The corridor along the abandoned Western Maryland Railway line is a mecca for activity. When you hop aboard the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, cycle along the Great Allegheny Passage, or pedal along with Tracks and Yaks, you’ll travel this 16‐mile stretch from Cumberland’s Western Maryland Railway Station to the Frostburg Depot, through some of Allegany County’s most scenic and historic (or prehistoric) landscapes, like the Cumberland Narrows, a unique sandstone cliffside giving way to the 900‐foot deep gorge known as Will Creek. The gorge was formed over thousands of years from a stream eroding the surface and became a natural passageway through the Appalachian mountains due to its unique topography. Pass by Helmstetter’s Curve, a 180‐degree horseshoe curve along the Western Maryland Railway line known as one of the most famous railroad landmarks east of the Mississippi River. Find Bone Cave along the route to learn more about the saber‐toothed cat discovered at this site, now on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Ice Age Mammal exhibit. There are three ways to explore this corridor and plenty of opportunities to plan so you can experience each in one trip!
WESTERN MARYLAND SCENIC RAILROAD
The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad offers a three‐hour round trip excursion from Cumberland to Frostburg and back, carrying you through the Cumberland Narrows and off through the Allegheny mountain range for a scenic experience of Mountain Maryland. Their fully‐restored 1309 steam engine, the largest operating locomotive of its type in the world, made its long‐anticipated debut and is ready to welcome guests for the 2022 season. Book your experience for the Frostburg Flyer, Murder Mystery dinner trains, the Ice Cream trains, or the Polar Express™, or take advantage of services with Tracks and Yaks to have your bicycle shuttled to Frostburg for a relaxing ride back down to Cumberland on the Great Allegheny Passage Trail.
*Photo by Ryan Brenneman
Tracks and YAKS
Tracks and Yaks is Maryland’s only rail biking excursion where guests can leisurely pedal aluminum rail bikes on the railroad tracks along the Western Maryland Railway corridor. Excursions take about 2‐2.5 hours and offer a unique way to explore the scenic passage with iconic sites like the Mount Savage overlook, the Brush Tunnel, and Helmstetter’s Curve along the way. Book the Queen City Combo, where you pedal the railbikes from the Frostburg Depot to the Western Maryland Railway Station in Cumberland and take the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad back to Frostburg.
Great allegheny Passage
The Great Allegheny Passage, affectionately known as the GAP Trail, is an award‐winning and internationally recognized bike and pedestrian trail that runs from Pittsburgh, PA, to Cumberland, MD, where it connects to the C&O Canal Towpath for another 184.5 miles to Washington, DC. The trail is made of mostly packed, crushed limestone, suitable for most bicycle types. Work with the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and Tracks and Yaks for shuttles and combo trips.