the C&O Canal Towpath: 184.5 miles
Official distance of the Great Allegheny Passage: 148.8 miles
Total combined distance of both trails (before detours): 333.3 miles
Days spent riding the C&O and GAP: 9
Longest mileage day: 48.6 miles
Shortest mileage day: 27.9 miles
States/territories I rode through: 4 (DC, MD, WV, PA)
Where I began my journey: Southern terminus (Georgetown, Washington, D.C.)
Where I ended my journey: Northern terminus (Point State Park, Pittsburgh, PA)
Where the two trails converged: Cumberland, MD
Distance from my home to my starting trailhead: ~2,800 miles
Modes of transport taken from my home to the trailhead: 5 (car, airplane, Amtrak, Metro/Septa, bike)

TRAIL STATS

Lowest elevation: Sea level
Highest elevation: 2,392′ (Eastern Continental Divide)
Number of permits required: 0
National Park units along the route: 3 (C&O Towpath, Great Falls Nat’l Park, Harper’s Ferry)
Canal locks I passed on the C&O Canal Towpath: 74
Potomac River dams I rode by: 7
Aqueducts I rode over: 13
Bridges traversed: 30+
Tunnels on the C&O Towpath: 1 (Paw Paw tunnel)
Tunnels on the Great Allegheny Passage: 4 (Brush, Borden, Big Savage, Pinkerton)
Longest Tunnel: 3,291′ or 1 kilometer long (Big Savage Tunnel)
Old railroad rights-of-way used by the GAP: 4 (B&O, P&LE, Union, Western Maryland)
Caves with prehistoric bones: 1 (Cumberland Bone Cave)
Trail Closures: 2 – area around Big Slackwater & the Paw Paw Tunnel
Extra miles added by these detours: 2.6 miles
Number of cyclists I rode with: 1 (Bridget from Germany)
Total distance I rode with her: 61 miles

WILDLIFE

Number of snakes I almost accidentally rolled over: 3
Biggest snake I encountered: ~4 feet long (a black snake near my campsite)
Other reptiles spotted: dozens of turtles
Loudest animals in the evenings: frogs croaking in the canals at night
Loudest animals in the mornings: woodpeckers
Tiny frogs jumping across the trail one morning: 100s
Number of foxes I spotted: 2
Number of bears: 0
Most reckless animals: the squirrels that kept running in front of my front tire
Most colorful animals: red cardinals in Maryland
Most surprising animal sighting along the way: 2 beavers!
Most annoying wildlife: the mosquitoes and gnats
Other animals along the trail: deer, rabbits, squirrels, cranes, ducks, geese, and tons of birds

Weather

Time of year for my trip: early summer/mid-June
Typical high temperatures in June: 80-84°F
Typical low temperatures in June: 60-65°F
Hottest day I encountered on trail: 92°F
Coldest night I experienced at camp: 48°F
Number of days I got rain: 3
Mornings that were cool enough to ride with a jacket: 2
Windiest day I endured: 25-30 mph headwinds

Looking down at my muddy legs during after the rain

Where I stayed

Free hiker-biker campgrounds available on the 185-mile C&O Towpath: 31
Free hiker-bikers campgrounds available on the 150-mile GAP: Just 4!
Nights for this adventure: 8
Number of those nights spent camping in my tent: 6
Type of tent used: Nemo Hornet 2P
Free hiker-biker camps I stayed at: 4
Commercial campgrounds I patronized: 2 (Rockwood, PA & Adelaide, PA)
How many times I camped completely alone: 1
Number of times I called the police: 1 (read why, HERE)
Nights I slept in a hotel: 1 (Hancock, MD)
Nights I slept in a bed & breakfast: 1 (Frostburg, MD)

Food

Number of meals I cooked: 0 (I went stoveless on this adventure)
Days worth of food I carried at any time: 1
Number of towns visited: 12 (1.3/day)
Breweries visited: 4
Best beer I enjoyed: Smoketown Brewing Station (Brunswick, MD)
Worst beer I drank: Some crappy IPA from Ohio (in a restaurant)
Converted churches turned into coffee houses: 1 (Beans in the Belfry)
Restaurants in a decommissioned school cafeteria: 1 (Schoolhouse Kitchen)
Breweries in an old firehouse: 1 (Smoketown Brewing Station)
Times I had to filter water during this adventure: 1
How I typically got water: In town or at the hand-pumps at the hiker-biker camps
Favorite towns: Brunswick, MD and Ohiopyle, PA

