DESTINATION
Uncommon Accommodations The Cutest, Quaintest and Quirkiest Stays Along the Great Allegheny Passage
Chateau Connellsville, Connellsville A century ago, the three-story, neo-Gothic brick building at 114 N. Prospect St. in Connellsville (chateauconnellsville.com) was teem- ing with nuns. Completed in 1924, the Immaculate Conception convent housed an order of Benedictine sisters who staffed the adjacent school and served the Southwest Pennsylvania community for 60 years. Fast forward to 2025, and the former convent is now stuffed with a different kind of devotee— cyclists. Recently reopened as Chateau Connellsville, the fully remodeled boutique hotel offers 10 themed suites. Choose an art deco, midcentury modern, Victorian or even a groovy ’70s suite (complete with multicolored afghan) for your post-trail time-out. At night, guests fall asleep more easily knowing their bikes are secure in a locked storage room, and in the morning, a free breakfast awaits at the nearby Comfort Inn, adjacent to the GAP. GAP, meaning even more visitors can fall in love with this quaint trail town, 35 miles south of Pittsburgh.
By Ashley Stimpson
Easy peddling, riverside picnics and sweeping panoramas are the hallmarks of long days spent on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP, gaptrail.org), which stretches 150 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cumberland, Maryland. But evenings along the trail can be just as memorable. From a beautifully restored convent to a combination diner and motel—and charming inns galore—these unique stays prove that the adventure doesn’t have to end at the trailhead.
PENNSYLVANIA
Bright Morning Bed & Breakfast, West Newton If it were any closer to the trail, Bright Morning Bed & Breakfast at 127 Jefferson Court in West Newton (brightmorningbb.com) would be in the middle of it. Cheer on other thru-riders from your room in one of the inn’s four adjacent restored homes, where a homemade breakfast and secure bike barn come standard with every stay. Just across the trail, visitors can find a restaurant and beer garden; the West Newton Bicycle Shop is less than a block away. The B&B’s new owners have recently remodeled a six-bedroom guesthouse right on the Youghio- gheny River a short stroll down the
Smith House Inn, Confluence
PHOTOS: From top: Great Allegheny Passage (gaptrail.org); Chateau Connellsville in Pennsylvania; The Gingerbread House in Rockwood, Pennsylvania; Morguen Toole Company Hotel in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania | Ashley Stimpson (4).
The teeny town of Confluence, Pennsylvania, is the meeting place of the Laurel Hill Creek and
Rails to Trails MAGAZINE | FALL 2025
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