- List of rail trails in West Virginia
This List of rail trails in West Virginia lists former railroad right-of-ways in
West Virginia that have been converted to trails for public use and proposed rail trails.Established rail trails
*Allegheny Highland Trail: Built as part of the
Corridor H project. [http://highlandstrail.org]
*Beckley Rail Trail : Located in the city of Beckley. Also known as the Lewis McManus Trail.
*Blackwater Canyon
*Brooke Pioneer Rail-Trail : convert|3.5|mi|adj=on asphalt trail in Brooke County. [http://brookepioneertrail.org]
*Brooklyn-Southside Junction Trail : This is an old railroad in theNew River Gorge that extends from the old mining towns of Brooklyn to a now-active rail junction just west of Thurmond. [http://www.nps.gov/neri/trails.htm] [http://www.nps.gov/neri/ssj_trail.htm]
*Caperton Trail : Follows the Monongahela River from theMon River Rail Trail South toMon River Rail Trail North through Morgantown. [http://montrails.org]
*Cheat Lake Trail : Follows part of the eastern shore ofCheat Lake north ofInterstate 68 . An extension north intoPennsylvania would mean it would connect to theMon River Rail Trail North .
*Cranberry / Tri-Rivers Trail : A depot was renovated in the city of Richwood for use as a trailhead for the trail. This 14.5 former rail bed extends from the city along the Cherry River to theGauley River . The trail then turns upstream and follows alongside the Gauley to a high trestle and enters a tunnel, dead-ending at Allingdale. An extension is planned or underway from Cowen to Bolair.
*Cunard - Kaymoor Trail : This follows an old railroad from the old mining towns of Cunard to Kaymoor in theNew River Gorge . [http://www.nps.gov/neri/trails.htm]
*Deckers Creek Rail Trail : Follows an abandoned rail corridor along Deckers Creek that extends from theCaperton Trail in Morgantown to Reedsville. convert|19|mi in length. [http://montrails.org]
*East Wetzel Rail-Trail : A convert|1.5|mi|adj=on rail trail located in Hundred (Wetzel County).
*Elk River Rail Trail : A convert|1|mi|adj=on rail trail that currently extends in Coonskin Park in Kanawha County just north ofCharleston, West Virginia . It is hoped that the remainder of the disused line towards Morgantown will be converted into a rail trail. (This isn't really a rail-trail, but the maintenance access road to Coonskin Park. There is an abandoned rail line that runs more-or-less parallel to it, and there has been talk for years of turning it into a rail-trail. It seems that construction is always "about to begin". To quote Lewis Carroll, "Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, but never jam today!") Also, the extension of the runways at Yeager Airport has damaged the trail to make it nearly impassible at several places. The Airport Authority has promised to fix it, but don't hold your breath!)
*Glade Creek Trail : Located in theNew River Gorge along Glade Creek, this convert|5.6|mi|adj=on long trail follows an old rail bed. [http://www.nps.gov/neri/glade_creek.htm]
*Glen Dale to Moundsville Rail Trail : convert|3.1|mi|adj=on rail trail.
*Greenbrier River Trail : A convert|77|mi|adj=on rail trail that goes through pristine eastern West Virginia.
*Harrison County Bike and Hike Rail-Trail : A convert|7|mi|adj=on rail trail that goes through Clarksburg and Harrison County.
*Hawks Nest Rail-Trail
*Lime Rock Rail-Trail : A convert|4|mi|adj=on rail trail throughBlackwater Canyon in Tucker County.
*Lost Creek Rail-Trail : Near Clarksburg.
*McTrail : A small rail trail from Morgantown Avenue and Winfield Street intersection atEast Fairmont, West Virginia toPricketts Fort State Park , where it connects to theMon River Rail Trail South . [http://www.mcparc.com/parks/rails.htm]
*Mon River Rail Trail North : Follows the Monongahela River from theCaperton Trail at Morgantown to Van Voorhis Road. It is being planned for an extension intoPennsylvania , which would ultimately connect to theCheat Lake Trail . Currently convert|2|mi in length; planned extension to convert|6|mi. [http://montrails.org]
*Mon River Rail Trail South : Follows the Monongahela River fromPricketts Fort State Park andMcTrail to Morgantown where it becomes theCaperton Trail . convert|18|mi in length. [http://montrails.org]
*Narrow Gauge Rail-Trail : A convert|3.5|mi|adj=on trail inBabcock State Park in Fayette County.
*North Marion Rail-Trail
*Oak Hill Rail-Trail : This would follow a convert|7.5|mi|adj=on long abandonedNorfolk Southern railroad.
*North Bend Rail Trail
*Panhandle Trail : A convert|29|mi|adj=on rail trail with parts complete while others are under construction, that spans from the northern sector ofWashington County, Pennsylvania to Weirton. [http://www.panhandletrail.org/Welcome.htm]
*Railroad Grade Rail-Trail : A convert|4|mi|adj=on rail trail throughCanaan Valley State Park in Tucker County.
*Thurmond-Minden Trail : Follows an old rail line from a now-active rail line just west of Thurmond to Minden in theNew River Gorge . [http://www.nps.gov/neri/trails.htm] [http://www.nps.gov/neri/tm_trail.htm]
*West Fork Rail-Trail : This convert|22|mi|adj=on trail extends through theMonongahela National Forest (Randolph and Pocahontas counties) with a trailhead in Glady. This is near theAllegheny Trail .
*Wheeling Heritage Rail-Trail : A convert|12|mi|adj=on trail in three segments in theWheeling, West Virginia region.Proposed rail trails
*The
Mon River Rail Trail North is slated for an extension north from Van Voorhis Road toPennsylvania , where a trail would loop back to theCheat Lake Trail . The Mon River Rail Trail North is currently convert|2|mi long with an extension to convert|6|mi slated for construction. [http://montrails.org]
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