We stayed at the Little Orleans Lodge while bicycling the C&O canal. The owner, Steve Huebner, is an amazing wealth of information about local history, wildlife, geography, and the C&O canal trail. He has a wonderful dry sense of humor and goes out of his way to be helpful. For example, he volunteered to drive us to the nearby restaurant for supper (and pick us up afterwards), saving us the bicycle ride up a steep hill in the rain. When we left, Steve gave us all sorts of useful tips on where to stop for lunch, what to see on the trail, and so on. Earlier, when I made the reservation, he loaned us a copy of his DVDs and a book about the trail. We also used him as a shuttle service to take us from the end of the trail in Cumberland MD back to our car in the Washington DC area.

Steve wakes up at 3 am to bake bread, and the breakfast consisted of absolutely delicious French toast. The building is not a fancy Victorian mansion, nor are the rooms full of the antiques of a traditional B&B. This is a lodge, located in a secluded and wild place, designed to assist bicyclists, hikers, and bird watchers. I appreciated the magazines laying around—Audubon, Birder, National Geographic…definitely in the character of the place.

From the point of view of a bicyclist riding the C&O canal trail, Little Orleans is in an ideal location, 45 miles from Cumberland. In rainy and muddy conditions, 45 miles is a good day’s ride on a fat-tired bike with loaded panniers, while riding all the way from Cumberland to Hancock, a 63 mile stretch, might be a bit much.

We stayed at the Little Orleans while cycling the C&O Canal Towpath. It was cozy, clean, and comfortable and located in a beautiful setting. The owner, Steve, was charming and very helpful. We had gotten caught in an all-day downpour and were wet, cold, muddy, and dispirited. Steve picked us up, along with our bikes, let us wash them off and do our laundry. He was knowledgeable about the bicycle route and surrounding area. Drove us to his favorite overlook and to dinner at a great restaurant in Hancock. Even lent us shoes because ours were soaked! Breakfast was quite good and made to order, since we wanted oatmeal--better and more healthful than the fat-laden, overly-rich frou-frou fare often served at B&Bs. Highly recommended--don't miss it if you're cycling the C&O.

We stayed here with our spouses when we accompanied them on a biking trip. i am sure the place is great for a bunch of men but honestly the place was a dump. It wasn't dirty but there was clutter everywhere. Steve was a very nice man and was knowledgeable about the area though and very talkative. The breakfast was mediocre but plenty of it! I do not recommend this place for romance or anything other than needing a place to rest your weary head after a day of biking!

I stayed at the Little Orleans Lodge when I was hiking the entire C&O Canal two summers ago, by myself. It was fine! I'm surprised to see the terribly negative reviews from folks, because I found the place very comfortable and clean, and the owner was extremely helpful, down-to-earth, genuine, and friendly. He knew a great deal about hiking and biking the Canal (and other local trails), and he was very good at offering advice just when it was valued. I really enjoyed my stay there and appreciated his advice and help.