Export to Trail Guide
Create Guidebook 
Download GPX 
Print Friendly MapThe Hawks Nest Rail Trail is located primarily within Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted. The trail is nearly 2 miles long and runs on the south side of Mill Creek, beginning near the nature center. The gravel and dirt surfaces are suitable for mountain biking and walking, and it has two trestles. You'll also find a scenic waterfall and other paths in the park.
The park offers swimming, a tramway (fee required), small museums, nature center, picnic shelters and boating.
Hawks Nest State Park is on the Midland Trail National Scenic Byway (US 60), 1 hour east of Charleston, West Virginia, and 8 miles west of US 19.
Great trail for a walk, but too short to be much fun for bikes. The trail is in great condition and there’s a gorgeous water fall about half way with picnic benches would be a great place to have a little lunch. You can park at the lower entrance maintained by the city or take the tram down from hawks nest state park
Trail is in great shape even after all the rain. Was pretty busy but not a problem at all. Gravel bikes to the bottom then took Hawks Nest Connector to Fayette Station road and back. Great ride, a lot of downed trees on Connector and a couple small slips, but passible if you don’t mind a little hike n bike. I thought Connector would be more rail trail but a lot of it is narrow and rocky single track. My gravel bike handled it OK but a mountain bike would’ve been better for that section.
We've been coming to a campground near Hico for decades, meeting up with 2 - 4 dozen friends, staying for 4 - 8 days, and adventuring by day, visiting with old friends by evening. Rafting with a profesional company or another one day. We have had white knuckle heart-in-throat drives down to the canoe/kayak put-ins plenty of times, and we always say "NEVER AGAIN" but we did it again today. Thought we would take the bikes down to the river endpoint and see if we could ride uphill 4.7% for 1.8 miles. We got to the bottom and went around the loop and went right back up, rejoicing as we emerged from under the Midland Trail on Hawk's Nest Rd that we had not met even one oncoming vehicle as we went down nor as we came up. (There is 90% of the time not room for two cars to pass each other, and it's steep and very sharp turns here and there, and there is a lot of sheer rock or dirt wall on one side and sheer drop on the other.)
After we calmed down over a split order of biscuits & gravy at the Ansted Tudor's Biscuit World, we drove back to upper trailhead, on Hawk's nest Rd just south of where it passes under Midland Trail, and there *is* parking. We parked and walked a bit. It's lovely, and I hope we can return when there is less foliage and better views of the creek.
We are mid-sixties, more fit than many (which is not saying a lot) and not mountain bikers, just commuters. We might have made a quarter mile going up on our bikes.
Walked this trail today, which still had a bit of snow and ice. It’s a bit of a grade, so make sure you’re fit for it. Start at the end where the sky lift for Hawks Nest park is. The trail will be uphill, but it’s better walking downhill on the way back. The rushing water with the snow and blue green pools were beautiful.
Beautiful hike with gorgeous scenery . Easy flat hike perfect for all ages with awesome access to incredible waterfalls .
Easy down hill trail for bicycles. The best part is that on hot days you can go swimming and sliding in the creek next to the trail. There is a safe 15 foot water jump at the falls half way down, but make sure you check the water depth yourself. It was 10 feet deep when we went in June. Farther down, you can go into a coal mine - we went 30 feet before turning back.
Perfect trail for an easy hike. Well maintained with a gentle grade, it parallels Mill Creek, which features several enticing shallow pools for cooling off. The waterfall dries up when there hasn't been rain but is lovely when running.
I did it May 7 after having done the Cliffside Trail at Hawk's Nest, which was more challenging as a path thru the woods with some climbing. Then rather than accessing the trail from Anstead, I went behind the tennis courts at the lodge and took the GSYP trail down the side of the mountain the tram runs, which are very, very steep stairs. The Rail trail is a mellow walk, nearly level, with great views of Mill Creek the whole way up. Kayakers were on the creek to watch, and you saw some locals. After taking in the view from the bridge over Mill Creek at the top, I headed back down, the climbed back up GSYP to the lodge. I don't recommend this. The stairs are uneven and nearly vertical. Spring for the half tram ride to the top. Lovely walk.
I am 55 years old, in decent shape, don't walk or bike a lot but this was pretty easy walk. The only thing easier would be flat pavement. Grade is 240' per mile which is not really noticeable. no ups and down, just even grade downhill going downstream, and slight uphill going upstream.
It might have been somewhat exerting if I had to pedal a slight uphill grade on a bike (from New River upstream along Mill Creek to the trailhead). But I only bike on flat pavement! So I walked it. Going down I could have slowly coasted all the way. This would be an easy mountainbike trail for even moderately mountainbikers, but I would not take a road bike with narrow tires and expect a leisurely flat ride in a middle or upper gear. Mostly hardpack gravel and dirt, a couple of damp places but no real muddy puddles.
Some very scenic waterfalls, one big one about 20' high, can wade out in the stream a few places. Some interesting sedimentary geology and one abandoned coal mine entrance. It would be very pretty in the fall with the change in leave color, but some places the leaves would partial block the view of Mill Creek, at least for picture taking.
I went Sunday April 17 2016 and the leaves were just emerging. On that day there was a large tree, about 18" diameter, across the trail about half way (1 mile mark or so). It fell from a cliff above so it was across at an angle, not laying flat, so you had to climb over it, or crawl under it. You could not ride a mountain bike across it but you could lift it over.
I started at the top and walked down it talking my time and taking pictures, took 60 minutes to go the almost 2 miles. Coming back, kept a brisk exercise pace and didn't stop and made the 2 miles back "uphill" in 40 minutes. You can also walk just one way if someone will drop you off and drive to the other end to get you.
Bathrooms and parking at each end (a road follows the other side of Mill Creek), drinking fountain only at bottom. Plus at the bottom where Mill Creek empties into the New River there is a small gift shop, refreshment stand and nature center. All were not open as of April 17, might have been too early in the tourist season.
Great rail trail especially in spring before leaves come on and you can see all of the water falls and continuous cascades, and especially after rains. Also probably great in early June when the Rhodadendron are blooming. But enough gaps in trees to see enough cascades to make the trip worth it in any season. Old coal mine remains to be seen. Don't worry about the slope on returning. Its 240 feet per mile and riding back up is work but not as bad as the pictures and maps make it look. Hard packed fine gravel. Also it would be easy to set up an easy shuttle, or have a family ride down and one go back for the car.
_200026_nb.jpg)
_20690_nb.jpg)
_222743_nb.jpg)
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails conservancy
(a non-profit) and we need your support!
