Sleep by the rails.
Wake on the mountain.
An 1888 railroad inn on the Great Allegheny Passage. Great food, fair prices, and a stay you will not forget, three hundred yards off the trail.
Same 1888 bones. Everything else is new.
This place has been a railroad stop, an inn, a diner, a hostel and a campground since the Western Maryland ran coal down this mountain. We kept the bones and rebuilt the rest: seven rooms, a brick oven turning out pizza, and The GAP Deck — our elevated bar and restaurant looking out over the treeline where the trail comes in. Twenty-plus tent sites out back if you would rather sleep under all of it.
Three hundred yards to the Great Allegheny Passage. The depot is close enough to hear.
The steam train pulls in below you
The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad climbs the mountain from Cumberland and swings into the Frostburg depot at 12:45 PM, sits for its ninety-minute layover, and heads back at 2:15 PM. You will hear the whistle before you see it. The railbikes are already lined up on the next track over.
The rails out our back door keep making the papers
- Arlington Magazine“Get Away: Tracks and Yaks Rail Bike Tours”Frostburg, Maryland →
- Bethesda Magazine“Put pedal to the metal on a railbike in Maryland's mountains”July 2024 →
- Bay Journal“Rail biking picks up steam as a new way to explore scenic railways”Maryland's first rail biking excursion →
- Cumberland Times-News“Tracks and Yaks: Company plans rail biking excursions”March 2021 →
- Maryland Mountainside“Tracks and Yaks”Western Maryland travel guide →
- Read it, then ride itThe rides they wrote about leave from the lot next door, 19 Depot St.See every ride →
Rooms & camping
The campground
Twenty-plus tent sites on a mowed field a few steps off the trail, with picnic tables and fire rings. Priced per person, with an ADA-accessible site available. Hot showers, the cafe and The GAP Deck are all a short walk back.
$17.10 / persontaxes included
Pedal the rails
Not looking for a room, just want to book an experience? Book direct with Tracks & Yaks ↗
Bike n' Bed
A room for the night and the 3:00 PM Helmstetter Hotshot — ten miles of real track out to the curve and back — booked as one thing, at one price.
Combos don't start Tuesdays (no railbikes) or Fridays. The hotel itself is open every day — room-only stays can check in or out any day, including Tuesday.
A whole town at your door
Steam trains, a carriage museum next door, and a turntable downtown. Dinner is our brick-oven pizza and a cold one on The GAP Deck, our elevated bar and restaurant over the GAP treeline — or the local pubs and restaurants up the hill. Everything worth doing in Frostburg is a short walk from your room.
- Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail300 yards away
- Thrasher Carriage Museumnext door
- Frostburg Depot + turntablehistoric rail yard
- Rocky Gap State Park & Casino~20 miles
- Downtown Frostburgshops, dining, local pubs
- Frostburg State Universityin town
Questions, answered straight
Where should I stay on the GAP Trail near Frostburg, MD?
The Tunnel Hotel, an 1888 railroad inn at 20 Depot St in Frostburg, sits 300 yards off the Great Allegheny Passage — with Tracks & Yaks railbikes next door and the Trail Inn Cafe downstairs. It is one of the closest beds to the trail anywhere on the GAP.
How much is a hotel room in Frostburg, MD?
Rooms at The Tunnel Hotel start at $79.79 per night for a private queen room. Larger bunk rooms and a suite sleep 4–6, and primitive tent camping is $17.10 per person. Book direct at the hotel's own site — no online booking fees.
What time is check-in at The Tunnel Hotel?
Check-in is contactless and available 24 hours a day — your door code arrives by text message, so late trail arrivals are never a problem. Checkout is 11:00 AM.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel for a full refund with 72+ hours notice. Reschedule with 48+ hours notice. Inside those windows: zero refund. Weather cancellations by the operator get a full refund or credit.
How far is Frostburg from Cumberland on the GAP Trail?
About 16 trail miles. Cumberland is GAP milepost 0, where the trail meets the C&O Canal Towpath; Frostburg is the first major overnight stop on the long climb toward the Eastern Continental Divide.
Can I ride a railbike without staying overnight?
Yes. Tracks & Yaks guided railbike rides depart from 19 Depot St, right next to the hotel, starting at $89 per tandem railbike. Hotel guests can bundle rides into one booking and checkout.
Is there a package that includes a room and a railbike ride?
Yes — the Bike n' Bed packages. The Bike n' Bed Pair at $157.64 pairs a queen room for the night with a tandem railbike on the 3:00 PM Helmstetter Hotshot, a 10-mile ride. The Bike n' Bed Group at $233.37 does the same with the Big Savage Bunk Room and a quad railbike, sleeping up to six. Both are one price and one checkout, booked at https://tunnelhotel.com/book. Combos don't start Tuesdays (no railbikes) or Fridays. The hotel itself is open every day — room-only stays can check in or out any day, including Tuesday.
Is there food and a bar at The Tunnel Hotel?
Yes. The Trail Inn Cafe is on site with coffee, hot breakfast, trail-ready sandwiches, and wood-fired brick-oven pizza, and The GAP Deck is the hotel's elevated bar and restaurant overlooking the treeline where the Great Allegheny Passage comes in. Guests can charge everything to their room. Downtown Frostburg's restaurants and local pubs are a walk up the hill.
Can you camp at The Tunnel Hotel?
Yes. There are more than twenty primitive tent sites on a mowed field a few steps from the Great Allegheny Passage, priced at $17.10 per person per night, with an ADA-accessible site available. Campers get hot showers, and the cafe and The GAP Deck are a short walk back. Groups of ten or more should call ahead so sites can be held together.
What is included in the Track and Yak?
The Track and Yak is the five-hour signature combo: a guided railbike run, a catered lunch between the rails and the water, and a kayak paddle with the kayak (single or double) included. Afterwards the shower house is free to use, and there are refreshments and food waiting at The Tunnel Hotel. It starts at $169 per tandem railbike.
Is the hotel open on Tuesdays?
Yes. The Tunnel Hotel is open every day and check-in is contactless around the clock, so you can arrive, check in, or check out on any day, Tuesdays included. Tracks & Yaks does not run railbikes on Tuesdays, so only the Bike n' Bed packages, which bundle a guided ride, cannot start on one.
Your bunk is waiting.
Pick your nights, add a railbike ride, and check in from your phone the moment you arrive.