Tents at Milepost 15.9
Camping on the Great Allegheny Passage at Frostburg
Twenty-plus primitive tent sites steps from the GAP, $17.10 a person with taxes included — and real beds from $79.79 a few steps away when the forecast turns on you.
- Per person, taxes included
- $17.10
- Primitive tent sites
- 20+
- Frostburg on the GAP
- MM 15.9
- Accessible site available
- ADA
Camping is the cheapest way to ride the Great Allegheny Passage multi-day, but where you pitch matters as much as where you'd book a bed: a campsite a mile off the trail or a long haul from food costs you real effort at the end of a 50-mile day.
The Tunnel Hotel in Frostburg runs more than 20 primitive tent sites at GAP milepost 15.9, steps from the trail surface, at $17.10 per person with taxes included. One site is ADA-accessible, and the whole camp sits in the town's depot district — beside an 1888 railroad inn, a cafe, and the rails the railbikes still ride.
Milepost 15.9 is also simply a smart place to stop. Westbound riders leaving Cumberland face 23.5 miles of continuous climbing to the Eastern Continental Divide; Frostburg breaks that climb with two-thirds of the ascent done. Eastbound riders camp here and start the last morning with 16 miles of downhill coast to the C&O junction.
And when the mountain weather turns — it does — the backstop is a few steps away: real rooms in the inn from $79.79 a night, bookable in the same direct-booking flow as the tent sites.
The Tunnel Hotel · 20 Depot St, Frostburg, MD — 300 yards from the GAP trail. Open full map
The Sites and the Price
Camping runs $17.10 per person, taxes included — no resort-fee arithmetic at checkout. There are more than 20 primitive sites, including an ADA-accessible site, all steps from the GAP so you roll off the trail and stop pedaling.
Groups fit here better than at most trail camps: with 20-plus sites there's room for a whole club ride, and groups of 10 or more campers should call ahead at 240-943-2048 so sites can be held together. Booking runs through /book, direct and Stripe-secured, with no online booking fees.
A Camp With a Cafe
The Trail Inn Cafe operates inside the hotel on the same property: real coffee, hot breakfast, trail sandwiches to pack out, and local beer for the evening. That's the difference between this and a trailside shelter — you don't ration instant oatmeal for the climb to the Divide.
Downtown Frostburg's shops, restaurants, and breweries are a walk up the hill when you want more than the cafe, and the depot district around the camp — the Frostburg Depot, the turntable, the Thrasher Carriage Museum — fills a rest hour on its own.
Where Milepost 15.9 Fits a Camping Itinerary
The Maryland end of the GAP is where the climbing happens. From Cumberland at roughly 627 feet, the trail rises at a 1 to 1.75 percent railroad grade to the Eastern Continental Divide — 2,392 feet at milepost 23.5. Camping at Frostburg splits that climb for westbound riders and sets up a 16-mile gravity-assisted final morning for eastbound riders.
Two planning notes for shoulder-season campers: Big Savage Tunnel at roughly milepost 22 — about 3,300 feet long and lighted — closes for winter, typically late November through early April, so route your trip inside that window if you cross the Divide. And the Mason-Dixon Line crossing at milepost 20.5 sits about five trail miles west of the campsites, an easy landmark on the day's ride.
When Weather Turns: Beds From $79.79
A soaked forecast doesn't have to end the trip. The inn beside the campsites has queen rooms — the Little Savage Sleeper and Queen City Sleeper — from $79.79 a night, the four-person Tunnel Deluxe at $91.19, and the six-sleeper Big Savage Bunk Room at $169.86. Check-in is contactless 24 hours a day, with a door code texted to you, so a storm that chases you off the trail at 9 PM still ends in a dry bed.
The cancellation terms respect trail reality: 72-plus hours' notice gets a full refund, 48-plus hours lets you reschedule, and if the operator cancels for weather you receive a full refund or credit.
Layover Day at the Depot
Build in a rest day and the rails next door earn it. Tracks & Yaks runs pedal-powered railbikes from 19 Depot Street, from the 90-minute Woodcock Hollow Express at $89 per tandem to the 3-hour, 15-mile Mountain Ridge Rider at $119. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad's Frostburg Flyer steams into the adjacent depot at 12:45 PM and departs at 2:15 PM on days it runs, and geared bicycle rentals go for $25 per two hours or $40 for a full day.
Tracks & Yaks, right next door
All experiences
Woodcock Hollow Express
A 7-mile guided railbike run along the ridge line — the quick, scenic introduction to pedaling the rails.
from $89
Details →Geared Bicycle Rental — Full Day
A geared bicycle for the full day — explore the GAP from Frostburg in either direction.
from $40
Details →
Track and Yak
The signature combo: guided railbike plus a kayak paddle. Kayak (single or double) is included — track and yak in one afternoon.
from $169
Details →Planning answers, no fluff
Where can I camp on the GAP trail near Cumberland?
The Tunnel Hotel in Frostburg, at GAP milepost 15.9 — 16 trail miles from Cumberland — runs more than 20 primitive tent sites steps from the trail at $17.10 per person, taxes included. The Trail Inn Cafe is on the property for coffee and hot breakfast.
How much does camping cost on the Great Allegheny Passage at Frostburg?
$17.10 per person per night, with taxes included in that price. Booking is direct at the hotel's site with no online booking fees, and payments are handled by Stripe.
Is there ADA-accessible camping on the GAP trail?
Yes — among the 20-plus primitive sites at The Tunnel Hotel in Frostburg, one site is ADA-accessible. The camp sits steps from the trail surface at milepost 15.9, so there's no off-trail climb to reach it.
Can a large group camp together on the GAP?
With more than 20 sites, the Frostburg camp handles club rides and big crews. Groups of 10 or more campers should call 240-943-2048 ahead of time so sites can be held together, and groups of 7-plus who want a mix can split between tent sites and the inn's bunk rooms.
What happens to my camping plans if the weather turns?
Two outs: real rooms in the inn beside the sites start at $79.79 a night with 24-hour contactless check-in, and the cancellation policy gives a full refund at 72-plus hours' notice, a reschedule at 48-plus, and a full refund or credit any time the operator cancels for weather.
Plan your ride