Explore the best rated trails in Clarksburg, WV, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Sheepskin Rail-Trail and Greene River Trail . With more than 37 trails covering 409 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
I rode the section from Dunbar to the GAP; except for the part by the railroad it's very pretty. But, today anyway, it was super soft. Like they'd laid a lot of sand & gravel and not packed it. A fine ride, but the softness made it hard going
Rained yesterday but trail was in good shape, headed towards Ellenboro then back. Rode the other direction to Cairo. It was a Friday so some of the stores not open. Continued for 2-3 miles past Cairo almost to the next tunnel. This section is not as maintained as the park area but was very rideable. Very enjoyable We do have fat tire /full suspension which does help in some of the areas close to Cairo but would not be a deal breaker without.
Enjoyed this ride. Easy,crushed gravel and pavement. Lots of nice informational signs about the coal towns. Rode Monogah to Shinnston. About half mile in if going from Monogah to Fairmont there is a mud slide that is impassable.
Some lovely scenery and wildlife, especially wetland species. Definitely a wilder feel than many. There are several issues.
The first is the trail surface. While impediments like downed trees are obviously taken care of, the trail surface itself doesn’t look to have been renewed since the trail was first built. The surface varies from fine gravel to thick gravel to mud to grass. Grass is the dominant surface. There are places where horse hoof and ATV tire prints have hardened into speed reduction bumps, which are jarring. Don’t assume you will be able to maintain a speed similar to other rail trails. Having completed the trail from Glady to Durbin, we ended up riding the gravel road back to our vehicle in Glady - more climbing, but a good trade off. For reference, we’re running 2.0” (50mm) and 2.35” tires on rigid steel framed bikes.
The second issue is lack of amenities. There are no obvious campsites, no pit toilets, no wells. This undeveloped aspect will likely appeal to some even if the trail surface doesn’t. Probably due to the undeveloped nature of the trail, and the fact that we rode on weekdays, we saw no other trail users this trip.
The last issue is connectivity. Currently, combining this trail with the nearby Greenbrier River Trail means a road ride of at least 16 miles. Bridge the gap with trail and make improvements to the West Fork and you’d have a trail system of approximately 118 miles long, which would bring many more riders to the area.
The best part of this trail is the Nottinghams's Market. Mr/Mrs Nottingham makes chili dogs, chocolate shakes and has a great deal of provisions. It's a must stop! Very gracious and has many items if you are in the middle of the trail.
As a WV Native and a fairly avid cyclist I’ve ridden a lot of trails. The Greenbrier River Trail. All of the connecting trails in North Central WV (Mon-River, MCTrail, Deckers Creek) and even the C&O + GAP from DC to Pittsburgh.
While each trail has their pros and cons, *most* rail trails at least have a surface made for hiking or cycling (admittedly, the C&O is often a muddy mess, but I digress..)
The North Bend Trail is excellent for its length, the tunnels, and the overall beauty of nature. But the trail surface is mostly thicker chunky gravel, not the crushed limestone which makes a good trail.
In July 2023 I rode the trail from Parkersburg to Clarksburg one day and Clarksburg back to Parkersburg the next. The thick gravel made for a bumpier ride than every other trail I’ve ridden. On the second day I bumped into somebody who asked if the entire trail was like the chunky gravel they were currently experiencing. When I indicated that most-but-not-all of it was like that, they indicated that they would only ride a few miles and then call it quits and find another trail to enjoy. I couldn’t blame them.
All in all, the length of the trail is its main benefit. But the ride just isn’t smooth. If the surface is ever changed to crushed limestone I’d probably ride it annually. But in its current state, I don’t have a lot of desire to ride it again. The decision to use regular gravel and not crushed limestone was a poor decision.
For those hiking or cycling on a mountain bike with shocks, you won’t notice much. But for those riding a gravel or other hybrid bike without suspension, prepare for your arms to have a workout as the non-stop vibrations will surely impact your ride.
very nice trail enjoy it very much being close to home, hope it can be exdendent more and reopen access at the Greene Cove Yacht Club.
Read here: https://shinnstonnews.com/harrison-county-commission-reverses-course-on-rail-trails-electric-vehicles-ordinance/
Unless they've reversed the ruling, Harrison County (Shinnston end of trail) banned all e-bikes from their rail trails in February 2024.
Unless you know otherwise, start your ride in Marion County at Worthington. You can ride nearly all of the trail by looping back toward Shinnston on the trail and turning around at the Harrison County line and going back north. You'll probably lose about 2 - 3 miles of the rail trail but it might keep you from being fined or worse, going to jail.
I've been checking some of the local urban trails and this walk was next on the list. Some of the urban trails seem to push the concept of a rail trail but at least this trail does parallel an active railroad (the Cowen Subdivision). The trail is entirely paved and consists of two large loops that go around various balls fields. It does parallel the Buckhannon River a good bit and Buckhannon Riverwalk was the only name I saw listed anywhere. There is a spur that crosses the railroad and parallels it for a ways. It's a pleasant walk but unless you're in the area I wouldn't go out of my way for it.
I rode this 72 mile trail from east to west (gradual downhill grade) with 3 of my girlfriends. It was quite thick gravel but the downhill grade helped keep your momentum up to make it not completely exhausting pushing through the thicker stuff. It will rattle you pretty good and we were glad to come to the end. We went in late September and rode in a 60 degree cold drizzle the whole way. Nice feather in our caps!
We were in Bridgeport today and decided to check out the trail starting from the east end. There is no parking right at the trailhead but there is parking across North Virginia Ave at a small park area. After crossing N Virginia and Water St there is a nice metal footbridge across Simpson Creek and after a short walk on Railroad St you are at the trail. The entire trail is nicely paved and just an overall pleasant experience. We were there in mid-March and the area was covered with the green leaves and yellow flowers of lesser celandine which were very pretty. There were a few people on the trail and it was relatively quiet. The trail goes up and down some and is near an active railroad which appears not to get a lot of use. After about 3/4 mile you reach the Bridgeport City Park which looks very nice and has a trail around it also. Of course you could park at this end and start also. No where along the trail is it named and some places have it listed as the Bridgeport City Park Trail. Only four stars because it's so short. If you're in the area and want a quick little walk, give this a try.
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