Tracks and Yaks

Had a wonderful time! Definitely will recommend to friends. Free Internet to just relax at night and watch the ipad. Trail riding was a blast….highly recommend. Chicken salad and ice cream was to die for! Overall a wonderful getaway for under $350.00. We drove 3.5 hours and would do it again! Highly recommend restaurant approx 1 mile away - Sand Springs Saloon and Restaurant, be sure to make reservations ahead of time as we did. If you haven’t been here go……it’s relaxing and fun. We will be back !! Shout out to the staff and guides they were wonderful. So much history to be heard. The museum of carriage is beautiful! Thank you all!!

Such a unique and fun experience! It’s practically all downhill (Helmstetter Hotshot tour) so you do not need to be in good shape for this activity! You can just relax and enjoy the scenic ride with mountains and windmills on the horizon and even through a tunnel! The staff is so friendly and knowledgeable! Safety is a priority for them . They ensure proper seat adjustments before starting and do brake checks as well and even have safety checkpoints along the way to ensure riders are safe! Staff also notice enough to offer photo ops, too! We had ice cream across the street at the end which was a nice way to bring the tour to a close! I would definitely recommended!

Loved our tour even in the pouring rain! Did the Queen City Combo...train ride up, lunch in Frostburg then rail bike back...only complaint is the music on the train...we were sitting in the open car and would have loved relaxing to the sounds of nature and the rain instead of listening to loud/obnoxious music. Other than that, the tour was amazing and the employees went above and beyond to make the experience enjoyable.

We loved rail biking! The activity and tour guides were awesome! We hope to be back many times! It is an affordable and unique experience! We traveled 1.5 hours one way for this experience and it was well worth it. I cannot recommend it enough!

We enjoyed the Helmstetter Hotshot yesterday late afternoon with Tracks & Yaks in Frostburg! A few notes - sunscreen, water and closed toe shoes are key. Guests, sign your waivers BEFORE arrival via email because our group was held up by 30 minutes because of numerous people who didn't complete this simple task ahead of time and as a result, this pushed our tour start back. It's rude and affects others in group. The Tracks & Yaks team emails the waiver as soon as you sign up; simply review and sign electronically. This will keep everything on time for all involved. The bikes are very simple to use and operate, and the team provides instruction prior to send off. The staff remain with you throughout the ride on bikes or the short bus. The bikes will rattle throughout the ride, this is normal! Nothing to be alarmed by. The views are spectacular. I would love to do this again in the Fall, the scenery would be lovely. Overall, peddling was a breeze with just two of us, and even just one at a time. Braking is done via hand-brake, which is also simple. Another, important, note - guests, please keep the pace with the entire group. Yes, you can chat with your friends but it shouldn't cause you to stop peddling and thus create a 1,500 ft gap between the group in front. This also happened yesterday and we were unfortunately behind a group of four women who thought this behavior was appropriate. We could tell the staff were frustrated, although they remained very polite and professional, however they kept with the group trying to encourage them to actually peddle the bikes. Again, it's a group tour and we should be at a similar pace. It's not rocket science folks ;) Now, the team yesterday were all exceptional! We were provided insight and history of the Town of Mt. Savage, the railroad, the carts and the area. Each team member we interacted with thanked us for joining and welcomed us for a future ride. The hiccups along the wait (late start, slow pace) were caused by the other guests, not the Tracks & Yaks team whatsoever; we thoroughly enjoyed our experience and look forward to returning!

This was sooo much better than expected. There were 5 of us -15 & 5year old. Mom & dad and me -Grandma! Im the one in the middle - grandpa passed in 2019 just before covid was annouced in the US. He would have loved this. Anywoo, its not at all hard to peddle. Nope, you wont go flying off the tracks around curves cause you are traveling tooo fast. Now there is a possiblity of ramming into that not so sweet couple in front of you whose mad as a hungry Tasmanian Devil fighting for a mate, but we wont do that. Nope we won't do it. Anywho, there are chaperones riding those fancy motorized bikes, along side and in front to make sure everyone is safe at bike, pedestrian and yes, train crossings. There was a beautiful fully functional stream engine pulling in as we were about to depart. I took pictures! The ride down the mountain, at a grade of 3%, leveled out at 1%. We definitely took the scenic route. Small waterfalls, a running brooke, wild flowers, historical villages, and the mountains themselves, made for a very refreshing event. It was 84°, a clear sunny sky the day I visited. Felt like 75° under the covering of trees. At the end of the ride, there was a bus awaiting our arrival, to take us back up the mountain. The driver was a nice white haired man. He was kind and happy. Do remember to bring cash, if you're anything like me, youre gonna want to tip the driver.... this economy is crazy. $7 eggs! They were just 99 cents... geez. Anywhooo -if you are able tip your driver. Make somebodys day. Enjoy the ride. We're coming back in the fall as the leaves show off thier glorious colors~ Hope to see you there.

