Hi everyone,

My brother and I are wanting to ride the C&O this August. We are going to ride from Cumberland to DC and take the train back. Is there anywhere in Cumberland that we can park our cars for the 3 or 4 days we'll be gone and not have them towed?

Thanks,

Ray Frady

I have parked for two days at the Holiday Inn parking lot in downtown Cumberland. There is a parking garage across the street so paid parking may be an option. You may even want to spend the night at the Holiday Inn and get an early start on your trip. Be sure to visit the Queen City Creamery just around the corner from the Holiday Inn.

On the C&O: I haven't ridden the whole length because there are parts that aren't in great shape and traveling with younger kids I didn't want to deal with the mud and hazards. If you're riding a 650/700/27" wheeled bike, fatter tires are much more appropriate and comfortable. Oh, August will likely be hot, humid and miserable (of course, some people don't mind those conditions).

I highly recommend the vanilla malts.

Hi Ray -

The last time I needed to park overnight in Cumberland, the long term parking lot was located under the I-68 overpass at the corner of Mechanic and Howard Streets. Since it's right across the street from the Cumberland Trail Connection (bicycle shop), you may want to give them a call (301-777-8724) and see if this is still the case.

Please note that as of this date there is no baggage service in Cumberland. *You* can get to Cumberland by train, your bikes cannot. One option would be to leave your bikes and brother in DC, take to train to Cumberland and then return to DC to pick up everything. Another would be to put the bikes on the train to Pittsburgh (the first baggage stop), [one of you] pick up the car in Cumberland, and pick up the gear and rider in Pittsburgh and continue home to Ohio. A third option would be to take a couple more days off and ride back to Cumberland...

Good luck. Love Amtrak, but it's a royal pain to get any services along the DC/Pittsburgh corridor.

Judy

Judy,

Thank you for your help. The train not letting me put my bikes on might be a problem. I don't know if I'd have time to, do a round trip on the bikes. I guess I just might have to cancel the trip, unless I can figure something out.

Thanks again,

Ray

Box the bikes at Union Station in DC, let your brother ride to Pittsburgh with the bikes. You get off the train in Cumberland, drive to Pittsburgh and pick up your brother and gear at the Pittsburgh station.

-or-

Locate a Fed-Ex office near DC or a bicycle shop in the area (Georgetown has one that I know of) and ship your bikes home. Enjoy the train ride to Cumberland. Pick up the car and drive home. Fed-Ex will deliver your bikes to you.

-or-

Call one of the transportation shuttles and arrange for them to pick you up in DC and return you to Cumberland. You can even arrange for them to meet you in DC with your car. It's not cheap though, but you could share the cost with your brother.

-or-

Rent a car near DC and return to Cumberland with the bikes and gear.

You have until August to work this out -- don't go canceling the trip yet

Judy

Ditto that!

Ship the bikes to a bike shop in Cumberland, and ride from there.

I must have been fortunate when I did the C & O in August last year. It was warm, but not miserable.

i have a similar problem. I'm based on DC and i plan to ride from cumberland to DC with a friend. although, more importantly i dont have enough training this year and i dont have an appropriate bike yet

Dredging up an old thread as I plan our summer trip. Does anyone have any updates on the overnight parking in Cumberland?

There is free long term parking next to the trail, kind of under where the highway goes over. Almost directly across from the Cumberland Connection bike shop. That is where they told me to park. The then shuttled my car up to Newton a few days later.

I rode it last summer and parked under I-68. Amtrak service was canceled due to a hurricane, so I called and let them know I would pick it up in a week. No problem. The steam train runs the lot.