Tag Archives: Ohiopyle Pennsylvania

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History and Art on the GAP

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The Great Allegheny Passage is a 150 mile Rail to Trail that runs between Cumberland, Maryland and Pittsburgh, Pennyslvania. Work contstraints had my friends and I doing half of the GAP in the Fall of 2025 (you can see the posts about that ride here and here) and the second half of the GAP just three weeks ago.

We arrived in Ohiopyle, PA the night before the ride, glad to be reunited with the beautiful Youghiogheny River.

Ohiopyle is a super fun “trail town” that caters to cyclists, walkers, backpackers, and river runners. We enjoyed dinner at Falls City Restaurant and Pub and slept well at the Falls Market Inn.

The next morning, after a delicious breakfast with our support crew at the Falls Market Restaurant, we set off!

It was an incredible day and we were so happy to be back on the GAP.

One of my favorite parts of riding a rail trail is learning the history of the people and communities along the way. The GAP runs through the Laurel Highlands region which is “shaped by Native American heritage, pivotal early American conflicts, and coal, coke, and steel booms”.

An unexpected pleasure is seeing public art along the way. “The Connellsville Gateway Arch, with it’s colorful stained glass fanning 16 feet into the air, welcomes eastbound travelers on the Great Allegheny Passage. Built from formed concrete, coal, and riveted steel, the arch features materials made in the town’s own Youghiogheny Opalescent Glass Factory”.

We loved the murals on three industrial silos owned by Youghhiogheny Glass. Artists Chris Galiyas and Meeghan Triggs originally painted the silos in 2008, and due to fading over the years, were restored in 2022 by Galiyas.

“To honor the steelworkers past and present, the Yellow Dog sculpture was developed through the collaborative efforts of sculptor Jim West, George Junior Republic’s Fine Arts program, and the welding program at the William H. Gladden Career and Technical Center on the campus of George Junior Republic”.

We also enjoyed the unofficial pieces of art that bring smiles.

And then we came across the Darr Mine Memorial Mosaic.

The Darr Mine disaster occurred on December 19,1907 and was the deadliest coal mining tragedy in Pennsylvania history, claiming the lives of 239 men and boys. Created by mosaic artist Rachel Sager, “the memorial includes 239 individual mosaic plaques mounted on an old stone retaining wall. Each unique mosaic is built into a vintage film canister—resembling the metal miner tags left behind in the earth”.

The explosion left 130 widows, 300 children without fathers, and 542 people without a source of income. 

Rail Trails follow historic railroads, pass through small and large towns, and preserve the surrounding countryside and history. Next post will be about our fourth and final day on the GAP.

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The GAP – Day 1

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If you saw my recent post about the Youghiogheny River, you will know that 2 friends and I rode half of the Great Allegheny Passage a few weeks ago. Part of the Rails to Trails system, the GAP Trail is 150 miles long, and starts in Pittsburgh PA and ends in Cumberland MD. Work constraints kept us from doing the whole trail in one trip, but we loved the 75 miles that we covered, and we already have the other 75 planned for April of 2026!

We started our weekend adventure in the trail town of Ohiopyle, a Pennsylvania borough devoted to all things outdoor adventure – hiking, cycling, fishing, kayaking, and white water rafting. The whole vibe fuels the adventurous spirit and adds to the fun. As you know, clicking on any image in the galleries will let you see the full picture.

With a first day plan of a 40 mile ride to Myersdale, PA, we headed off! Our first stop was in Confluence, another small borough in Pennsylvania that welcomes cyclists and all other outdoor adventurers.

While in Confluence, we stopped at Mitch’s Fuel & Food where the incredibly nice folks there made and wrapped up our sandwiches for lunch later on down the trail.

It was a perfectly beautiful day to ride! Sunshine, cool temps, and interesting people along the way, like this guy who offered to let us try out his Penny-Farthing, aka High Wheeler. We declined but marveled at his speed and ability.

We stopped for lunch along the river before continuing on to the Pinkerton Tunnel.

The 849-foot Pinkerton Tunnel, built in 1911, was originally part of the Western Maryland Railway. It was rehabilitated and reopened to bicycle and foot traffic in 2015.

We thrilled at the ride over the Salisbury Viaduct, the longest trestle on the GAP. At 1,908 feet, the viaduct is 101 ft above the river and was built in 1911 (when tragically, 7 men were killed during construction).

Hundreds of spectators cheered when the first train crossed in 1912.  Abandoned as a through-route in 1975, it was decked for bike and pedestrian use in 1998. 

The GAP is made of packed, crushed limestone making for a smooth ride, and is well marked.

We arrived in Myersdale, PA where our fabulous and fun SAG Crew met us.

We checked into Yoder’s Guest House in Myersdale where we were greeted by Chuck, who safely stored our bikes in the bike garage. Chuck and Denise were so welcoming and we were soon enjoying the large front porch and a cold beverage. What a fabulous place to stop for the night! Highly recommend!

After pizza from a local restaurant, we went to bed excited about Day 1 and looking forward to of Day 2!

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Youghiogheny River

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Two weeks ago, friends and I rode half of the 150 mile Great Allegheny Passage Trail, part of the Rails to Trails movement which creates multi-use public paths from abandoned railroad corridors. We started our ride in a small trail town called Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania where Ohiopyle State Park is located. “Passing through the heart of the park, the rushing waters of the Youghiogheny [yawki-gay-nee] River Gorge are the centerpiece for Ohiopyle. The “Yough” [yawk] provides some of the best whitewater boating in the eastern United States, as well as spectacular scenery”. To see this same image in B&W, visit Monochromia

I’ll share more about this amazing trip in the next few posts.