Touring - DC-Cumberland-DC

This spring, I'm doing an out and back trip to Cumberland from DC in preparation for my transamerica trip this summer. I plan on taking the C&O one way, but would like to use roads for the other leg of the trip. This is mostly due to the fact that I've heard the C&O route can get a bit tedious, and I'm not that interested in seeing both sides of the trees.

Any suggestions for finding good roads? Has anyone done this trip before?
thanks!

There are many routes back. In general avoid Routes 7, 50, and 15 in Virginia.

I'd take 51 from Cumberland to Paw Paw, WV. Then 9 to Cacapon State Park near Berkeley Springs for good camping. Then I'd hop over to Hancock and take the WMRT path to Fort Frederick. Then back on the C&O to Williamsport. Then 68 to 65 to Sharpsburg/Antietam. Then either take Harper's Ferry Road (hilly) or 34 to Shepherdstown and the C&O to end up in Harper's Ferry. From Harper's Ferry take 340 to Virginia 671 to Route 9 (just a few miles - avoid rush hour and you'll be okay) to Hillsboro. Then 690 to Purcellville. Then easy sailing on the W&OD trail all the way to DC.

I haven't ridden this route but I am very familiar with the roads. If you are a hill climbing maniac there are more opportunities on the WV side from Cumberland to Paw Paw but the area is pretty rednecky and bikers are pretty rare.

This page from www.biketouringtips.com has 4 links to information about biking touring in Virginia (http://www.biketouringtips.com/searchTips.html?country=United%20States&state=Virginia&place=&id=&subtopic=). Three of them provide potential routing information.

Have a great ride.

Ray

unless i'm mistaken, no part of the trail is in VA. i'll take a look at the site though

No part of the C&O is in Virginia. The W&OD is 49 miles from Purcellville to Alexandria. A nice alternate route is Route 40 from Cumberland to DC. Very scenic but there are some real mountains to cross. It's not flat for any significant portion. From Frederick use back roads to around Sugarloaf Mountain and then you are in a pretty urban area. My originally posted route would keep you on mostly light traffic roads and the W&OD to bypass all the urban streets/expressways.

If you want this to be a real warm up for the TransAmerica the Rt40/144 option may be a good way to go from Cumberland to Frederick. The Maryland Bicycle route map may be a help. If you don't have one go to:
http://www.sha.state.md.us/SHAServices/mapsBrochures/maps/oppe/maps.asp
They will send one via snail mail.

This should stitch out a great route from near Cumberland back to DC:
http://www.westernmarylandrailtrail.com/WMRT/maps.html
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Interstate-Cycling-System-WEST-bound-THURMONT-MD-to-C-O-CANAL-tr
(cue sheet needs to be reversed.)

http://bikewashington.org/routes/dc2thurmont/index.htm

Thanks, you guys are a great help. nice to see such a good local turn out.

Bump! Any suggestions on camping in Cumberland? A google search didn't turn anything up. I found a campsite near sharpsburg where we're staying at the end of the first day. its called camp Merrymac, but no one is picking up the phone. i have the address and everything. anyone know about this place?

FWIW: here is my route out to cumberland. i'm pretty optimistic that it is safe/ bike friendly.
http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Purcellville,+VA&daddr=Hillsboro,+VA+to:Harpers+Ferry,+MD+to:Sharpsburg,+VA+to:16951+Sprecher+Rd,+Sharpsburg+MD+to:Wi lliamsport,+MD+to:Fort+Frederick+State+Park,+United+States+to:Hancock,+MD+to:Berkeley+Springs,+Morga n,+West+Virginia,+United+States+to:Paw+Paw,+WV+to:Cumberland,+MD&mra=pi&mrcr=9&dirflg=h&sll=39.538337,-78.405647&sspn=0.051498,0.102482&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=10

Camping is pretty limited near town. You'd be better off at a hotel or B&B in Cumberland. There is camping along the C&O at the hiker/biker sites but it's very noisy with the railroad yards in the area. If you need a free place to stay maybe look at the couchsurfing site or something.