Bike Trivia

Type of bike I used: Salsa Journeyer gravel bike
Type of tires: 650b (tubeless)
Number of flat tires received on this adventure: 1
Number of stops at bike shops en route: 2
Other repairs needed: truing my rear wheel, buying chain lube
Number of carried bags on my bike: 4 (frame bag, small upper bar bag, two rear panniers)
Longest bike adventure before this: 60 miles (on the Oregon Coast Bike Route)

ODDS & ENDS

Number of catholes dug: 0 (there were lots of port-a-potties and pit toilets)
Hardest stretch for me to ride: Cumberland, MD to Frostburg, MD
Favorite natural site: Great Falls National Park
Park rangers spotted doing trail maintenance on the C&O: 2
Volunteers spotted doing trail maintenance on the GAP: 3
Number of times I did laundry: 3 (hotel, B&B, and KOA campground)
Trains passing by my campsites and sounding their horn at night: Too many!
Number of iconic Frank Lloyd Wright houses near the GAP: 2 (Fallingwater & Kentuck Knob)

Would I recommend the C&O/ GAP to others?

Absolutely! The C&O Canal Towpath and Great Allegheny Passage are relatively flat trails, completely closed to road traffic, and there’s a wealth of towns along the way to visit, sleep in, or resupply. As an amateur cyclist, I had no difficulty completing this adventure in my allotted time and could have easily cut at least a day off my adventure. Most of the cyclists I talked with along the way were riding much bigger mileage than I was (usually in the 50-70 miles/day), and planned to finish the entire route in 6 days or less.

Camping is completely doable. Camping on the C&O Towpath is extremely easy. There are 31 rustic, free hiker-biker campgrounds along the 185-miles trail. The longest stretch cyclists need to ride between any campgrounds on the C&O is 16.6 miles (Washington, D.C. to Swain’s Lock) and the campgrounds are spaced about 4-7 miles apart, on average. The GAP has far fewer free hiker-biker campgrounds (there’s only 4 in the 150-mile trail and all of them are between miles 89.4 an 122.6). However, there are plenty of commercial campgrounds. I really enjoyed Husky Haven Campground (GAP mile 43.7) and the Uniontown KOA Holiday (GAP mile 92). Both were exceptionally clean and well-maintained, and they were just feet off of the trail.

The biggest downside of this adventure. I have to admit, I spent a lot more time worried about my gear on this trail than I ever have before. As a long-distance hiker, I’ve never spent much time fixated on logistics. But with bikepacking, I had to figure out how to get my bike to and from the East Coast (not easy or cheap if you’re flying). I got a flat tire before I even rode a single mile. Then, one of my tires was out of true, so I needed to get a bike shop to get it fixed it. I also needed to lube my chain and rinse the mud off my bike each night. And I had to find places to lock it up while I was was in town (bike racks aren’t always plentiful). Every day seemed to bring a new gear worry for me, which really took some of the enjoyment out of the journey.

A word on timing. Although cyclists and hikers could probably enjoy the C&O and GAP year-round, the trails can get muddy and slick in the rain. If I were doing this trip all over again, I’d probably ride this as a fall adventure when the leaves are turning bright colors and the mosquitoes are less frequent.

FINAL THOUGHTS

So there you have it, a quick roll-up of my bikepacking trip on the C&O Towpath and Great Allegheny Passage along with all the important (and not-so-important) metrics about my trip.

One of my favorite unexpected benefits on these trails was how each and every mile had a stone or wooden post marking the exact distance. These markers ensured I always know where I was on the trail as well as how many more miles I had before town, camp, or my next break. When I got tired, these mile posts urged me onward to my destination.

I really enjoyed this novel adventure in the outdoors. However, it really reinforced one thing for me. My first passion is still hiking. Bikepacking allows you to see things more quickly, but I probably would have enjoyed the trails just as much – or more – if I’d done them on foot.

DID YOU ENJOY THIS POST? THEN CHECK OUT SOME OF MY OTHER “BY THE NUMBERS” OVERVIEWS FROM SOME OF THE OTHER LONGER TRAILS I HIKED:

<< My Packing List

GAP Day 1 >>

My East Coast Bikepacking Trip…By The Numbers