Our family has a blast. We chose the easy downhill ride. It was so much easier than we anticipated however it was good we did it and now know pretty much anyone can do it. We had a Quad and with all our weight there was minimal effort needed. I would recommend this to pretty much any fitness level. We will be back to try other rides again! All the staff were so friendly and knowledgeable and made the trip fun.

We don't live very far from Frostburg, but this has been on our to-do list for a bit. The staff were so friendly and it was such a a pleasant, unique experience. I definitely look forward to coming back!

Fun and unique experience. Never imagined an experience like this. The company really had experience and thought things through. My recommendation though is to come in spring or summer time. We came here during winter. I spent more time trying to get feeling in my face than enjoying the scenery. But it was still a fun experience! They have bathrooms at the check in point so don't have to worry about that. Plenty of parking too.

The scenery was beautiful, but that's about the only positive thing I can say about this experience. We decided to check this place out after seeing it on social media and made the effort to drive a couple of hours out of the city early on a Sunday morning. The day started with a quick safety briefing, and it seemed promising at first since most of the ride is downhill, so not much effort is required. However, things took a dangerous turn when the car behind us lost its brakes and slammed into us. The impact left me with back pain for days afterward. To make matters worse, another car in our group actually derailed, which was terrifying to witness. Afterward, I looked up reviews and saw that derailments and other safety issues are actually pretty common here. It's clear that Tracks and Yaks needs to address serious safety concerns, such as adding a secondary brake system or improving their overall maintenance. Unfortunately, because they make you sign a waiver, there's no accountability for these types of incidents. I wouldn't recommend this experience to anyone until they take safety more seriously. A nice view just isn't worth the risk.

What a neat thing to do! I've never seen something like this before. We happen to be in western MD already and was driving 2.5 hours to get home so we stopped here for the 90min/7mile ride. I feel like the ride itself wasn't very long. Maybe only took 40mins and then they had a shuttle bus take us back. We started late because it took some time to set up everyone. My family of 5 got separated into a quad and duo, sad they didn't try to seat us together. But we saw other groups got seated together. Regardless it was a super easy leisure ride. We barely had to pedal. Not much energy was exerted. I'm 5'5" and I could barely reach the pedals. So I don't know if this is family friendly. Like how would kids reach it? I felt like we braked more than pedal just because we kept catching up to the group in front of us. Not sure why or how we caught up to them so easily. The views were nice. Saw some mountain sides and the foliage. We came on a beautiful day. Majority of this ride is shaded which was nice. The track went along a trail, so you saw a bunch of runners and bikers along the way. I'm happy we came to experience this ride! But if you live far, I wouldn't say this 90 min ride is worth the drive. Maybe if you took one of their other longer tours it would be more worth it! It was just too quick.

Super unique experience, but not as expected. We felt mislead. Overall, we had a lot of fun, the perfect day with the perfect weather. We chose the 90-minute/7 mile option. This was mostly because we were driving down from Pittsburgh and getting there for the longer one (at 9 a.m.) seemed more difficult. That said, I'm not sure it was worth it for us. That 7-mile trip took about 40 minutes on the rail bike. The shuttle (school bus) ride back felt like it took longer. It seems a little dishonest the way this rail bike is advertised. If we had have known that it would only be 40 minutes, we wouldn't have driven almost 2 hours for this--at least not the shorter one. It isn't hard. This was nothing close to exercise, so don't worry about exerting yourself. If one or two people didn't pedal, you'd be fine. Not a ton of great views. Honestly, I was expecting a lot more of that. But it wasn't a dealbreaker. If you're close by, give it a shot. I definitely wouldn't choose the "90 minute" option either way. It would be nicer if the longer option started later. Maybe more people would come from out of town.

A fun little adventure in Berlin. You will work but not super hard. Definitely the dual is better than the quads. Everyone on the quads said it was hard to pedal. We worked on the dual but super hard.

