Great Allegheny Passage
Allegheny County
Three Rivers Heritage Trail
Washington’s Landing Trail
Other Trails
Trail Length: 150 miles
A Pathway to Economic Recovery
Trail Surface: Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone For a detailed list of waypoints, including trailheads, restrooms, food and beverages, parking and other services, go to gaptrail.org . Tunnel
Pittsburgh
U.S. Bicycle Route 50/ Clairton Connector
McKeesport
Boston
Clairton
Greensburg
n t r
Westmoreland County
Sutersville
For centuries, the railroads that connected the cities and towns along the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP, gaptrail.org), provided eco- nomic prosperity by carrying coal and timber away. Today, following the decline of these regional indus- tries, the trail is delivering economic recovery in the form of recreation and tourism. According to a 2021 report, every mile of the 150-mile trail creates more than $800,000 in economic value a year, or $121 mil - lion total. That means the GAP now generates more money each year than it originally cost to create. These dollars are spent in trailside restaurants, hotels, gift stores and bike shops, where 1,393 employees across five Appalachian counties earn a living wage in roles supported by GAP tourism. According to Bryan Perry, the executive director of the Great Allegheny Passage, about 60% of trail-facing businesses were formed between 2010 and 2019, a period of time that spans the GAP’s completion in 2013. “There was this energy building as we were nearing completion,” Perry said. “Entrepreneurs were saying ‘there’s a market here’ and launching distilleries, coffee shops, bike shops.” One of those entrepreneurs was Angela Bonnell, a Confluence, Pennsylvania, resident who opened Sunshine Luggage Shuttle (sunshineluggageshuttle.com) in 2012, transporting bags from inn to inn while GAP goers enjoy the trail—and a lightened load.
Bright Morning Bed & Breakfast
West Newton
Smithton
Somerset County
Connellsville Chateau Connellsville
Dawson
The Gingerbread House Bed & Breakfast
Somerset
Sheepskin Trail
Fayette County
Rockwood
Ohiopyle State Park Ohiopyle
Uniontown
Morguen Toole Company Hotel Donges Drive-In & Motel
Meyersdale
Confluence
Smith House Inn
PENNSYLVANIA MARYLAND
Youghiogheny River Lake
Frostburg
Hotel Gunter
Cumberland The Inn on Decatur
PENNSYLVANIA Area of Detail
Allegany County
MARYLAND
WEST VIRGINIA
0
10
20
miles
VIRGINIA
“I needed a job where my kids could come with me,” said the mother of four. “Since I appreciated the trail already, creating a business centered around it made perfect sense.” In the last 13 years, Bonnell’s busi- ness has grown; today she provides a luggage shuttle along the C&O Canal Towpath (rtc.li/c-o-canal) and the Ohio to Erie Trail (rtc.li/ ohio-erie). The business, she said, “has helped my family, and I have what we need to thrive in this area, and I’ve enjoyed more time with my children because of it.” It’s not just business owners who have benefited from the trail. State, county and local governments re- ceive about $9 million in tax revenue from GAP tourism each year, and
home prices along the trail have ris- en nearly twice as much compared to state averages, even as the pop- ulation in these areas has fallen. The median home value in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, a trail town with a crop of new trail-related business- es, has risen by approximately 42% in just six years. For residents along the trail, the GAP provides safe and accessible recreation opportunities in a rural region with challenging topogra- phy. It’s also brought a more diverse selection of businesses and restau- rants to these communities, as well as an increased sense of home- town pride. That might be why, in the 2021 survey, 93% of residents agreed with the statement, “The GAP makes my community more vibrant.”
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