Bump! Any suggestions on camping in Cumberland?

There's a free hiker biker campsite on the C&O almost right within the Cumberland city limits at mile marker 180. That's only 4 miles from downtown Cumberland. Most hiker/biker sites along the C&O will involve train noise from time to time.

Bump! Any suggestions on camping in Cumberland? A google search didn't turn anything up. I found a campsite near sharpsburg where we're staying at the end of the first day. its called camp Merrymac, but no one is picking up the phone. i have the address and everything. anyone know about this place?

FWIW: here is my route out to cumberland. i'm pretty optimistic that it is safe/ bike friendly.
http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Purcellville,+VA&daddr=Hillsboro,+VA+to:Harpers+Ferry,+MD+to:Sharpsburg,+VA+to:16951+Sprecher+Rd,+Sharpsburg+MD+to:Wi lliamsport,+MD+to:Fort+Frederick+State+Park,+United+States+to:Hancock,+MD+to:Berkeley+Springs,+Morga n,+West+Virginia,+United+States+to:Paw+Paw,+WV+to:Cumberland,+MD&mra=pi&mrcr=9&dirflg=h&sll=39.538337,-78.405647&sspn=0.051498,0.102482&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=10

1. I concur with Duck Fat, camping in Cumberland is very limited. How do you feel about train noise? The Cumberland YMCA is probably the only camping option in the city, with the next closet site being Evitts Creek hiker/biker on the C&O at milepost 180.0. I’ve stayed there, and the sight of a railroad worker standing along the track urinating in my direction as I opened my tent flap in the morning is now burned into my brain. It’s very noisy and the hiker/biker has a feel of hustle/bustle all night. I’m told the YMCA isn’t much better as the lights from the train engines shine into the tents at night. We usually opt for camping at Irons Mountain hiker/biker at milepost 175.4, but that, too, can be noisy. The trains cross the river along a metal bridge just behind the camping area, and if you pitch your tent right, the headlights will hit your tent, too. My daughter (14) says it’s one of her favorite spots, the train noise doesn’t bother her and she likes to watch the trains cross the river and canal. It’s always been quiet (relatively speaking) for us, we’ve usually been the only people there, but it does have road access nearby, so I could imagine that it could become a party spot on occasion. I stayed at the Holiday Inn downtown last year -- $118 (with tax) per night. Also, Route 51 out of Cumberland is called “Industrial Blvd.” for a reason… I’d much rather see [both sides of] trees and the occasional sewage treatment plant than strip malls and railroad track.

2. There is a Camp Mary Mac (aka Merry Mac) in Sharpsburg (off of Sprecher Road) that appears to be a camp and conference center (i.e., summer camp programs, retreats) associated with the CCCA (Christian Church Capital Area) and not a public campground. Since your route has you crossing the Potomac at Shepherdstown (mile 72.8), I would hop onto the canal towpath and ride to mile 75.3 and camp for free at Killiansburg Cave hiker/biker. I would continue on the towpath until I reached Snyders Landing and take that road into Sharpsburg to continue your road trip.

3. Be advised that US 340 around the Harper’s Ferry area from the bridge into Maryland, along the Virginia side of the river and into West Virginia is heavily trafficked, with little to no shoulder. You will be sharing the highway (and it is a major highway) with school busses towing rafts and tubes, since the Potomac River takeout is there (they drop off upstream of Sandy Hook so there are busses crossing into Maryland as well), and rush hour is a nightmare.

4. That’s quite a road trip -- VA, WV, MD and PA :)


Judy

it looks like we could take old furnace and some other smaller roads out of harpers ferry and avoid 340 and 230. anyone know anything about those roads? they're still pretty prominent on the map. Thanks to everyone who took the time to follow the link and take a look at the route. If anyone ever needs info on DC/Baltimore bike routes and what works and what doesn't, drop me a line.

I'm looking into Killiansburg Cave hiker/biker, thanks!