My daughter and her family brought me here for my birthday. Everything was great. From the sign in to the bus ride back, all 6 of us were treated perfectly. I rode with my 5 year granddaughter and all safety measures were addressed. The fall colors were gorgeous and the tunnel was memorable as everyone chimed in to sing "Happy Birthday " . The echo made it amazing. Most of the rail was downhill too. 5 star experience for me today.

A lot of fun! The workers that ride with you ( on a separate rail bike) are fun, knowledgeable and nice. Make sure you arrive 30 minutes early ( got a phone call en route) . It was definitely a work out but not too taxing. Eastern Shore scenery. 6 miles in Berlin is plenty. Visit to downtown after - cute town with ice cream, shops and bars. Also you can run to Ocean City - just a quick 20 minute ride

This was a great time. My wife had been trying to get me there all year. We had a blast. It was a great fall day beautiful weather Bunch of laughs. Stoped at the overlook and got a pretty great history lesson of the area , trail and the rail. Mr Fishel​ you and crew did a outstanding job yesterday. Highly recommended..

Setup: I was able to make a reservation super easy on the Tracks and Yaks website the day before we decided to go. tracksandyaks.com/ Everything from pricing to their different length rides, to rides with tubing or bikes. Even a nice cross promotion with their new operations in Berlin, MD down by Ocean City. Day Of: There is a parking lot right by the station in Frostburg that maybe (?) gets crowded on days when the Western Maryland is also running or there are other events going on, but for us it was a breeze as our time only had three bikes going out. Quick check-in and waiver signature once we got inside the station and they do have various drinks, snacks and merch to buy along with real bathrooms and port-o-pots. About 10-15 minutes before go-time, we got a safety briefing along with a bit of history and because everyone was already there, we left early. The Ride: (We've done several other railbike lines in PA, NJ and NY prior to coming here so the concept for us was by no means foreign.) What's great about this ride is the scenery is top notch. Getting to go through Brush Tunnel, seeing the Mount Savage Overlook and going around Helmstetter's Curve. Each of those are fantastic and unique vantage points for things you really can't see/experience on any other railbike lines that I'm aware of. Unlike other lines we've been on, and partially due to only having three bikes riding, everyone was spaced out and keeping their distance between bikes nicely. Doing this provides a better experience and not every rail bike company talks about this prior to departure. This far too often leads to people thinking that bumper cars or riding the tail of the bike in front of them is ok, when it's very much not. If I can hear about your dinner plans or catch a good whaff of your B.O., you're too damn close. What's not ok about this ride are the bikes themselves. Compared to the bikes that Revolution Rail or Rail Explorers use, these seem...flimsy and/or not well maintained or poorly put together. On the bike we were riding, two out of the three riders had their chain pop off multiple times. We attempted to DIY it on our own while moving with some success, but ultimately, at a crossing with a member of staff present, he suggested I change to a different seat because the tension device for the chain was unfixable in the moment. He was able to get my wife's back on permanently but still, two out of three chains coming off over and over for more than half the ride is a bit much. But in a way, that only matters so much since this line is basically 100% downhill. If everyone is spaced out far enough, comparatively minimal peddling is needed. One other fwiw, while they mention two hours being needed for the Helmstetter Hotshot ride, we were back at the station and in our car in less than ninety minutes. Overall, we had a good time. The staff seemed nice enough, the scenery is fantastic and even though we had some issues with the equipment, at some point we'll definitely make the trip down to Berlin to give their other ride a try.

This is a nice unique adventure. We chose the express package and rode 10 miles on the rail carts and then a 3 mile kayak float. The cart ride was really easy and the scenery was great- Riding through the Brush tunnel was certainly the highlight for us. There was a 10-15 minute shuttle ride to the kayak drop off point and it was fantastic as well. They had everything set up for our group when we arrived. We just had to hop in and go! In all- a very nice staff and great experience.

Yesterday was our first trip. What a great experience! Beautiful weather, beautiful scenery! The guys working there were outstanding and friendly. Brian F. went above and beyond. There was a couple in front of us that wasn't happy about anything. Brian handled them very well, made many of recommendations to please them. Definitely worth doing again!!

This was my first time doing this activity with this company and it was awesome!!!!! By me being only 4"10 I had to slouch down in my seat to reach the paddle. And my boyfriend wears a size 15 shoe so his big feet knocked the chain off a couple of times but the staff was right there to help which was a very easy fix that took less than 2 minutes. Really nice for couples or groups. I definitely recommend this establishment and will be returning as many times as I can. T.Nicole

We had a wonderful time on this adventure. The staff was very helpful and linked two cars together so our party of eight could stay together. The scenery was beautiful and thankfully the weather was great. If you are looking for a fun and different adventure I highly recommend this.

