Originally Posted by
phughes
I'll second those recommendations. The Rivers Edge campground is great. You can camp at the campground and shower at the hostel. They even have a bike wash area at the hostel as well as laundry facilities and a computer to check email. Great people and great service.
I just did the GAP two weekend ago during a tour from PGH to PHL. I think you are mixing places up. There is a River's Edge Campground a bit north of Connellsville:
http://www.campriversedge.com/
I rode past it. Looked like "combat camping" at its finest, with loud music pumping from the pool area. And it's not close enough to town that you can easily walk or ride to get groceries. I stayed in the Adirondak shelters at the north end of Connellsville. Large grocery store is less than two blocks away. Covered picnic tables, water and a vault bathroom, but no shower. You can also pitch your tent there.
Husky Haven Campground is in Rockwood, right along the trail:
http://huskyhavencampground.com/
There is a companion guest house across the river in the center of town which has the ammenities you describe like showers, internet acess and a bike wash. I camped. Price ($10/person) included free firewood and use of the shower, etc., at the guest house. I highly recommend not camping there without ear plugs. Trains ran through town at night blowing their horns at the two grade crossings. There were some in the middle of the night and four between 5:30 and 6:15 a.m. I posted a 40 second video on YouTube documenting the sound. I cannot access it from work, but if you seach for something like "rockwood trains" you might hit on it. It's a video of a campfire. The "fun" starts at :10. There is also an industry in town that does its own rail switching at night. Also, there is no water at the campground. However, there are
gallon milk jugs you can fill and take back to camp with you.
Stealth camping looks like it would be tough in many places, at least on the more southerly sections. There are a lot of trees and not much level ground. The further north you go, the easier it would likely be as there are more flat spaces with fewer trees.
OP: Which direction are you planning to go? If heading toward PGH, once you cross the continental divide, it's a net elevation loss all the way to PGH. I went in the opposite direction, so I was going gradually up hill until the divide. Had no trouble making Connellsville the first day (about 65 miles) and Rockwood the second day (about 55 miles). Both days I had a headwind. Once I crossed the divide, I could do 20 mph without so much as a huff or puff.