Tony and I were driving South on RT 26 from Bruceton Mills to Kingwood in WV. I saw a sign about…read moreVirginia 1847 Iron Works Furnace part of the River of Promise Trail. Located on the Banks of Muddy Creek that flows into the Cheat River. The park is Free to enjoy with Free parking along the road. Across the street is abandoned road side picnic area and shelters from the 40s to the 60s. Once we went down the steps to the abandoned iron furnace works, I saw an amazing waterfall along the rocks The falls were gorgeous. I will definitely go here again. If you swim, it's not super deep but enough room to get wet and enjoy but remember No Lifeguard...

This is a very impressive, 53 foot waterfall located in Swallow Falls State Park. It can be found…read moreon the Swallow Falls Canyon Trail and can be viewed both from above, via a nice overlook, or from water level by heading down the stairs to the trail. It's a beautiful view!

A friend and I rode the Great Allegheny Trail from Myersdale, PA down to Cumberland, MD. It was a…read more33 mile ride overall, but we really enjoyed it. Now, neither of us are Lance Armstrong wanna-bes. We're old farts riding plain bikes. From Myersdale, the first 9 miles is uphill, but since it's an old railroad, it's a very gentle uphill slope. The highlight of this part of the trip was riding across the Keystone Viaduct. On our uphill leg, our average speed was 8.0 mph (from my GPS). At the end of the 9 miles uphill, we arrived at the Eastern Continental Divide. From there, it's ALL downhill all the way to Cumberland. We overheard someone else on the trail say that on the downhill side, "you don't need pedals, all you need are brakes." My GPS said our average speed during the downhill leg was 13 mph. There are a few spots along the way you could get on the trail and just do the downhill portion. We saw some families with kids doing the downhill portion, too. As an alternative, you can ride the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad from Cumberland up to Frostburg, then ride your bikes from Frostburg 16 miles back down the hill to Cumberland. Lesson learned: We had planned to stop and have lunch in Frostburg, MD. When we arrived in Frostburg, we found there was a nice rest area for bicyclists along the side of the trail with maps of the town, park benches, bicycle racks, and port-a-potties. Unfortunately, the path goes by at the BOTTOM of the side of the hill that Frostburg is on. In order to go into town for lunch, we would have had to either bike or hike half a mile UP a steep hill. We decided not to do that. We just ate snacks that we had packed in our backpacks and continued onward to Cumberland. The scenery was beautiful. There were three long tunnels to go through. Each tunnel was either short enough it didn't need to be lit up because you could see light from either side, or had installed lighting (the Big Savage Tunnel was really long but well-lit inside). The trail is well marked with mile markers along the way so you can tell how far you are from Cumberland, MD. The trail ends right in downtown Cumberland next to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad train station and right where the C&O Canal Towpath begins. We had a great time and I would love to come back here and do the downhill portion with my kids sometime. I think we might try the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 1-way trip up to Frostburg then ride our bikes down the hill. Side note: Why do I give it 4 stars instead of 5? Only because I try to reserve my 5 star ratings for restaurants that are truly spectacular, and I don't want to inflate my average grade with a rating for a bike trail. :-)

We did it! My husband Rick & I biked the 130+ miles of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail between…read moreCumberland, MD & McKeesport, PA! I'm sore now! We'd been planning this trip for years as we are avid bike trail riders, and it's been our goal to bike the entire extant length of the trail. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Great Allegheny Passage, it's the ultimate in rails-to-trails conversions. It occupies the roadbeds of several abandoned rail lines including the Western Maryland, the B&O, and the P&LE. It connects with the C&O Towpath in Cumberland, and it's planned to connect with the present South Side/Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Pittsburgh. Thus a bike ride all the way from Pittsburgh (Station Square) to Washington, DC will be possible. So my brother Paul drove us down from Pittsburgh to the Canal Heritage Center, a former railway station in Cumberland. This also doubles as the train station for the Western Maryland Scenic Railway. And yes, because my husband's a railfan, I've ridden their trains. We arrived in Cumberland in the afternoon and from the Canal Heritage Center, we set out for the initial 17 miles to Frostburg. Because we had to carry overnight bags and our food supplies (I'm a type-1 diabetic) we borrowed some kiddie trailers from a friend. Rick carried the overnight bags and I carried the coolers. The initial ride from Cumberland to Frostburg is also the steepest. The Great Allegheny Passage rises from an elevation of about 500 feet in Cumberland to about 1600 feet in Frostburg. But the climb isn't that bad as the right-of-way remains an active rail line at this point. It's not like you're climbing Sycamore Street in Pittsburgh or Lombard Street in San Francisco. Here the line follows the Western Maryland Scenic Railway. The State of Maryland had considered forcing the rail line to discontinue so they could build the trail. But then they realized how much money visitors bring into Cumberland and Frostburg because of the train line. The scenic highpoint here is Helmstetter's Curve, where the trail and rail line arc around the Helmstetter farm in a "U" pattern. It's a smaller version of Horseshoe Curve in Altoona. Just beyond that the train line and the trail share Brush Tunnel. The tunnel is lighted, but trail riders are warned not to enter when a train is approaching. The WMSR runs both diesel and steam locomotives. Guess which one we saw? I'll give you a hint--Railfan Rick was slightly disappointed. We arrived in Frostburg and spent the night at the Trail Inn. We set out again the next day and just north of Frostburg, we hit the Borden Tunnel. This tunnel is NOT lighted. You MUST dismount your bike and walk it through. This tunnel is over 900 feet long, so headlights or a working flashlight are recommended. Around milepost 20, we came up to the Mason-Dixon Line, the boundary between MD and PA and the boundary between North and South (read your American history). A 1900 foot bridge connects the two sides. We turned to the north and went thru Big Savage Tunnel. This tunnel is 3,294 feet long, the longest on the GAP. It is lighted, but please take note. The Big Savage Tunnel is CLOSED between late November and early April and there is NO DETOUR route around it. So plan carefully if you intend to bike or hike in the area between those dates. Not long after leaving the Big Savage Tunnel, we came to the highest point on the Great Allegheny Passage at 2392 feet. We'd climbed 1892 feet since leaving Cumberland! A few miles later we hit Deal and from that point, it's all downgrade to McKeesport. Deal has restrooms, if you need to make a pit stop. Continuing northbound we made our way to Sand Patch, PA. Here we crossed the Eastern Continental Divide, marked by a short tunnel, which demarcates two watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean: the Gulf of Mexico watershed and the Atlantic Seaboard watershed. Much of the Great Allegheny Passage parallels the Amtrak Capitol Limited route and I've seen signs marking the divide while riding the train. We'd been following Flaugherty Creek and north of Sand Patch, we crossed the 909 foot long Keystone Viaduct. We made our way into Meyersdale, PA and as this is the largest town en route, we stopped at Food Lion for some supplies including steaks for our dinner tonight. We also made a rest stop here as we've been pedaling for about 20 miles with another 45 to go. Besides, I needed a snack for my blood sugars. Meyersdale was first settled by the Monongahela Indians and has hosted the PA Maple Syrup Festival for the past 60 years. --Continued in Part Two below--

