Trail town · Allegany County, MD
Cumberland
The GAP/C&O junction, the Allegheny Front, and Maryland’s western mountains. Cumberland sits at mile zero of the Great Allegheny Passage and mile 184 of the C&O Canal towpath — the only town in the country where two of the East’s great long trails meet.
Live · updated
If you’re bikepacking from Pittsburgh to DC, Cumberland is the midpoint and the resupply town. If you live in DC and want a real mountain weekend without driving to West Virginia, Cumberland is closer than Shenandoah. If you’re a runner looking for a destination half-marathon on a flat shaded towpath, the C&O western reach is the answer.
The city is rebuilding its identity around trail tourism. This page exists because that’s a project worth small support — accurate live conditions, no ads, no fluff, just the trails.
Cumberland-area trails ranked today
All Cumberland-area trails are currently flagged. Check the full ranking.
What’s here
The GAP terminus
Mile zero of the Great Allegheny Passage at Canal Place. 150 miles of crushed-limestone rail-trail to Pittsburgh, with the first 16 miles climbing gradually to the Eastern Continental Divide at Frostburg.
The C&O western terminus
Mile 184 of the C&O Canal towpath. Flat, shaded, riverside — 184 miles back to Georgetown. The western 50 miles see a fraction of the DC-end traffic.
Rocky Gap
State park on Lake Habeeb 7 miles east of town. The Evitts Mountain backcountry climb is the area’s only real elevation gain you can finish before lunch.
Dans Mountain
2,898-ft summit 12 miles south. Best long-view of the Cumberland gap and the Allegheny Front, especially in late afternoon.
Paw Paw Tunnel
3,118-ft canal tunnel 26 miles east on the C&O. Ridge-bypass trail loops over the top. Bring a headlamp; the tunnel is genuinely dark.
Day-trip range
Savage River, Youghiogheny at Friendsville, Big Run, and the western fingers of Garrett County are all under an hour’s drive. A long weekend in Cumberland reaches every western-MD trail worth doing.
Plan a trip
For bikepackers
Most thru-bikepackers stay one or two nights in Cumberland between the GAP and C&O legs. Several downtown lodges cater specifically to riders, with bike-secure storage and laundry.
For day trips from DC/Baltimore
~2.5 hours by car from DC, ~2 hours from Baltimore. The Capitol Limited Amtrak runs daily between DC and Cumberland — it accepts bikes in baggage, which is unusual and useful.
For local businesses
If you run an outfitter, bike shop, shuttle service, guide service, or trail-town lodging in the Cumberland area, see For businesses. Listings are clearly labeled and never reorder editorial trail rankings.