Maybe you are familiar with the Great Allegheny Passage rail trail, but this is a whole new experience!
Are you looking for a fun fall day trip with an original leaf peeping twist and a delicious pit stop?
Get ready to ride the rail bikes in western Maryland!
History and Location
For rail biking, you’ll want to head to Tracks and Yaks in Frostburg, Maryland.
The business is located inside the big red train depot at 19 Depot Street in Frostburg, just off Route 68. From Pittsburgh, you’ll have around a 2-hour drive.
The Cornucopia Cafe, Penn Alps restaurant, and craft shops are just 20 minutes away at 125 Casselman Road.
Rail Biking
I have been wanting to rail bike ever since I saw a photo in one of those free travel magazines you find at rest stops. It looked so fun!
Once we had an extra day off, I was ready to go!
Fortunately, Tracks and Yaks’ website makes it easy to reserve a spot on one of their rail bike excursions.
You can quickly see which trips, dates, and times are available. Based on the season, you can select from a variety of different trips and trip lengths.
Some seasonal trips include regular pedal biking or kayaking, and some include a fireside social. The shortest trip lasts 1 1/2 hours and covers around 7 miles, while the longest is 4 hours long and covers 15 miles.
Because we were interested in leaf peeping for the afternoon, we opted for the Woodcock Hollow Express. This is one of the shortest and least expensive options, coming in at 1 1/2 hours and 7 miles.
Cost breakdown:
$89.00 Tandem Rail Bike (you don’t pay per person)
$ 1.00 Administration Free
$ 9.90 Taxes and Fees
$99.90 Total
You’re asked to arrive 20 minutes early to the red depot building. There, you’ll sign a waiver and listen to a brief safety talk.
You can also see the trains coming and going from the main tracks, which kids will probably appreciate as much as Russ did!
Remember to check the forecast and dress for the weather, as the whole trip is out in the elements, zipping along a set of railroad tracks. We had multiple layers on that day, and even pedaled through some light rain.
You board the rail bikes right on the track, and they look a little intimidating at first.
Once you board, you have a seatbelt to adjust and fasten so you don’t slide off. You can also adjust your seat so you’re close to the pedals. There’s a small basket in between the seats where you can stash a small purse or a few phones.
The brake bar is off to the right-hand side of the seat, and it doesn’t take much to slow down the rail bike (lest you think you’ll be careening down the open rails like we did at first).
And then you’re off!
This particular trip was mostly flat with a slight decline, so we didn’t need to pedal like mad.
That gave us plenty of time to do the leaf peeping we came for!
We were never creeping along or going too fast – we were easily able to maintain a comfortable speed.
For most of the trip, we were next to the Great Allegheny Passage, our home bike trail.
At one point, we passed over the trail for a very scenic fall view:
At the end of 7 miles of autumn splendor, we were treated to some apple cider and lemonade before boarding the shuttle bus back to the depot.
PIT STOP! The Cornucopia Café
After all the rail bike riding and leaf peeping, you’ll be thrilled to find a few interesting places to dine not too far away.
Take the exit off Route 68 for the Penn Alps in Grantsville, just a 20-minute drive from Tracks and Yaks.
For a more traditional menu and an artisan craft shop, stop at the Penn Alps.
Right across the street, you can also meander through a small craft artisan village.
Just across the street, you’ll find The Shops at Little Crossings and the Cornucopia Café.
Since we had eaten at the Penn Alps Restuarant a few years before, we opted to try the Cornucopia Café this time around.
And we were not disappointed!
Both the Mexican steak salad and the roasted turkey caprese panini were delish, in good portions, and served quite quickly.
Take a look at the menu when we visited:
The Last Word
The rail bikes at Tracks and Yaks and the great menu at the Cornucopia Café made for a fantasic fall day in western Maryland.
Let this be a sign to make your reservations now and head out for an autumn adventure!
