January News along the Great Allegheny Passage

Dig out your hiking boots, strap on your skis, or borrow a fat bike. Winter's great along the GAP and its trail towns! Here's what's happening.

Emergency Repairs to Close GAP Near Fort Hill, Pa. through March 31

Somerset County will temporarily close the Great Allegheny Passage between Harnedsville and Fort Hill so that a contractor can stabilize an active landslide near mile marker 57. A February start date is imminent, and the trail is scheduled to be reopened by March 31, 2020. There is no easy on-road detour due to steep and unsafe road conditions. The $114,000 project is being funded by Somerset County ($54,000), Somerset County Recreation and Trails Association ($50,000), and by the Allegheny Trail Alliance ($10,000 via its TrailGuide Emergency Fund and the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation).

Summer Date Set for 2020 GAP Relay

Get your group signed up for this year's 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage Relay! Sponsored by UPMC Health Plan and operated by P3R, this team running event is scheduled for June 19-20, 2020, starting in Pittsburgh and ending with a party in Cumberland, Md.

Find out more at www.p3r.org/races/gap-relay

West Homestead Welcomes You

Stop in West Homestead, Pa. on your next GAP adventure, and view the new wayfinding signage promoting the borough's lodging and restaurants for trail travelers.. "We Machine the Future" is a nod to the borough's manufacturing resources, and forward-looking gaze. This lovely sign was made possible by the a grant from the Allegheny County Economic Development Community Infrastructure and Tourism Fund and the Borough of West Homestead.

Plan Your Pittsburgh to D.C. Trip with TrailGuide

Detail your 2020 bicycling adventure with TrailGuide: The Official Guide to the C&O Canal Towpath and the Great Allegheny Passage, available now and packed with travel tips, mile-by-mile descriptions, and weatherproof maps of both trails. Looking for lodging? Want to find the best photo ops? Need a nearby bike shop? Rather hire an outfitter? It's all in TrailGuide, available at www.gaptrail.org or Amazon.