Ride at your own risk! For the first half of the ride, one of our brakes locked up, so we had to work really hard to get down to the halfway mark. They dismantled that brake, leaving us with just one function break, which was fine. The second half, both the front riders' chains fell off the pedals, so our backseat riders had to do all the peddling. Also, the cart behind us lost its brakes completely and slammed into our cart at full speed, which then caused our cart to hit the one in front of us. I'm a bit sore today from it. Not only did the bike behind us lose its brakes completely, but part of their cart broke off as they were peddling down the hill, and one of them lost their chain as well. For as much money as this trip cost, I would expect them to maintain their equipment a little bit better. The scenery is gorgeous though. UPDATED REVIEW: the customer service rep took care of addressing our issues. I'm happy with that aspect of the company. We'll give them another try.

Absolutely amazing fun time. You need not be concerned about your physical condition or bike riding skills. If you can sit and relax you will have the time of your life. We went in the fall during the fall colors and the views are amazing. You coast most of the way down the tracks and hardly ever have to pedal. When u do need to pedal it is very brief and easy. If you have the 2 or 4 person thingy then only one person really needs to pedal. And again it is very little pedaling at all. Go and ride the rails and have a great time. Bring lots of friends.

This place was wonderful! I was searching for something like this for so long but didn't want to make the drive so when I found out how close these guys were I jumped at the opportunity. The booking process was very simple and explained how everything worked. When we first got there we checked in, waited for everyone to get there and had a rundown of the safety guidelines and how the trip would work. Mark, one of the guides, was very informative and helped out with any questions we may have had. You aren't super close to other groups so you have privacy without feeling lost. Throughout the trip, there are several stops to see the scenery and get a lesson on the area. During our ride, I lost my hat because of the wind, it wasn't a big deal at all to me, but the other guide Daren was lovely and looked for it on his way back and found it! Highly recommend this rail bike and I will definitely be back.

What a fun day! Great staff and a nice ride. Would recommend and go again. Would be lovely in the fall months when the leaves are changing.

We did this yesterday and had a fantastic time! Yes, you go down hill most of the time but you will need to peddle near the end. It was a great workout though! Crew was fantastic and friendly, bikes worked great, and we had no issues. Train ride back was so cool. I can't wait to do this again with grandkids!

Great fun. We took the Queen City Combo, using the pedal cars downhill and the scenic railroad back to Frostburg. We might go do it again sometime.

We rode the bike rail today and had a great time! We were a group of 10 ranging from age 2 to 62 and everyone enjoyed it!! It was such a fun and pleasant ride! The staff was great! They were all friendly, informative and very helpful. I highly recommend this to everyone for a fun day!! Thank you to the staff for making this so much fun!

Tracks and Yaks is fabulous. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. It was great for all ages as little kids, teenagers, adults, and older adults were on the trip. We saw the incredible landscapes and the staff was amazing. They told us a bit about where we were traveling. In addition, they were incredibly accommodating. After a snafu with directions and we missed our original time, they were able to accommodate us for a different time. I highly recommend this trip!

I read about rail biking in the newspaper a few months ago and thought it would be a great way to spend and afternoon. After driving from Pittsburgh, we checked in, and about 10 minutes before departure, we got a safety briefing and took off!! The tracks follow the Great Allegheny Passage Bike Trail and the views are great. The route is all downhill and we spent more time braking than pedaling. There is very little effort involved, so don't feel you have to be in great physical shape to do this. The staff is very friendly and helpful.

Date night! Definitely recommend this place. The people are absolutely awesome and the sights are beautiful. Definitely a fun date. And family friendly too. Just please learn from us and don't take anything that you might drop and not realize it. My bf took a granola bar out of his pocket half way through our trip and dropped our car keys without realizing it until we were half way back to the depo on the shuttle. The owner/manager was gracious enough to help us find them but we took up a lot of his time and I felt terrible about it. Him and his staff were super friendly and understanding.

This was a fun little adventure for the family. Not strenuous. Nice day out. Friendly guides. Easy to operate rail cars. Not for the thrill seekers as your pace is set by the guides making it a great adventure for families. It was nice to do something different outdoors. Cool small business idea. Don't let the price deter you. The money provides jobs that support the local economy. Only wish the ride was longer. Time passed quickly.