Riding the GAP Trail
Rob and Nikki Fleming came with friends from Tarpon Springs, Florida. Tom and Carolyn Cassell made the trip from Tucson. And Jeremy Cline travelled from Connecticut. Each year, bicyclists come to Pittsburgh from across the country and beyond to ride the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP).
Last year, that number reached 1.4 million, according to an analysis by Dr. Andrew Herr of St. Vincent College. And the GAP’s 2019 economic impact was $121 million for the five counties it passes through:
Allegheny, Westmoreland, Fayette, Somerset, and Allegany, MD. It’s estimated that $75 million of the $121 million is direct spending by tourists, who come from all 50 states and 35 countries.
The GAP trail begins in Pittsburgh’s Point State Park and goes east through Pittsburgh’s South Side, Homestead, McKeesport, West Newton, Connellsville, Ohiopyle, Confluence, Rockwood, Meyersdale, Frostburg, MD, and Cumberland, MD. In Cumberland, it connects with the C&O Canal Towpath through Hancock, MD, Williamsport, MD, Shepherdstown, WV, Harpers Ferry/ Bolivar, WV, Brunswick, MD and Washington, D.C.
Retired teachers, Karen Pflug-Felder, 73, of Collegeville, PA, left, and Joan King, 77, of Blue Bell, PA, rode 72 miles from Cumberland, MD, to Ohiopyle. They said they’ve been close friends for 55 years and they’ve planned an outdoor activity to do together for the past 20 years. Joan said she has five children and 15 grandchildren.
John Beale is an Associate Teaching Professor Emeritus in the Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State. His photography has been published extensively by major newspapers, magazines, and websites. His work has been recognized with numerous regional and national awards.
