Washington Post lists amazing walkable cities close to DC-Cumberland among them

[SteelCityRising]

Checking TripAdvisor now, too.

Would you just recommend splurging a bit and staying right in Downtown Cumberland at the Farfield Inn vs. driving back-and-forth to LaVale?

Also want to try to bank in time now to see the C&O Canal Museum and maybe do a bit of a hike down the trail and back, so the overnighter looks to be warranted.

[SteelCityRising]

Also, it seems like everyone on TripAdvisor thinks Frostburg is a dump. Is this true?

[westsideboy]

Historically, Frostburg was a town of about 8k that served as the commercial center for the mining villages in the western part of the county. It has a pretty nice main street, but it is a "frame house" town, and doesn't offer much to look at when compared to Cumberland, a "brick house" town that was once the 2nd largest city in Maryland and still reflects this past importance in large parts of the city.

Frostburg does have the college though. The downside of this is that about 1/2 the town is dumpy old frame houses that are now college rentals. The plus side is that the college offers cultural stuff like theatre, music, dance, etc. So, consider Frostburg when planning your itinary, but it makes more sense to stay in Cumberland or LaVale.

As for the choice between the two. LaVale is only one mountain and about 5-10 minutes from Cumberland, so it is really easy to get back and forth. The biggest advantage to staying in Cumberland proper would be if you want to go out at night and walk back to your room. This wouldn't be possible in LaVale, it is a commercial strip. Fairfield or Ramada would give you the option to stumble home if you are the bar hopping type.

As for restaurants Casselman and Penn Alps in Grantsville are both money. Penn Alps is a bit more touristy, Casselman has better buckwheat cakes, IMO.

Crabby Pig is MD style seafood, blue crabs in season, good fried fish, and BBQ. The Baltimore St. Grill is popular, but never been very impressive to me. If you partner likes hot dogs, you may want to buy just one Coney Island dog and try. Some people move mountains to get them, other are less impressed. I have learned the hard way not to overhype them, since visitors don't go ga-ga for them like locals.

You are correct about downtown. Many vacant buildings, many underutilized, like a 5 story building that a Bouncy House operated out of until this year. Honestly, most of the cool little shops are on Centre St., which runs perpendicular to Baltimore St. It is normally best to visit downtown when there is an event planned. If you can't managed that, which is likely on a Tuesday, the place will be mostly empty, and probably only worth an hour or two of time plus the meal.

Lastly, my advice about hiking would be to go with the Highland Trail if you are disembarking from Cumberland over the C&O. The Highland Trail takes you to some very pretty scenery along the old WMRR right of way. The C&O Canal Trail just follows the Potomac. If you are looking for state parks, check out Rocky Gap. Ignore the Casino, and find the Lakeside loop trail. It is a nice hike.

[ki0eh]

People into hiking on natural surface trails aren't often as much into walking along the hard surfaced Great Allegheny Passage. Bone Cave is farther out walking than one might think, and it's a pretty long trudge back to the Narrows after looking only at an interpretive sign and the business end of a chain link fence.

The softer surface of the C&O towpath is less likely to result in shin splints. The C&O towpath can be boring.

One potential hike of a couple of miles to add to a walk around the center of town would head south (east, canal-wise) from Canal Place on the C&O towpath to an unmarked bridge. Turn right, cross the Potomac and walk through a dimly lit tunnel under Knobley Mtn into Carpendale, WV then turn back around and return. That could be an add on to a circle walk around to Washington St area and the park nearby with George Washington's headquarters cabin.

Walking around the lake at Rocky Gap State Park involves a lot of campground road and golf course. If you want some elevation change on a not too far out there hike try this one: Hiking in Rocky Gap State Park: The Evitts Mountain Homesite Trail | C&O Canal Adventures

A much more aggressive hike and one of the most rewarding though relatively little known would be http://www.midatlantichikes.com/id104.html - I'd abbreviate the "long version" slightly by taking a service road along the former WMRR tracks from the vicinity of Lock 58 more directly to Bill's Place.

A more moderate woods hike is http://www.midatlantichikes.com/id178.html

These hikes in a large State Forest wild area in PA are closer to Cumberland than they are to anywhere else:
http://www.midatlantichikes.com/martinhill-south.htm
http://www.midatlantichikes.com/martinhill-central.htm

I would have to agree that Frostburg is a bit underwhelming as college towns go although there are a couple of interesting old buildings on Main Street.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

People into hiking on natural surface trails aren't often as much into walking along the hard surfaced Great Allegheny Passage. Bone Cave is farther out walking than one might think, and it's a pretty long trudge back to the Narrows after looking only at an interpretive sign and the business end of a chain link fence.

The softer surface of the C&O towpath is less likely to result in shin splints. The C&O towpath can be boring.

One potential hike of a couple of miles to add to a walk around the center of town would head south (east, canal-wise) from Canal Place on the C&O towpath to an unmarked bridge. Turn right, cross the Potomac and walk through a dimly lit tunnel under Knobley Mtn into Carpendale, WV then turn back around and return. That could be an add on to a circle walk around to Washington St area and the park nearby with George Washington's headquarters cabin.

Walking around the lake at Rocky Gap State Park involves a lot of campground road and golf course. If you want some elevation change on a not too far out there hike try this one: Hiking in Rocky Gap State Park: The Evitts Mountain Homesite Trail | C&O Canal Adventures

A much more aggressive hike and one of the most rewarding though relatively little known would be http://www.midatlantichikes.com/id104.html - I'd abbreviate the "long version" slightly by taking a service road along the former WMRR tracks from the vicinity of Lock 58 more directly to Bill's Place.

