It either begins or ends here… if you’re starting in Cumberland, be mindful that there aren’t a ton of amenities between there and Hancock. If you plan on taking a night or more in between, make sure you have some food with you. If you’re in the home stretch, especially if you started in DC, this is a victory lap of sorts. The world slowly comes back as you roll, feeling exurban, then suburban, and then the small city of Cumberland shows up as a finish line.
Trains are a companion near Cumberland, often parked for miles-long stretches on the outskirts of town.
Cumberland has every amenity you’ll need… a bike shop, tons of restaurants and bars, plus a few hotels that cater to bike tourists. The C&O visitor center is precisely at the end of the trail, along with signs for the Great Allegheny Passage, which serve as a siren call to continue even after 184.5 miles…
Personal preference? I always stop at The Crabby Pig to celebrate the beginning or end of my tour. Not the greatest place in the history of dining, but pretty good and hey… tradition.
Unnecessary trivia: convicted murderer Jeffrey McDonald (made famous by the book and mini-series Fatal Vision) is imprisoned at the federal correctional facility a stone’s throw from the trail in Cumberland. He probably killed his wife and kids, but maybe not. Sleep tight!
Camping
MM 169.1 Pigmans Ferry
Cell reception: *
MM 175.3 Irons Mountain
Cell reception: ***
MM 180.1 Evitts Creek
Cell reception: ****