Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail 28 ish to 32-Sand Patch to Meyersdale

Mile 28 ish to 29-Sand Patch Parking, Creek, and a Turtle

Sand Patch is just a little parking area with little else. But a nice place to start a day.

As you walk/bike towards Meyersdale, you start on a straight away….

With wonderful views of the top of the mountain.

A nice bridge up a head goes over a creek.

With an old rail road bridge which is slowing getting eaten away with plants and age.

Down stream the creek is full of little white flower flakes floating down to a new home.

The trail turns to the right again…

On the side of the trail a turtle is getting a little bit of the last sun of the day.

The top of the little mountain in front of you is the next bit of the trail which you will be going around.

So, as the trail winds to the right for a bit…

Following the creek which you can just see through the thick trees.

With a Christmas tree on the side to bring back memories of Christmas past.

Entering a straight away…

You arrive at the Mile 29 marker.

Mile 29-Flaugherty Creek, Telegraph Poles, Rock Walls, and Keystone Viaduct.

The trail goes a bit to the right after the Mile marker.

Which takes you to another bridge with the creek under it.

The creek is nice to take a moment and relax.

The trail is going around the mountain to the left for a bit.

You have to really look up to see the top of the mountain…

Plus you have to look down the other side to see the creek through the trees plus you have the telegraph poles along the way.

It feels like a blanket of green surrounding you as you go around the mountain.

With little rock cropping out and telegram poles in the back ground.

The a little to the left…

And a little to the left as you curve around the mountain.

The creek is below and has a wonderful sound as you walk along.

It just so enjoyable.

Once in a well you can see the old rail road items that have been left behind.

Coming out of the forest to the Keystone Viaduct with a wonderful bench to rest on if you have a moment.

This is one of the longest walks over a bridge that I have taken in a long time.

But the view is pretty but so high up.

The first part is over the creek and the road below but then the bridge comes into view and it is just over the rail road tracks.

The bridge was once used for two trains to go through at a time but only one side is open for the trail.

If you are coming from Meyersdale, then you see the bridge after you come through a valley of rocked walls.

The other side of the bridge is left open to see the architectural details.

As you leave the bridge and get back to the trail…

With rock walls that…

Are very way up above you.

And the Mile 30 marker which is almost hidden.

Mile 30-Bollman Bridge, Butterfly, and Rock Walls

Going through the valley with a turn to the right.

A bit of a straight away.

The side has a bit of a forested area.

Telegraph poles along the way.

The trail goes to the left for a bit.

But another bridge comes into view.

The Bollman Bridge is an iron Bridge that was built in 1871.

The bridge was original over Wills Creek east of Meyersdale but moved in 1910.

In 2006, the 81 foot long 13 foot wide foot wide bridge was moved to the current spot for the trail looking down on the valley below.

Then a turn to the left.

Which keeps going to the left.

But with a great little picnic area.

Plus Butterflies in the fields.

And a bit more to the left…lol

Then finally a great little straight away.

With a little white flowered bush.

Then a short little valley with rock walls.

I love the rock walls.

I love seeing the tree roots breaking through the rocks.

As you come out of the valley of rocks you go to your right.

And keep going to your left with little white flowery bushes.

A bit more to the left and at the end of the turn.

You arrive at Mile 31 marker.

Brief History

Wendel Bollman was a self taught civil engineer who started on the rail roads as a young man but ended up patenting the “Bollman Truss” bridge.

The Bollman Bridge on this section of the trail is made with the Warren truss system. But Bollman himself was a man of his time. When his father died, he quit school to go to work to help support himself and his family. He was eleven years old at the time.

A few years later, he would start working as a carpenter for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as a carpenter as the B&O as the B&O started to lay track towards Pittsburgh.

The early bridges for the B&O Railroad where of stone or wood bridges but by 1848, Mr. Bollman would become was made responsible for all the bridges on the line and slowly change them to iron.

Mr. Bollman most famous bridge would be at Harpers Ferry but would be replaces several times during the Civil War as it was a frequent targeted for destitution. Over time, all the bridges that Mr. Bollman made were replaced by iron bridges due to the locomotives becoming heavier and steel becoming cheaper.

The only Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge still standing today is in Savage, Maryland but only because the Savage industrial boom ended before it was replaced by steel. The bridge along the trail was built while Bollman was in charge but the design was not his.

The only reason that it survived is because it was repurposed as a road bridge and then moved again to its current location to be repurposed again for the trail.

Mile 31-A Little Country Road with Great Views and Meyersdale

The trail feels like you are closed in as you exit the valley.

The trail leads to the left for a bit.

But the trees change a bit as you go.

As you open up to a straight away…you can hear the creek to your right but you can’t see it.

To the left, you have a view of the mountains but during June, the greenery is a bit thick.

The trail leads to the right again.

With a little farm off to the side.

And keeps going to the right until it opens to…

A bit of a straight away.

On this part of the straight away, there was a snake earlier in the day which was getting everyone to stay at Meyersdale for a bit.

The straight away opens up to a road.

With a bit of a short path to the next road.

Meyersdale visitor center. (Note: Due to Covid-19, the centers hours are a bit irregular and subject to change.)

Meyersdale is the highest point in Pennsylvania. It is also a trail town and down the street two to three short blocks is ice cream, cafes, and anything else you may need.

During early March check out the Pennsylvania Maple Festival. Not the perfect time to take the trail but a wonderful local custom which includes an Indian attack, a hoedown, and maple syrup!!!!

The train is available to go into when open.

Just pass the visitor center is the Mile 32 marker.