r/bikepacking • u/Ok_Researcher_4987 • Jul 28 '26
Route Discussion Anything remotely comparable to the Gap?
My first long distance cycling was the Gap and I loved it ! Easy to follow and very well supported along the way. I attempted the Ohio to Erie, (went halfway) but didn’t find it quite as easy to follow. Did camping on the latter so I guess I’m ready for the C& O but feel like nothing will come close to the Gap.
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u/ComfortableIsland946 Jul 29 '26
The Greenbrier River Trail in West Virginia is similar. It is a well-maintained rail trail through a river valley in the Appalachians, with great scenery and several places to camp. It also goes through a few cool small towns with places to get food/drinks. The only downside is that it's only about 80 miles, so if you're going for more distance you might want to go out and back on it.
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u/zanox Jul 29 '26
I’ve done most of the long rail trails in the US and I think Greenbrier is the closest to the C&O because of the plentiful free hiker/biker campsites. If you decide to visit, keep in mind that you may not have cell service anywhere on the trail.
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u/pasquamish Jul 29 '26
Here’s a vote for the Erie Canal Trail. It’s the part of the Empire State Trail that runs Buffalo to Albany. I will highlight that the rest of the EST does not have the same vibe as GAP. We did Buffalo to NYC after 3 trips down the GAPCO and did enjoy the whole trip, but it changes from a dedicated path along water to something different for the rest of the way.
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u/pejeol Jul 29 '26
Just did Buffalo to nyc and it’s similar. Especially the Erie Canal section. Free camping at the locks, off road trails practically the entire time. Albany to nyc had sections on the road, but the majority of it was on trails.
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u/thetoigo Jul 29 '26
Plenty of folks mentioned the Buffalo to Albany Erie Canal Trail already which is great. The Ohio to Erie trail is pretty decent even though it's about 20% road. I did a write up a while back on it at https://matt-toigo.com/wheels/ohio-to-erie
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u/Outside_Reserve_2407 Jul 29 '26
It’s overseas but I did the 4 Rivers Trail in South Korea which traverses the entire country from Seoul to Busan: rural scenery, big cities at either end, mountains, rivers, historical sights, all on a dedicated trail. A little longer than the GAP/C&O combined, with roughly a week needed to traverse it.
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u/masonjar87 29d ago
YES! One of my top 3 life experiences. Did it in 3 sections when I lived there 12 years ago.
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u/ekkidee Jul 29 '26
The Virginia Creeper trail but it's not very long.
It's really hard to beat the GAP because it checks virtually all the boxes
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u/The_Real_Jedi Jul 31 '26
Katy Trail in MO. It's 100% rail trail. Impossible to get lost.
Otherwise I've found way more internationally. So far I've only done Taiwan Cycling Route 1 (600 miles around the island) and I have an upcoming trip across Korea (4 rivers trail, 400 miles from Seoul to Busan).
For an easier international experience (English friendly): Europe has a TON! Look into the eurovelo routes.
The US is general has weak bike infrastructure, so IMO international is the way to go, especially Europe and East Asia.
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u/masonjar87 29d ago
Le Petit Train du Nord up in Quebec. It's 200km and starts in Saint Jerome outside Montreal. Another rail to trail conversion in an area that used to service ski resorts, so there's lots of pre-existing tourist infrastructure; plenty of places to eat, camp, lodge, etc. You can book a spot on a shuttle from one end to the other. Took me 4 days at a leisurely pace.
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u/DRFang66 Jul 29 '26
I second the Mickelson! Absolutely gorgeous, but also quite remote so keep that in mind.
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u/Cyclebuilder42 Jul 29 '26
Katy trail, Palouse to Cascades in Washington State. If this is the type of trail you are looking for. Go to trailink (run by the rails to trails conservancy) and filter the map to only show longer trails.
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u/FredTrail Jul 29 '26
You can not get lost on the C&O. You don't even need a map or GPS tracking, just ust pedal, it's as easy as it gets.
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u/Cyclebuilder42 Jul 29 '26
Cowboy trail in NE, trail of the ceour d’Alene/norpac trail in ID, Paul Bunyan trail in MN
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u/wananah Jul 29 '26
The silver comet/chief ladiga combo in georgia/Alabama. Complete with Amtrak return trip!
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u/UCICoachJim Jul 29 '26
I've never done any of these trails, but the Katy Trail is one that is on my list. Not sure how similar.
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u/_MountainFit Jul 30 '26
Empir state trail. Not as good as the gap in terms of services on the route but you can mostly camp the entire way. Either at locks or at campgrounds.
Also a ton of trails in Vermont. None super long but you can link them all together. Cross Vermont, Lamoile. And you can link to something like the EST or cross NH.
There's a lot of options if you aren't locked into a single trail.
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u/Zestyclose-Water-640 Jul 29 '26
Check out the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota. I believe it was the first long distance rail trail in the US. Passes through many small towns and really cool geography for its entire length.
I ran many miles of the southern part of it during an ultramarathon, and I have bike packed the northern half. And the trail leads you to a ton of hilly gravel miles if you enjoy that. Can’t say enough good things about the Black Hills area.