Explore the best rated trails in Man, WV, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Elk River Trail (Coonskin Park) and Lewis McManus Memorial Honor Trail . With more than 12 trails covering 60 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 took my gravel bike on this trail and won’t do it again. There’s large stones and branches. I had to carry my bike over several downed trees and several big wash outs. A beautiful ride next to the creek for sure. A great place to hike I’d say. Please don’t think of this as a rail to trail flat ride, it is not.
Easy to get to just south of Whitesville, WV; cross Clear Fork at Vest Road for nice parking at the trailhead. Raleigh County did a good job; the bed looks to have larger aggregate underneath a smooth but already hard-packed crushed stone the whole way. Very gentle slope the complete way.
Sights to see are many bridges, farms, tall hills besides the trail, and I even disturbed a flock of wild turkeys, that, yes, contrary to WKRP, they can fly (but very slowly). The waterfall was dry, due to our drought, but should be good again after the snows.
I ran the Southside Trail starting at the parking lot (across the bridge from Thurmond). I ran out 3.25 miles and came back.
The trail had some water/mud covered sections. These sections weren't long (10-20 yards), but I had to stop and walk around the mud. I had to do this approximately 10 times during my 3.25 miles.
This was closer to trail than rail trail. There were sections with more larger rocks, stumps, roots to be dealt with. Expect to be paying attention to the ground as much as the scenery.
One of the best trail ride experiences I’ve ever had! The people were exceptionally friendly. We unknowingly went on golf cart Saturday & were a little confused as to why golf carts were allowed on the trail. The Mayor stopped us to introduce himself and inquire about us and our trikes. They allow golf carts every 3rd Saturday from 10 a - 3 p to make the trail available to everyone! The Dairy Bar was awesome, and we even got a little history lesson from the owner! Will definitely be back because it became an instant favorite! What a gem!
Smooth asphalt with plenty of restrooms. Starting at Archer Park in Prestonsburg, to the end at David Kentucky. From the start of the trail, a right turn is a mile to the end in Prestonsburg. A left takes you 8 miles to the end at David Kentucky.
My wife and I rode the trail out and back. Beautiful surface and scenery. The coordinator at Archer Park was very helpful - put my wife’s mind at ease after reading the “Bear” warning sign. However we nearly had to walk bikes through several vehicle barriers. There’s enough room to go through but the effects of misjudgment by only several inches would cause severe injuries. That took some of the enjoyment away.
Our first trail riding bikes and it was perfect. Trial was smooth and had beautiful scenery.
We are locals and ride this trail almost daily. It’s well maintained, easy 18 mile round trip . Flat , smooth asphalt. With picnic tables and port-a potties . We feel very fortunate to live close and use it daily . It’s a must if you in our area .
Easy flat and filled with views. For beginning bikers or casual warmup…
The ride was on a narrow rough sidewalk, busy street on one side and steep hill down to river on other side.
I rode this trail today after riding the Rend Trail. Well, I rode the 1.2 miles closest to Southside Junction, at least. There are two basic options for starting on this side. The only way to avoid crossing the tracks is to park at the Rend Trailhead, ride that trail, and carry your bike down the Arbuckle Connector. It's mostly rock steps, not rideable, and thus it's carrying your bike down 300 feet of election over less than a mile. But it avoids the tracks, and is how I got there.
The other is starting either at the Rend Trailhead or Thurmond and crossing the tracks. Today, a CSX crew was welding the tracks on the Thurmond side, and all signals were red as a result, but most days there are likely trails rolling through. Realistically, I expect anyone starting at the north end and traversing the whole length will want to cross the tracks and explore Thurmond, and I didn't see a reason to expect it to be any more hazardous than crossing the tracks near my grandparents' house. Why hasn't the NPS put more emphasis on making an official crossing? That is a great segway into the trail itself.
Between the Arbuckle Connector and the tracks, the trail is wide enough, and directly parallels decades-abandoned track. It's scenic, and in one section there were flowers dropped from trees all along the ground. But it's also not exactly well maintained. I had to dismount and duck my bike under one tree, and lift it over three others (two of them grouped together). It's clear that active maintenance of this trail isn't a high priority, which is likely related to why an official crossing at the southern end hasn't been a high priority.
North of the Arbuckle Connector, the trail narrows into a singletrack, and I eventually hit a lengthy mud patch that I decided was not worth traversing.
You do get some views of the New River that you don't on the Rend Trail, but none that beat what you can get from the pedestrian observation points on the bridge into Thurmond. Overall, if you're starting from the south, the Rend Trail is the better bargain even with the trestle out, at least in the spring. Maybe in August there wouldn't be mud, and the Southside would be more traversable.
I'll also note that despite rating this trail 3/5, I'd still very much recommend a day exploring Thurmond, the Rend Trail, and if time permits the Southside Trail. But Thurmond should be the main draw, not the trails, and given their short lengths and rough terrain, it doesn't really make sense to haul bikes there if you don't already have them loaded onto your car for another destination.
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