Great Allegheny Passage

[[Image:GAP MP16 Fall06.JPG|right|thumb|300px|[[Frostburg, MD|Frostburg]] trailhead, from top of access trail]] The '''Great Allegheny Passage''' is a [[rail trail]] in [[Maryland]] and [[Pennsylvania]]. It is the central part of a several-hundred-mile long network of [[long-distance trails|long-distance]] [[multi-use trail|hiker-biker trails]] through the [[Allegheny Mountains|Allegheny region]] of the [[Appalachian Mountains]], connecting [[Washington, D.C.]] to [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] and beyond. The multi-use trail, suitable for [[biking]] and [[walking]], occupies abandoned corridors of the [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]], [[Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad]], [[Union Railroad (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)|Union Railroad]] and the [[Western Maryland Railroad]]. When completed, the Great Allegheny Passage will extend {{convert|150|mi}} from [[Cumberland, Maryland]] to [[Point State Park]] in downtown [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], with a {{convert|52|mi|adj=on}} branch ([[Montour Trail]]) to the [[Pittsburgh International Airport]]. This trail also connects with the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal]] [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park|towpath trail]], which runs for an additional {{convert|185|mi}} between [[Cumberland, Maryland]] and [[Washington, DC]] - creating a continuous non-motorized corridor, {{convert|318|mi|km}} long, from McKeesport, near Pittsburgh (ultimately to begin from Pittsburgh's [[Point State Park]] {{convert|339|mi|km}}) to Washington, DC. The Great Allegheny Passage is a segment of the [[Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail]], one of eight nationally designated scenic trails. The first section of the Great Allegheny Passage was a {{convert|9|mi|adj=on}} section near [[Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania]] which opened in 1986. ==Landmarks along the trail== As the trail nears completion, the route has become increasingly popular for "through-travelers" including hikers, backpackers and cyclists traversing portions of the route from destination to destination, or the entire trail from end to end. Ample facilities have been provided for such users, including campsites, touring companies, and park facilities. In Maryland this is due to the pre-existing facilities of the [[National Park Service]] for the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park|C&O Canal towpath]] into Washington, D.C.; along the trail itself, facilities are maintained by a variety of local organizations under the [http://atatrail.org Allegheny Trail Alliance] (see below), along with the pre-existing facilities in [[Ohiopyle State Park]], already a popular destination for [[whitewater]] river-rafting and sightseeing. [[Image:Ohiopylebridge.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Ohiopyle Low Bridge, part of the Great Allegheny Passage. (The Ohiopyle High Bridge, 1/3 mile west along the trail, crosses the river farther downstream and is a popular site for watching whitewater rafters passing underneath.)]] The Great Allegheny Passage is the key connecting segment of the [[Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail]], creating an off-road sight-seeing and backpacking corridor hundreds of miles long. Notable landmarks along the trail include: *[[Fallingwater]], a national architectural landmark designed by [[Frank Lloyd Wright]]. *[[Carrie Furnace]], part of the Steel Valley Heritage Trail, along the [[Monongahela River]]. *[[Ohiopyle State Park]], bisected by the [[Youghiogheny River|Youghiogheny]], the most popular [[whitewater]] destination on the east coast. *[[Salisbury Viaduct]], 1,908 ft (0.3 mi/0.6 km), up to 100 feet high across the [[Casselman River]] valley. *[[Meyersdale, Pennsylvania]] Museum. *[[Wells Creek Bollman Bridge|Bollman Truss Bridge]] in Meyersdale, one of the two surviving cast-iron truss bridges in North America. *the [[Eastern Continental Divide]], the highest point of the trail, passes through a short tunnel embellished with paintings of the area's history and a map of the trail's elevation contours: "It's all downhill from here!" *[[Big Savage Tunnel]], 3,295 ft (0.6 mi/1 km), lighted, carries the trail through [[Big Savage Mountain]] two miles east of the [[Eastern Continental Divide]]; there's a popular scenic vista just east of the tunnel. *[[Mason-Dixon Line]]: the border where the trail crosses between Pennsylvania and Maryland *[[Borden Tunnel]]: 957 feet long, unlighted. *[[Western Maryland Scenic Railroad]], a working steam railroad operating next to the trail from [[Cumberland, Maryland]] to the college town of [[Frostburg, Maryland]] (and return). *[[Brush Tunnel]]: 914 feet long, lighted; the trail and the [[Western Maryland Scenic Railroad]] share this tunnel and pass through it side-by-side. *[[Great Allegheny Passage|Bone Cave]]: (two or three miles west of [[Cumberland, Maryland]]: an archeological site containing bones of [[saber-tooth tiger]]s and other extinct animals; it was discovered during construction of the railroad. *[[Canal Place]], the head of the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal]] in [[Cumberland, Maryland]] where it meets the former [[Western Maryland Railway]] (WM) and rail-trail. In the 19th century WM's predecessor railroads delivered coal, flour and other products to a [[wharf]] for transfer to [[barge|canal boats]] destined for [[Williamsport, Maryland]] and [[Georgetown, Washington, D.C.]] [[Image:Ohiopyle State Park Folds.