Things to Do in Cumberland, Maryland
The best things to do in Cumberland, Maryland, are riding the C&O Canal towpath and the Great Allegheny Passage, taking the steam train to Frostburg, and walking the Washington Street Historic District. Cumberland is a city of 19,075 people and the seat of Allegany County, on the Potomac River in the Allegheny Mountains.
Founded in 1787, Cumberland was once Maryland’s second-largest city, earning the nickname Queen City. It was a staging point for families heading west on the Cumberland Road. The C&O Canal finally reached town in 1850, eight years after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
C&O Canal National Historical Park and Cumberland Visitor Center
The 184.5-mile C&O Canal ends here, and its towpath runs all the way to Washington, D.C. The park’s visitor center at mile 184.5 sits in the old Western Maryland Railway station. Inside, you can walk through a model of the Paw Paw Tunnel and step aboard a life-size section of a canal boat.
★ Good to know The canal operated from 1831 to 1924 and needed 74 locks; even a short towpath walk from the visitor center gives you a feel for it.
Great Allegheny Passage
The GAP is a 150-mile rail trail from Cumberland to Pittsburgh on crushed limestone, with grades of no more than 2 percent. Together with the C&O towpath, it forms a 335-mile route between Pittsburgh and Washington that draws through-riders from all over.
★ Good to know The climb out of Cumberland runs uphill to the Eastern Continental Divide, so pace yourself heading west.
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
Trains leave Cumberland for a 16-mile climb to Frostburg, crossing an iron truss bridge, rounding Helmstetter’s Curve and passing through the 914-foot Brush Tunnel. The star is No. 1309, a steam locomotive built by Baldwin in 1949 and restored to service. The railroad also runs dinner trains and themed rides.
★ Good to know It runs seasonally and seats sell out, so check the schedule and book ahead, especially for fall foliage trips.
Washington Street Historic District
Six blocks of Washington Street west of downtown hold big 19th- and early 20th-century houses in nearly every major style, from Greek Revival to Queen Anne. The 35-acre district also includes the 1890s Romanesque courthouse and the remains of Fort Cumberland. The furnished 1867 Gordon-Roberts House is open as a museum.
★ Good to know Pair it with the Allegany Museum for a history-focused morning downtown.
Allegany Museum
Housed in a restored 1930s neoclassical building at 3 Pershing Street, the museum covers the history of the region where Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania meet. It fills two floors with rotating exhibits, and it hosts the Cumberland Whiskey Rebellion Festival.
★ Good to know It’s open seasonally and closed early in the week, so check hours before you go.
Rocky Gap State Park
A short drive east of the city, this 3,000-acre park sits in a rugged mountain gap around 243-acre Lake Habeeb. A mile-long gorge with sheer cliffs, overlooks and hemlock forest is the scenic highlight. The park has 278 campsites.
★ Good to know WheelzUp Adventures, based in Cumberland, has a second location in the park for rentals.
Cumberland Theatre
Western Maryland’s only regional professional theater stages musicals and dramas through the year. It’s a good way to fill an evening after a day on the trail.
Also in town
Fort Cumberland Emporium downtown sells antiques and local art, WheelzUp Adventures rents bikes and runs shuttles, and Del McCoury’s DelFest bluegrass festival has run here since 2007.
Where does the C&O Canal end?
In Cumberland, at mile 184.5. The towpath starts in Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and the National Park Service visitor center in Cumberland marks the western end.
How long is the Great Allegheny Passage?
150 miles, from Cumberland to Pittsburgh. Add the C&O towpath and you can ride about 335 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C.
Where does the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad go?
From Cumberland 16 miles west to Frostburg, over Helmstetter’s Curve and through the 914-foot Brush Tunnel, often pulled by steam locomotive No. 1309.
What other mountain towns are near Cumberland?
Oakland, in Garrett County, is farther west in the mountains; see Oakland or more small towns in Maryland.
Where to find them
- C&O Canal National Historical Park and Cumberland Visitor Center Western Maryland Railway Station, Cumberland, MD 21502 Website Directions
- Great Allegheny Passage Cumberland, MD 21502 Website Directions
- Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Cumberland, MD 21502 Website Directions
- Washington Street Historic District Washington St., Cumberland, MD 21502 Directions
- Allegany Museum 3 Pershing St., Cumberland, MD 21502 Website Directions
- Rocky Gap State Park Directions
- Cumberland Theatre Cumberland, MD 21502 Directions
Plan your trip: for events and current visitor info in Cumberland, see the official visitor site →
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