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Print Friendly MapThe White Oak Rail Trail runs for nearly 8 miles through the central West Virginia city of Oak Hill, connecting the communities of Summerlee and Carlisle at either end. Most of the trail is paved with only 2 miles of trail surfaced with packed gravel.
A highlight of the route is the White Oak Railroad Depot, which first opened in 1903 and is centrally located at the intersection of Virginia Avenue and Central Avenue in Oak Hill.
Parking is available near the trail along Pacwood Rd., Oak Hill City Park, on 612 near the New River Company Oakwood Store and off of Jones Rd. See TrailLink Map for more detailed information.
I started on Mollies Run rd side and initially couldn’t see the trail because there’s no parking. It’s residential area but there was a church (also really no parking) but i went ahead and parked at the church. First mile was a bit eerie because it was early I guess and no one else was on it. After a mile , i got to a busier side by the police and fire dept. I ran it 3 miles in and 3 miles back before some elevation. I enjoyed the run overall.
Very pleasant but the map isnt quite accurate. It shows the three trail heads which are the ends of the paved sections. The gravel continues further to the west. The 8 miles listed as the distance includes the gravel section. The paved portion from Summerlee to Carslisle is about 4.5 miles with a 1 mile side spur. There is a bit of a grade from Oak Hill to Carlisle but not bad. At that end of the paved trail you see the New River Company Oakwood Store long abandoned. The New River Company was a big coal company operating in the New River Gorge.
Goes through Oak Hill residential and partly country. Nice to see the town and you can take side roads into town. Also some nice local parks including Collins Park that has a disc golf course and playing fields.
Nicely paved and maintained. Unique in that it has three endpoints reflecting the junction and mine locations once active here; Summerlee and Lochgelly to the north and Carlisle to the south. Use caution when crossing the road south of the depot (Jones Ave and Park Dr). After crossing Jones Ave the trail splits. The right leg leads to the former Oak Hill junction of the Virginian Railway. The left leg ends at the former Oakwood company store. To the north of the depot the trail has it's longest continuous section. Perhaps not a tourist trail, but I saw many locals enjoying it. For those interested in biking and mining along with rail history as I do it's worth it.
I'm sure this is a nice diversion and transportation alternative for folks who live in the area but it isn't all that scenic nor is it all that interesting. I went from north to south and it goes through a quasi-rural/outskirts of town section before going through downtown and then proceeds downhill to a point where it just peters out.
Paved trail with benches, etc. Nice Sunday afternoon ride.
I started at the Holiday Lodge near the Pizza Hut, continued along the trail until the "end" of this first section. Probably about 7 miles out and back. The trail is exceptionally smooth, wide and clean. The fragrant honeysuckle was the first thing to hit me and I saw several small woodland birds. Leafy and cool about half way.
Enjoyed a lovely walk on the northwest section of the trail, take your binoculars to view many seasonal migrating birds. Nice and shady with varied natural habitat. Nicely done Oak Hill!
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