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Allegheny Mountains along the trail route]] ===C&O Canal extension into D.C.=== {{Main|Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park}} Additional landmarks along the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park|C&O Canal portion]], which continues past the GAP Trail into D.C. include: *[[Paw Paw Tunnel]], a 3,118 feet (0.6 mi/950 m) long canal tunnel, unlighted. *[[Antietam National Battlefield]], located 2 miles from Dam 4. *[[Harpers Ferry, West Virginia]], a National Historical Park and headquarters of the [[Appalachian Trail]], which crosses over the Potomac gorge on a railroad bridge. *[[Monocacy Aqueduct]], an example of early American engineering. *[[Great Falls of the Potomac River]], the largest falls of any river on the eastern seaboard, and a destination for professional [[kayaking]] and [[rock-climbing]]. *[[Mather Gorge]] and the [[George Washington Memorial Parkway|Potomac palisades]], a unique natural habitat of granite cliffs and boulders featuring the [[National Park Service]]'s [[Billy Goat Trail]]. *[[Georgetown, Washington, D.C.]], a historic town and neighborhood at the canal trailhead. *The Potomac Heritage Trail continues south on a further bike trail past the [[Lincoln Memorial]] to [[Mount Vernon]]. ==Trail development== The [http://atatrail.org Allegheny Trail Alliance] is a group of seven trail organizations who have joined together to bring this trail to completion. The affiliated trails and the lengths of their trails are: {| class="wikitable" |- !Trail!!Completed
Mileage (km)!!Mileage
Underway (km)!!Total
Mileage (km) |- style="background:#DCDCDC" ||[[Three Rivers Heritage Trail]]||align=center|25 (40.2)||align=center|12 (19.3)||align=center|37 (59.6) |- style="background:silver;" ||Steel Valley Trail||align=center|6 (8.4)||align=center|10 (16)||align=center|12 (20.4) |- style="background:#DCDCDC" ||[[Montour Trail]]||align=center|40 (64.4)||align=center|6 (9.7)||align=center|46 (74.0) |- style="background:silver;" ||[[Youghiogheny River Trail]], North||align=center|43 (68.8)||align=center|0||align=center|43 (68.8) |- style="background:#DCDCDC" ||[[Youghiogheny River Trail]], South||align=center|28 (44.8)||align=center|0||align=center|28 (44.8) |- style="background:silver;" ||Allegheny Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania||align=center|41 (66.0)||align=center|0||align=center|41 (66.0) |- style="background:#DCDCDC" ||Allegheny Highlands Trail in Maryland||align=center|21 (33.7)||align=center|0||align=center|21 (33.8) |- style="background:silver;" ||Great Allegheny Trail total||align=center| || ||align=center| 200.5 (320.8) |- style="background:#DCDCDC" |colspan=4|At [[Cumberland, Maryland|Cumberland]] the ATA system connects with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath |- style="background:silver;" ||C&O Canal Towpath||align=center|184.5 (295.4)||align=center|0||align=center|184.5 (295.4) |- style="background:#DCDCDC" ||Total including C & O Canal|| || ||align=center|385.0 (616.0) |} ==Construction plans== The {{convert|9|mi|adj=on}} section between Woodcock Hollow and [[Cumberland, Maryland|Cumberland]] opened on December 13, 2006. {{convert|130|mi}} of continuous trail are now open from McKeesport, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Maryland. Trail work remains near Pittsburgh and McKeesport. Ground breaking for the conversion of the [[Hot Metal Bridge]] in Pittsburgh for pedestrian/bike use occurred on September 15, 2006. As part of the project, a new [[concrete]] deck and lighting were installed. A switchback ramp was built on the south side of the bridge to connect to the trails there and a new span was erected over Second Avenue to link the bridge to the [[Eliza Furnace Trail]]. The project officially opened on November 28, 2007. Work also is continuing on sections of the [[Montour Trail]], a {{convert|46|mi|adj=on}} trail that when completed will link Coraopolis and Clairton. More than {{convert|40|mi}} of the trail are finished. The almost-continuous trail now stretches from Moon near Coraopolis through Imperial, McDonald, Cecil and Peters. A ground-breaking ceremony on that section was held Oct. 22, 2006. The trail passes through the [[Big Savage Tunnel]] in [[Somerset County, Pennsylvania]] near the Maryland border. The reopening of the crucial 3/4 mile (1 km) tunnel near the [[Eastern Continental Divide]] (highest point on the trail) required several years of planning and restoration. The tunnel is closed from December 1 to April 1 each year with wooden doors to protect the tunnel lining from heavy winter snow and ice. ==See also== *[[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal]] *[[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park]] *[[Montour Trail]] *[[Ohio River Trail]] *[[Youghiogheny River Trail]] *[[Rail trail#List of rail trails|List of rail trails]] ==External links== * [http://www.atatrail.org Allegheny Trail Alliance - comprehensive GAP web site] * [http://www.friendsoftheriverfront.org/ Three Rivers Heritage Trail web site] * [http://www.montourtrail.org/ Montour Trail web site] * [http://www.steelvalleytrail.org/ Steel Valley Trail] * [http://www.youghrivertrail.com/ Youghiogheny River Trail] * [http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/railtrails/ Pennsylvania DNR Rail Trail web page] * [http://www.mmtrails.org/ Mountain Maryland Trails] * [http://www.nps.gov/choh/ U.S. National Park Service, C&O Canal Towpath web page] {{MarylandTrails}} {{PennsylvaniaTrails}} {{PennsylvaniaRailtrails}} {{Pittsburgh}} {{Protected Areas of Pennsylvania}} {{coord missing|Maryland}}