ABOUT THE PARK:
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.02084, -79.59673
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| Parking at Yough Park right next to the Comfort Inn - according to Maple Leaf Outfitters, the safest place to leave your car overnight. |
DISTANCES:
Day 1:
Bike: Meyersdale to Confluence - 38.1 miles
Hike: Joshua Whetzel Trail - 1.2 miles
Day 2:
Bike: Confluence to Ohiopyle - 13.1 miles
Hike: Baughman Rock Overlook Loop - 5.65 miles
Bike: Ohiopyle to Connellsville - 21.7 miles
Overnight: Comfort Inn Ebensburg
Day 3:
Bike: Ghost Town Trail Loop - 34.5 miles
Hike: Nathan's Divide Watershed - 3.1 miles
THE BIKE AND HIKE:
This was originally planned as a two-day trip but I tacked on a third day at the last minute and so glad I did. What an amazing trip this was!
I had dropped my luggage off at Hanna House B&B on the drive in to Connellsville and picked it up on my way out the following day after finishing the bike ride back to my car.
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| Loading the bike on the shuttle. |
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| A bit under an hour later, drop off in Meyersdale. Before heading west, I needed to head east a couple of miles to meet up where I had left off last fall. |
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| Mile marker 30 was where I had left off so onward another mile. Actually, the Keystone viaduct was a very short distance from mile marker 30 so I continued on to that before turning around. |
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| Keystone Viaduct |
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| Now heading west where I had left off at mile marker 30. |
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| Back through Meyersdale. |
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| This viaduct was truly amazing. Doug from Maple Leaf Outfitters had pointed it out to me as we were driving into Meyersdale. From below it is really breathtaking it is so high up. Eight men died during construction of this viaduct when it was originally built. |
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| Just the other side of the viaduct is this old cemetery with some truly tragic stories. I left this image in its original size so you can download it and enlarge to read the stories. There is also more information here on the Meyersdale Library site. |
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| There aren't very many road crossing but sometimes farm equipment crosses over unexpectedly. I could hear it though so I knew something was coming my way. |
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| How nice of this resident to make water available. With cat on duty. |
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| Along the way there are some waterfalls on the left. |
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| Only got off one shot before he disappeared heading towards the river. |
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| It felt like the air conditioning was on in the tunnel. |
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| I almost ran over this little guy. Thought it was a stick and I do avoid running over sticks because they can jump up and whack you in the leg so good thing I swerved and missed him before the image was interpreted in my brain. |
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| To get to Hanna House B&B I would turn left here for a very short on road stretch but first I wanted to go on into Confluence to hike and have dinner. |
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| So glad I rode a few extra miles to get into town because in the early morning all of this is fogged in and you see nothing. |
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| Turning left here towards the Confluence trail head parking lot where ... |
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| ... the hiking trail is. |
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| It's only .6 miles each way but climbing a hill after biking 35 miles, whoa! Legs feel like lead. |
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| I hadn't brought my trekking poles for this short of a hike so I had to improvise. |
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| The part that goes through a power cut is pretty overgrown. |
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| But there is a bit of a view. |
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| At the top ... |
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| ... a view that is almost overgrown. Glad I was still able to see it. |
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| Heading back down. |
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| Now continuing on the GAP through Confluence where the trail is sort of convoluted. There is clear signage but it loops around and under to avoid road crossings so you just have to pay close attention. |
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| Here is where the trail continues to the left but to get into town, right across the bridge. |
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| Then at the end, left to the end to ... |
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| River's Edge Cafe |
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| A glass of wine never tasted so good! They had a nice vegetarian selection on the lunch menu which they did also serve for dinner. |
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| View of the river from the outdoor dining area. |
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| After dinner, back on River Road to that bridge to retrace on the GAP for a little over 2 miles. |
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| Right on Hogback Road just to the end ... |
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| ... then left on Route 523. |
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| It's just around the bend up ahead ... |
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| ... to Hanna House B&B, a 150 year old farmstead on 100 acres. |
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| Frances, the owner, is super nice and so accommodating. She makes sweet tea with mint that is to die for. |
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| My room for the night. |
