April 2022 News and Alerts Along the
Great Allegheny Passage
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Make it to Meyersdale for the Pennsylvania Maple Festival
Ride out to Meyersdale for the sweet, sticky celebration of syrup at the 75th annual Pennsylvania Maple Festival. Capturing the taste buds of visitors far and wide, this annual event takes place April 23-24 and April 27-May 1, 2022, with a tree-tapping ceremony, horse-drawn carriage rides, artists and crafters, and the crowning of the "Maple Queen." Offering plenty of pancakes, it's a signature event in a trail town along the GAP, and worth a visit by bike or as part of a longer visit to the Laurel Highlands.
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GAP Received an Estimated 1.4 Million Visits in 2021
Outdoor enthusiasts made an estmated 1.4 million visits to the Great Allegheny Passage in 2021, according to a just-released analysis by Dr. Andrew Herr of St. Vincent College. This estimate is similar to 2020 visitation patterns, and "this increased trail use likely reflects the impact of COVID-19 restrictions, which has encouraged outdoor recreational activities," notes Dr. Herr. Read more about the analysis or access the full report at www.gaptrail.org.
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Big Savage Tunnel Open
Somerset County opened the Big Savage Tunnel for the season on a cold April 1 afternoon. Until there are steady warmer temperatures, take caution while biking or hiking near the tunnel as the limestone trail surface at either end will remain soft. Built by the Western Maryland Railway in 1912, this engineering wonder sits near the high point of the Great Allegheny Passage. Its renovation included extensive rock-bolting of the original liner, and installation of a new liner with an aggressive drainage system to minimize the freeze/thaw conditions that damaged the tunnel in the past. The closest trail town is Frostburg, 6.5 miles away.
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Additional Resurfacing in Ohiopyle State Park
This spring, crews contracted by Ohiopyle State Park are resurfacing a six-mile section of the Great Allegheny Passage with fresh limestone between mile markers 81 and 87, approximately, between Ohiopyle and Connellsville. The GAP will remain open during this project, although construction vehicles will be present. Please travel slowly and be prepared to stop periodically. Work commenced in late March and may extend into June.
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Profile: Eric Martin
"My parents dissuaded me from joining the family business, Wilderness Voyageurs. I went to school for architectural engineering. Two years into that I decided that it wasn’t for me. I’d been traveling around and competing in kayaking. Water was part of everything I did. I was happiest around the river. It became clear I needed to go back to Ohiopyle. But my dad was committed to me not following the path. I persevered. He finally tossed me the keys and said: ‘Good luck.’ That was 26 years ago..." Read Eric's full narrative here.
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Run the Little Boston Half Marathon and 5K
Join friends from the Mon/Yough Trail Council for this annual running event — either a half marathon or a 5K race — on the Great Allegheny Passage starting at the parking lot in the hamlet of Boston, right up the Youghiogheny River from McKeesport. This section of the GAP is newly resurfaced, and proceeds from this event support ongoing maintenance along this segment. Event details and a link to registration are available here.
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