A more moderate woods hike is http://www.midatlantichikes.com/id178.html

These hikes in a large State Forest wild area in PA are closer to Cumberland than they are to anywhere else:
http://www.midatlantichikes.com/martinhill-south.htm
http://www.midatlantichikes.com/martinhill-central.htm

I would have to agree that Frostburg is a bit underwhelming as college towns go although there are a couple of interesting old buildings on Main Street.

Hey now, you are giving away my secret spot This is a great little hike and a really neat little ecological area. The old train tunnel creates a micro-climate that is about 10-15 degrees cooler than the surrounding area, and has a unique assortment of trees and wildlife (lots of salamanders and frogs.)

I like the Lakeside Loop, the trick is to join the trail up by the spillway. That puts you right in the woods circling the lake. The trail head for Evitts' homestead is on that access road too. That path is one of my favorites because you get to see what is left of the old Rocky Gap gorge. I can't say I have ever hoofed it all the way to the top of Evitts Mountain to the remains of the cabin though. It is a long hike, and after a while it all starts to look the same. I personally think the lake side loop allows you to see both the water line, and gives you chances to gain some elevation too. But both are good options.

[upland]

Another great museum in Cumberland is the Allegany Museum on Pershing Street. There is a cafe on the bottom floor. Geatz's restaurant is a great C-Land restaurant as well. not classy or anything but a wide array of good food. For architecture there is obviously Washington St. But find Decatur and Greene as well to see some of the Georgetown like row housing around here.

[Borntoolate85]

Originally Posted by Dequindre

Hagerstown is walkable? I certainly wouldn't want to walk through most of Hagerstown.

I just did so last Friday after shopping at the outlets. While I did see one bail bond business just a block from the central square, its a decent place to stroll for a day and I didn't really feel unsafe. There are a few thrift stores, some restaurants, a few bars/pubs, a small plaza, a farmers' market, a couple theaters along Potomac St, and during the holiday season, some small pop-up shops. There are even some places where you can park for free, and just southwest of downtown there is a little park with an art museum. While you could spend one day and basically see it all (including the park), its a nice change of pace for those who haven't seen it, and you're always a short drive from other attractions: The Appalachian Trail, Anteitam National Battlefield, Ski Liberty and Whitetail, the C&O Canal, Martinsburg, and Frederick. The architecture reminded me a bit of Baltimore's older neighborhoods, and although there are a few rowhouses, duplexes and single family homes were more common, yet walkable since these were set right up against the sidewalk. That's what so intriguing about living in this part of the country; in addition to the big cities and inner suburbs, there are a number of outlying towns/small cities with a cultural heritage and a decent urban blueprint.

[htownterp]

Originally Posted by Borntoolate85

I just did so last Friday after shopping at the outlets. While I did see one bail bond business just a block from the central square, its a decent place to stroll for a day and I didn't really feel unsafe. There are a few thrift stores, some restaurants, a few bars/pubs, a small plaza, a farmers' market, a couple theaters along Potomac St, and during the holiday season, some small pop-up shops. There are even some places where you can park for free, and just southwest of downtown there is a little park with an art museum. While you could spend one day and basically see it all (including the park), its a nice change of pace for those who haven't seen it, and you're always a short drive from other attractions: The Appalachian Trail, Anteitam National Battlefield, Ski Liberty and Whitetail, the C&O Canal, Martinsburg, and Frederick. The architecture reminded me a bit of Baltimore's older neighborhoods, and although there are a few rowhouses, duplexes and single family homes were more common, yet walkable since these were set right up against the sidewalk. That's what so intriguing about living in this part of the country; in addition to the big cities and inner suburbs, there are a number of outlying towns/small cities with a cultural heritage and a decent urban blueprint.

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[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

Hey now, you are giving away my secret spot This is a great little hike and a really neat little ecological area. The old train tunnel creates a micro-climate that is about 10-15 degrees cooler than the surrounding area, and has a unique assortment of trees and wildlife (lots of salamanders and frogs.)

I like the Lakeside Loop, the trick is to join the trail up by the spillway. That puts you right in the woods circling the lake. The trail head for Evitts' homestead is on that access road too. That path is one of my favorites because you get to see what is left of the old Rocky Gap gorge. I can't say I have ever hoofed it all the way to the top of Evitts Mountain to the remains of the cabin though. It is a long hike, and after a while it all starts to look the same. I personally think the lake side loop allows you to see both the water line, and gives you chances to gain some elevation too. But both are good options.

That trail to Carpendale doesn't seem to be heavily promoted, with no sign off the towpath. I never knew it existed until recently - and I can say the same for Carpendale itself, for that matter.

The Rocky Gap mini-gorge is interesting - streams in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province generally don't cut through a ridge like that. I would agree that the trail itself up the ridge to the homesite isn't all that exciting between the viewpoint, the homesite, and the bottom. Some people like climbing, others don't.

The lakeside loop trail around Lake Habeeb is at least drier than most walks around state park lakes. My father-in-law's grave is in the Prosperity Church cemetery north of the amphitheater. I walked past the interpretive sign on the old road behind the hotel with someone from way out in VA and he said "oh, that was my ancestor's CSA regiment!" When some people say they like walking, some like that, and some others are more into a hike from MV Smith Rd at I-68 down to Bill's Place. So we've given them a range of options!