Just a glimpse at the map should tell you you’re in for a treat. See the contour lines delineating the steep-sided, twisting valleys? See the treecover clinging to the valley sides? See the bridges and tunnels, campgrounds and cafés?

Now turn on the elevation profile and see how all of this – mountain scenery, forest riding and railroad architecture – is yours for 150mi (240km) with the gentlest of gradients throughout, whichever way you ride it.

It’s hard to pick scenic highlights, but the closing in of the Cumberland Narrows at the trail’s eastern end, the swooping arc of Helmstetter’s Curve, the several bridges and tunnels (including the fabulously named Big Savage Tunnel), and the waterfalls of Ohiopyle are all eminently snappable.

Pieced together from a series of rail trails since the 1980s, the GAP (as it’s universally known) is a route popular with family day-trippers and long-distance tourists alike. Most of it is in Pennsylvania, but its last few miles in Maryland connect to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath, which continues the traffic-free riding all the way to Washington DC.

The surface is mostly the ubiquitous crushed limestone which makes for easy riding except in wetter conditions. A few miles in urban areas are fully paved.

A ‘Trail Towns’ initiative highlights a dozen towns small and large with food, accommodation and bike shops, giving flexibility for planning your trip. E-bike charging is becoming an increasingly frequent sight.

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