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Pennsylvania

Maryland & Penn.: A Bike Trek on the Great Allegheny Passage

Program No. 22004RJ
Get ready for a fully-supported week of bicycling, trail towns and outdoor adventure as you join local experts to cycle the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage in the Laurel Highlands.

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Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.

DATES & PRICES

Bike Not Included Bike Included
Jun 1 - Jun 7, 2024
SOLD OUT
Bike Not Included 1,799
Bike Included 2,029
Jun 29 - Jul 5, 2024
Bike Not Included 1,799
Bike Included 2,029
Aug 10 - Aug 16, 2024
Bike Not Included 1,799
Bike Included 2,029
Sep 7 - Sep 13, 2024
SOLD OUT
Bike Not Included 1,799
Bike Included 2,029

DATES & PRICES

Bike Not Included Bike Included
Jun 1 - Jun 7, 2024
SOLD OUT
Bike Not Included 2,219
Bike Included 2,449
Jun 29 - Jul 5, 2024
Bike Not Included 2,219
Bike Included 2,449
Aug 10 - Aug 16, 2024
Bike Not Included 2,219
Bike Included 2,449
Sep 7 - Sep 13, 2024
SOLD OUT
Bike Not Included 2,219
Bike Included 2,449

At a Glance

The Great Allegheny Passage stretches 150 miles across some of the most beautiful scenery in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Join us for a biking adventure along this famed route as you cross the Mason-Dixon line with locals who share their knowledge of the rich history and natural resources of the Laurel Highlands. Over the course of a week, cover the passage from Maryland to Pittsburgh, and discover the region’s flowing rivers, noted landmarks, and historic small towns.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Biking up to 32 miles a day on flat, packed limestone trails.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Cruise through isolated forests, parks, farms, and charming towns with plenty of bridges, tunnels, and wildlife, including a day in the urban Pittsburgh area.
  • Ride through Ohiopyle State Park, the historic coal patch town of Whitsett and the 3,294’ long Big Savage Tunnel.
  • In Pittsburgh, ride the Duquesne incline to the top of Mount Washington for a spectacular view of one of the country’s most beautiful skylines.

General Notes

The Retreat Difference: This is a Road Scholar Retreats program. Our Retreat programs offer a tranquil respite from daily life in locales that lend themselves to outdoor exploration, reflection, or study. The accommodations may be basic in nature, but the facilities offer communal spaces to gather and to relax. During the week, opportunities usually exist for some combination of light exercise, a locally sourced meal, or evening entertainment.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Bill Metzger
Bill Metzger, author of “The Great Allegheny Passage Companion,” knows more about railroads, geology, nature, industrial history, financial chicanery, and trail construction between Pittsburgh and Cumberland than anyone else — and no one can tell all the stories as well. Bill has been a long-distance bicyclist, a working railroader, a freelance photographer, author, and a mapmaker. He is a founding board member of the Allegheny Trail Alliance and the Montour Trail Council, and lives, works, and bikes in Confluence, Pennsylvania, with his wife Pam.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Mary Kaufman
Mary Kaufman View biography
Mary Kaufman holds degrees in journalism-professional writing and in communications-PR. She began her career at VisitPittsburgh and is the new program director at Laurelville. A Penn State Master Gardener, she finds meaning in volunteering, teaching, and gardening. Mary co-owns a small plant nursery and enjoys garden design, biking, hiking, yoga, reading, cooking, and being outdoors.
Profile Image of Bill Metzger
Bill Metzger View biography
Bill Metzger, author of “The Great Allegheny Passage Companion,” knows more about railroads, geology, nature, industrial history, financial chicanery, and trail construction between Pittsburgh and Cumberland than anyone else — and no one can tell all the stories as well. Bill has been a long-distance bicyclist, a working railroader, a freelance photographer, author, and a mapmaker. He is a founding board member of the Allegheny Trail Alliance and the Montour Trail Council, and lives, works, and bikes in Confluence, Pennsylvania, with his wife Pam.
Profile Image of Robin Albright
Robin Albright View biography
Robin Albright is a registered yoga teacher (RYT 200) from Pennsylvania who works full-time in higher education. She has been teaching yoga for three years and practicing it for more than 20. When she is not on the mat, she might be weight training, trail running and hiking, playing tennis, or spinning. She enjoys reading, attending concerts and music festivals, and playing with her dogs. She loves helping people develop strength and self-love with a mindful practice that threads together breathwork and physical postures.
Profile Image of Daniel Cocks
Daniel Cocks View biography
Daniel Cocks is Executive Director of the Fayette County Cultural Trust. One of their projects is the Connellsville Canteen, a reconstructed B&O (Baltimore & Ohio) Railroad Station that highlights the “canteen ladies” who fed the troops during World War II. The museum showcases thousands of WWII artifacts. It also features a display on the late John Woodruff, one of Connellsville's residents who won a gold medal during the 800 meter race in the 1936 Olympics. Another highlight is Harry Clark's Indian Creek Valley Railroad display.
Profile Image of Fred Zelt
Fred Zelt is a Pittsburgh native with a BS in Earth Science from MIT and a PhD in Geology from Princeton. He retired from ExxonMobil after 30 years, returned to Pittsburgh, and started cycling hundreds of miles for charity. A certified League Cycling Instructor, he created and teaches a STEM and Cycling curriculum., Fred led 13 geology-themed outings as a volunteer with Pittsburgh nonprofit Venture Outdoors in 2021. He is leading a geology-themed ride on each of the 25 major bike trails in western Pennsylvania.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Facebook Group: Great Allegheny Passage / C&O Canal Enthusiasts
by Doug Riegner GAP Conservancy
If you're on social media, go to Facebook, look up this address and send a request to join this group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/27418409144. Cyclists post their photos and stories. They're great fun to read and will help you get aquainted with the GAP.
TrailGuide, 19th edition 2023
by Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy
TrailGuide is the official advertising guide to the C&O Canal Towpath and Great Allegheny Passage, 335 miles from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh, PA. Includes planning guide and a weatherproof, full-color map folded into the back pocket. The weatherproof map alone is worth the $10 donation to the Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy, which seeks grants to perform emergency maintenance, updates wayfinding signage and maps, and promotes traveling the GAP to new audiences.
The Great Ride WQED - You Tube video
by WQED Pittsburgh
Search "You Tube Great Ride WQED 2019" to view this hour-long video online. You'll get a sense of the beauty of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail, although we don't travel the C&O trail or this exact itinerary on the GAP. Viewers will follow the trail with a diverse group of cycling tour guides, each of whom take us through a different section of the trail.
The Great Allegheny Passage Companion: Guide to History & Heritage Along the Trail
by Bill Metzger
Published 2021 by the man who was there from the start of the GAP! Purchase online through GAPTRAILSTORE.ORG and give yourself plenty of time to read and enjoy. It's the most comprehensive guide on the market. The history and heritage of the trail come alive in Bill's inimitable style - humor blends with serious scholarship in this look at the railroads and other industries that preceded the trail's development. Bill knows more about railroads, geology, nature, industrial history, financial chicanery, and trail construction between Pittsburgh and Cumberland than anyone else – and no one can tell all the stories as well. This is flat-out the best, most ambitious, most educational, and most just-plain-fun rail-trail guidebook ever written, complete with great historical photos and crystal-clear maps.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.