If you like things like geo-political boundaries, geography, history, etc, this is a must-see. As previously mentioned, there is a pull out on the side of the road but it’s very weathered, bumpy, and rough. Smaller cars could easily get stuck in some of the holes! It’s not a parking lot or area. And be careful walking down to the trail and tunnel - it’s not flat but has lots of rocks and exposed tree roots!
Otherwise, yes, it is quite awesome! The trail is very well maintained and the tunnel is painted with history and geology information. Worth a stop or quick detour if you’re into the above mentioned things. My favorite kind of place!
Rode bikes on the Great Allegheny Passage July 9-13, 2023. Pittsburgh to Cumberland. Rode for 126 miles to get to this point. Then all downhill into Cumberland.
We rode from west to east. This, in my opinion, is the way to ride. Several years ago we rode from Cumberland and I whined the whole way to the divide. This year we rode from Connellsville. Mostly a gentle uphill ride to the divide
Very well maintained, and a few very informative posters inside the tunnel. Hard to believe that two drops of rain falling a few inches apart will have totally different destinations. Also, some people have stated that there is parking available here - there is definitely not. You can pull off to the side of the road, but there is not a real parking lot. Suggest using the Deal lot about a mile West.
The trail from PA into MD. Is so well maintained. The elevation change is 3000 feet, but the converted rail is mostly at 2% grade. The Mason Dixon line was also well marked with great historical info.
Biking along the Great Alleghany Passage brought us to this landmark. It was a little tiring getting there, but heading down after a nice headstand shot felt do good. Downhill is always better. ?♀️
Beautiful place and a bit challenging to get to by bike. Trail is uphill coming into tunnel from both directions, but it's worth it. Well maintained and very picturesque.
It's the continental divide. Great place to take a break on the GAP especially after pedaling uphill from Cumberland or Frostburg. It's all downhill from here no matter which way you go!
What an amazing wonder. Had a great time walking to Maryland from here. 12,000+ steps and about 5.5miles round trip. The Big Salvage Tunnel was awesome, the scenery was spectacular and the imagination of all the history that occurred in these parts is beyond words. Very nice well kept trail, some people don't know how to park, and will try to block you in, even with open spots still left to park. So bring a chain to pull them out of the way since they left their brain at home. Looking forward to biking it with the family.
Easy to access with parking right along the road on top the bridge. There is a nice trail leading directly to the tunnel at the bottom of the parking area.
The portion of the trail from Cumberland to the Salisbury Viaduct is the highlight of the Passage and the best trail I have ever biked. There are more tunnels, bridges, and overlooks here than anywhere else. It's about 35 miles one-way. Park in Cumberland and ride uphill first so that you have the downhill when you're tired. An electric bike is recommended to do it in one day, as a 2% grade actually requires about twice as much effort as flat terrain.
A better way to do the 35-mile trek to see the best of what the passage has to offer, if you can (which few do) is to get two or more people to go on the trip, have two cars park in Cumberland and Meyersdale, and then you can see everything without having to backtrack. Note that the Salisbury viaduct is west of Meyersdale, so you'll have to go west a mile or so past the town before heading east.
The best time to ride is in November. There's almost always at least one 70-degree day in November, so watch the forecast for that day and visit then. The sun is low, so you won't get burnt, all the tunnels are still open, and you can see for miles. In the summer, foliage blocks the view, and you'll wonder why a path through featureless forest was rated so highly.
The rest of the trail is beautiful as well and is worth a visit, but as a general rule, it gets worse as you go west. Confluence is an interesting town and the Ohiopyle state park is peaceful and low traffic. But approaching Whitsett, the trail is narrow with poor maintenence. Then, towards McKeespoort, there are 25 at-grade intersections. The intersections are annoying not only for the stops, but also because of the poles in the middle of the trail that I hit more than once with my side mirror. Eventually the trail goes into city streets. Near Pittsburgh, the trail has heavy traffic, the noise is about 80dB, there are too many stoplights, and is poorly signed (I got lost and rode 3 extra miles). I would not ride west of West Newton again.
If you have only two days, bike from Cumberland to the second viadict, then bike the Pine Creek Gorge on a different day rather than spending two days on this trail.
It's all downhill from here...really. it is the continental divide on the Great Allegheny Passage. Nice bike trails. Be careful, lights are needed in the tunnels coming from the Frostburg side.
Peaceful walk through nature. Some distant sounds of traffic, but sparse.
Interesting snippet of American History took place right along the trails you walk.
Be sure to stop and listen to the steady, yet serene babbling brooks and streams.
It's an amazing bike ride and also an amazing accomplishment to reach. If you're looking for a challenge start in the city of Cumberland and go to the Continental Divide. The elevation change is 1800 ft in 23 miles
We were elated to reach this place after 3 straight days of climbing on the GAP Trail. It felt like such an accomplishment reaching the top! It'll be easier next year!
Very happy to see this point on our ride. The GAP trail is all down hill from there, no matter what direction you are traveling. We happened to be heading south to Cumberland.
I rode here from Cumberland on the GAP Trail. It was pretty easy. I rented a bike from CTC in Cumberland, they were pretty great too. Train passed me on the way back
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