The GAP Lodging Guide
Where to Stay on the Great Allegheny Passage
A rider's guide to picking your overnights — and why milepost 15.9 earns a night on almost every itinerary.
- Pittsburgh to Cumberland
- 150 mi
- Frostburg on the GAP
- MM 15.9
- Trail to front door
- 300 yds
- Eastern Continental Divide
- 2,392 ft
The Great Allegheny Passage is a 150-mile rail-trail running from Point State Park in Pittsburgh (milepost 150) to Cumberland, Maryland (milepost 0), where it joins the C&O Canal Towpath for another 184.5 miles into Washington, DC. Ride the whole thing and you cover 334.5 miles; most people spread the trip over five to seven days. That means four to six nights of figuring out where to sleep.
Lodging is the real logistics problem of the GAP. The trail passes through small towns spaced irregularly, and where you book each night dictates your daily mileage, where you eat, and how early you have to stop riding. Book badly and you end a 60-mile day with a long detour uphill to a bed. Book well and you roll off the trail, eat, and sleep.
This guide covers the stretch most riders ask about — the Maryland end, where the climbing happens — and makes the case for Frostburg at milepost 15.9 as one of the smartest overnights on the entire trail.
The Tunnel Hotel · 20 Depot St, Frostburg, MD — 300 yards from the GAP trail. Open full map
Why Frostburg Is the Strategic Overnight
Cumberland sits at roughly 627 feet of elevation. The Eastern Continental Divide, the highest point on the GAP at 2,392 feet, waits at milepost 23.5. Westbound riders leaving Cumberland face 23.5 miles of continuous climbing on day one — gentle, because it follows the old railroad grade at about 1 to 1.75 percent, but relentless. Frostburg, at milepost 15.9, is the natural place to break that climb: two-thirds of the ascent done, a real town for dinner, and a short push to the Divide in the morning.
Eastbound riders get the mirror-image benefit. Sleep in Frostburg on your last GAP night and the final morning is a 16-mile coast down into Cumberland, losing elevation the whole way. You arrive at the C&O junction fresh instead of finishing the Passage on tired legs.
One planning note: Big Savage Tunnel at roughly milepost 22 — about 3,300 feet long and lighted — closes for the winter, typically late November through early April. If your route crosses the Divide, plan your trip inside that window. The Mason-Dixon Line crossing at milepost 20.5 sits about five trail miles west of Frostburg, an easy landmark on the day's ride.
What Actually Makes a Good Trail Stay
Measure distance to the trail in yards, not miles. After a long day, a lodging that is technically in town but a mile off the trail and up a grade costs you real effort at the worst possible time. Ask exactly how far the front door is from the trail surface.
Then ask three more questions. Can you eat without getting back on the bike? Can you check in if you roll up at 9 PM — or midnight — because a headwind or a flat blew up your schedule? And what happens to your money if weather forces a change of plans? The answers to those three separate a trail-smart stay from a hotel that merely exists near a trail.
The Tunnel Hotel: 300 Yards Off the GAP at Milepost 15.9
The Tunnel Hotel is an 1888 stone-arch railroad inn at 20 Depot Street in Frostburg — formerly the Trail Inn at Frostburg, now run by Adam and Julie Forshee. The front door stands 300 yards from the GAP, which makes it one of the closest beds to the trail surface anywhere on the Passage.
Check-in is contactless and runs 24 hours a day: your door code arrives by SMS, so a rider limping in at midnight gets the same welcome as one arriving at 3 PM. The Trail Inn Cafe on site pours coffee, cooks hot breakfast, packs trail sandwiches, and stocks local beer — and guests charge it all to the room. Checkout is 11:00 AM, late enough for a proper breakfast before the Divide.
Rooms start at $69.99 a night for a queen, with bunk rooms for groups of up to six and a suite for couples who want more space. Riders on a tighter budget can pitch a tent: primitive camping runs $15 per person across 20-plus sites, including an ADA-accessible site. Booking direct at /book carries no online booking fees, payments are Stripe-secured, and 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.
The Rails Never Left
The hotel stands beside the old railroad grade, and that grade still gets used: Tracks & Yaks runs pedal-powered railbikes on it from 19 Depot Street, next door. Sleep by the rails is the house brand line, and it is meant literally — the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad's steam locomotive 1309 pulls the Frostburg Flyer into the adjacent depot at 12:45 PM and departs at 2:15 PM.
Off the bike, downtown Frostburg's shops, dining, and breweries are up the hill, the Thrasher Carriage Museum is next door, and Rocky Gap State Park and its casino sit about 20 miles away.
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 →
The Great Deal Passenger Shuttle
A 25-mile point-to-point shuttle so you can ride the GAP one way. Bring your own bike or add a GAP rental.
from $39
Details →Planning answers, no fluff
Where should I stay on the Great Allegheny Passage near Cumberland?
Frostburg, at GAP milepost 15.9, is the classic overnight on the Maryland end. It breaks the 23.5-mile climb from Cumberland to the Eastern Continental Divide for westbound riders and sets up a 16-mile downhill finish for eastbound riders. The Tunnel Hotel there is 300 yards off the trail with rooms from $69.99.
How far is The Tunnel Hotel from the GAP trail?
300 yards — a short walk from the trail surface to the front door at 20 Depot Street in Frostburg. You won't ride extra miles or climb off-trail grades to reach your bed.
Can I check in late if I get to Frostburg after dark?
Yes. The Tunnel Hotel uses 24-hour contactless check-in: a door code is texted to you, and it works whether you arrive at 4 PM or 2 AM. No front desk hours to beat.
Is Big Savage Tunnel open year-round?
No. Big Savage Tunnel, at about GAP milepost 22, closes for winter — roughly late November through early April. If your ride crosses the Eastern Continental Divide, schedule the trip while the tunnel is open.
Is there food on site at The Tunnel Hotel?
Yes. The Trail Inn Cafe operates inside the hotel with coffee, hot breakfast, trail sandwiches, and local beer, and hotel guests can charge everything to their room. Downtown Frostburg's restaurants and breweries are up the hill if you want more options.