Great Allegheny Passage Overview

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One of my favorite landmarks on the GAP is the Big Savage Tunnel.  On a sizzling hot day in 2010, I climbed the 20+ miles from Cumberland to the Big Savage Tunnel.  It was a little before noon and the air temperature was already 94 degrees with no clouds in the sky.  The sun was baking me on the climb.  The Big Savage Tunnel is at the top of the climb and was a welcome treat because it's like a giant natural refrigerator.  The air temperature inside the tunnel was easily 20 degrees cooler than outside.  It was so much cooler that a thick fog had formed reducing my vision significantly.  The fog was so dense that the ceiling lights weren't able to light the trail...I couldn't see the ground I was riding on.  Halfway through the tunnel I could hear the voices of other bikers but they were hidden in the thick fog.  They were slowly riding towards me and only became visible once they were within 20 feet from me.  It was the coolest thing. 

One of the most spectacular views along the GAP is on the southern end of the tunnel.  From the top of Big Savage Mountain you can see for miles. 

Here's some more details about the tunnel: The Big Savage Tunnel is an abandoned railway tunnel located about 9 miles (14 km) southeast of Meyersdale, Pennsylvania. The Big Savage, Borden Tunnel, and Brush Tunnels are part of the Great Allegheny Passage rail trail.  It was originally built for the Connellsville subdivision of the Western Maryland Railway.  The mountain and tunnel are named for John Savage, an early surveyor who narrowly avoided becoming a victim of cannibalism in the area in 1736.

The bone cave is not the most fascinating sight on the Great Allegheny Passage because there's not much to see but it's very unique and worth a stop. The cave is located a couple miles down the hill from Frostburg, and what you can see is a sign sharing the history and the entrance to the cave which has been closed off with a chain link fence. The cave's history is really interesting and it's right on the edge of the trail. In 1912 workers excavating a cut for the Western Maryland Railway along Andy's Ridge broke into the partly filled cave. A local naturalist, Raymond Armbruster, observed fossil bones among the rocks that had been blasted loose and were being removed from the cut. Armbruster notified paleontologists at the Smithsonian Institution, and James W. Gidley began excavating that same year. The cave later became known as the "Cumberland Bone Cave".

Between 1912 to 1916, Gidley excavated the Cumberland Bone Cave, where 41 genera of mammals were found, about 16 per cent of which are extinct. Numerous excellent skulls and enough bones to reconstruct skeletons for a number of the species were present. Skeletons of the Pleistocene Cave Bear and an extinct Saber-toothed cat from the Bone Cave are on permanent exhibit in the Ice Age Mammal exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Many of the fossilized bones date from 200,000 years ago. The Cumberland Bone cave represents one of the finest Pleistocene-era faunas known from eastern North America.

Today very little of this cave is still in existence, though some excavations are still being performed by the Maryland DNR. 

The Salisbury Viaduct, located along the Great Allegheny Passage in western Pennsylvania, has a rich history and offers a unique cycling experience. Constructed in the late 19th century, the viaduct was a crucial part of the Western Maryland Railway, providing a vital transportation link for coal and passengers.

Today, as part of the Great Allegheny Passage, the Salisbury Viaduct is a popular route for cyclists seeking a scenic and challenging ride. Spanning over 1,900 feet and rising to a height of 101 feet, the viaduct offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, including the Casselman River Valley and the nearby Laurel Highlands.

Cycling over the Salisbury Viaduct is an unforgettable experience for cyclists of all skill levels. The well-maintained trail provides a smooth surface for riding, and the elevated position of the viaduct offers a thrilling perspective as cyclists pedal across its historic arches. The viaduct is often a highlight of the Great Allegheny Passage journey, offering a glimpse into the region's industrial past and providing a memorable adventure for cyclists exploring this picturesque trail.

Borden Tunnel is 2.5 miles west (uphill) of Frostburg. The tunnel was bored for two tracks and has a length of 957.5 ft.  After the 1975 abandonment, the track was left in all the way up west of the tunnel. It was left to serve a small coal strip mine here.  I had a really freaky experience in this tunnel at the end of a long rainy ride from Connellsville. 

It was early evening and the rain finally stopped but the air was wet and the sky overcast. Clouds had formed inside the cooler temperatures of the Borden Tunnel. There are no lights in the tunnel so the only light source was coming from the opposite end of the tunnel which was clouded with a cool fog. The light was being diffused through the fog in such a way that I felt like I was riding through a kaleidoscope. It was a really freaky moment. It was as if I were floating because I couldn't see the ground or the walls of the tunnel, just the diffused light coming from the far end. Pedaling through the tunnel towards the light felt like a sneak peak of Heaven.  I stopped to take a photo but there was so much moisture in the air (my camera was still wet from filming through the Big Savage Tunnel) that my camera refused to cooperate.

Rachel Sager, a renowned artist, stumbled upon a blank canvas along the Great Allegheny Passage, a picturesque cycling trail. Inspired by the natural beauty of the trail and the region's rich history, Rachel unleashed her creativity through stunning murals that adorned the walls of abandoned buildings, transforming them into works of art. Cyclists traversing the trail were mesmerized by the vibrant colors and intricate details of Rachel's murals, which captured the essence of the surrounding landscapes and communities.

Rachel's art became a beacon of joy and motivation for cyclists, providing moments of respite and wonder during their arduous journeys. Her murals sparked conversations among fellow travelers, igniting a sense of community and appreciation for the trail's beauty and cultural heritage. Rachel's art not only added a new dimension to the Great Allegheny Passage, but also brought attention to the importance of public art and its ability to inspire and connect people. Her legacy lived on, as cyclists continued to be awed by her art, making their cycling experience along the trail truly unforgettable.

The Mason–Dixon Line is just down from the Big Savage Tunnel on the Great Allegheny Passage, and was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It is a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia (then, part of Virginia).  What started as a border dispute between British colonies in America is now a famous geographic landmark that forms the borders of four states and is also considered the boundary between the northeast states and the southern states.

You will cross the Mason Dixon line about half way between the Big Savage Tunnel and Frostburg. A couple cyclists from Virginia and myself witnessed a bear crossing the trail as we approached the Mason Dixon Line marker. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough with the camera to capture the scene. I've never found it, but I heard stories of a rattlesnake den located nearby.