The Great Allegheny Passage follows an old railroad bed from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal is an old tow path following the C&O canal from Washington DC to Cumberland, MD. Together, these two routes form a non-motorized trail from Pittsburgh to Washington, a distance greater than 300 miles.
The route plotted in the map below starts at McKeesport, PA (a few miles southeast of Pittsburgh) and ends near the Mall in Washington. The total distance is 314 miles.
An interactive version of the map above is provided at this link:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1861632
Note that the above interactive map can be slow to navigate, but it does allow for topographical and satellite views.
The official site for the Great Allegheny Passage can be found here:
The above site offers detailed maps; images from the trail; and other useful information such as places to stay and eat, upcoming events, etc. Wikipedia also has information on this trail:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Allegheny_Passage
A Yahoo group exists that discusses the Passage (good place to post queries):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Great_Allegheny_Passage/
The National Park Service controls the C&O canal:
Below are other sites that provide more information about bicycling the C&O:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake_and_Ohio_Canal
http://www.fred.net/kathy/canal.html
http://bikewashington.org/canal/index.php (excellent guide with pictures and discussion)
Yahoo discussion group for the C&O:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/coTowpath/