What a hidden gem of a neat park. Playgrounds, beach, walking path oh my!…read more Broadford, if I understand correctly, is an Oakland city park where the water is part of the city's water supply. The park is exceptionally well-maintained. There is ample parking, the grounds are well-kept, the beach is clean, and the bathrooms are very usable. There are at least three playgrounds here for kids to use, including an unbelievable playground if you follow the path for a bit from the main parking ground. Seriously. Where was this kind of playground when I was a kid? There is also a small but cute little beach with nice sand and ample space to swim or do water activities. The only downside to reviewing this park is that it's almost a well-kept secret among locals for when places like Herrington Manor are packed.

Very nice place, the paved walkway is great for biking as well. I like to walk here on my lunch…read morebreaks. The lake is a nice view and the playground is great for little kids. I'm excited to come back in the summer time. It's $5 per car that enters and there is a little wooden drop box to place the cash in.

This waterfall is the fourth in the series at Swallow Falls State Park on the Youghiogheny River…read more On the loop walk this is the fourth falls and the slightly longer walk in the groves of the virgin hemlock trees. These lovely groves of Virgin Hemlocks are lovely and remind me of pine trees but super tall. I have to admit, I used my off here because of the dense forest and wet like conditions with all the ferns and trees so thick that its like a dark canopy in there. I still got bit by a mosquito so be careful with any kids, make sure everyone is covered in OFF or some sort of Deet. There is no barriers at the tops of the falls so also take warning and be careful with any pets and kids. Rocks are slippery and you can go over. You are allowed to Wade in the river and the bottom of the falls but the water is strong and swift so be extra careful This park is free to enjoy so ENJOY!!! Be sure to see all four waterfalls in this lovely park!!!

This is the smallest waterfall in Swallow Falls State Park, accessible via the Swallow Falls Canyon…read moreTrail, but it is so scenic and picturesque! The setting, off the side from the strength and noise of the river, also made it feel very peaceful and relaxing as the water trickled gently into the pond-like area below it. It was also closer to the towering trees of the old growth forest, so the backdrop was wonderful. It seemed to invite a quieter, more contemplative reaction than its larger, noisier cousin waterfalls in the park, and I was glad that we had ended up heading around the loop trail in the direction that ended us here. Beautiful!

The GAP is my home away from home, I bike and e-bike or sometimes hike. The trails are very well…read moremaintained. I have done everything from Ohio Pyle to the other side of the C&O canal. I only live a mile away so it's a hop, skip and a jump for me to jump on and ride everyday if I choose. The scenery between the towns is unmatched. Lots of rest areas and everyone I have encountered are friendly and respectful of the other riders, walkers and hikers

Amazing trail with amazing volunteers and people. A true American Historic Gem!…read more BTW, the food was amazing!

Ran/hiked an out-n-back from Ohiopyle to Confluence. Well maintained, flat, wide rail trail right…read morealongside the Youghiogheny River. Gorgeous in the fall with the leaves changing. If you only want to run/hike one direction, call the bike rental shops in Ohiopyle to purchase a return trip by van from Confluence to Ohiopyle.

Great small town to stop along the GAP. Visitor Center is inside the old train station with…read morerestrooms. Local general store and several sandwich and restaurants within just a few steps away. Recommend the Ohiopyle Sandwich and Bakery for a made to order sandwich on wonderful bread with sweet treats too...recommend the cookies.

This is a great overlook. The view is out over the Savage River State Forest, and it's beautiful. I…read morebet it will also be amazing when the trees start changing colors too. The overlook area itself is very nice too. There is access off of the road, with a little parking area. There is a neat collection of sculptures that were made from damaged trees that had to be taken down. The pieces were designed by a local artist, Frank Wilt, and include a bald eagle, a black bear, and Smokey Bear. They are a creative and wonderful way to add an extra touch of interest to the area and to make good use of what was left of the trees. There is a small shelter with picnic table near the view, as well. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area!

Drove to the top of the mountain and saw the huge pool and playground right next door. They have a…read morepavilion and some picnic tables next to grills as well. The pool was huge and labeled nicely with the depths of the pool

Love this place!!! I have so many memories from college here!! This is a must see for kids, friends…read moreand family!!!