Explore the best rated trails in Petersburg, WV. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the West Virginia Northern Rail-Trail and Rocky Point Trail. With more than 34 trails covering 4267 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.
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
Following the Potomac River, the C&O Canal Towpath traverses the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park for 184.5 miles between Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland. For...
The Allegheny Highlands Trail (AHT) follows the original route of the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway, built by Henry Gassaway Davis in 1884. For 26 miles, this exceptionally scenic trail...
The Carpendale Trail straddles the North Branch of the Potomac River between Carpendale in West Virginia and Cumberland in Maryland. The wooden bridge spanning 386 feet across the river is a...
Nestled in a northern valley of West Virginia, the Barnum Rail-Trail follows the North Branch Potomac River through the superb scenery of the Upper Potomac region. If you plan to explore this...
The little-known Kendall Trail extends 2 miles south from the tiny community of Friendsville, Maryland, to the ruins of the former logging town of Kendall. The trail offers expansive views of the...
The West Virginia Northern Rail Trail is a 10-mile trail project occupying the former West Virginia Northern railroad bed between Kingwood and Tunnelton in Preston County. The short-line railroad...
The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is an iconic rail-trail that runs 150 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was built in partnership between state agencies and many local...
The Hawksbill Greenway is a 2-mile non-motorized pathway in the town of Luray, Virginia, two hours from Washington D.C. It extends from Linden Street in the west to the Flowering Forest in the east....
Morgantown is known as the home of West Virginia University, the inspiration for a Joni Mitchell song and the birthplace of Don Knotts. But it’s also known for its extensive rail-trail system along...
The County Line Trail is a short, less-traveled alternative to the neighboring 21.7-mile West Fork Trail. The County Line Trail travels 4 miles along the border of Randolph and Pocahontas counties,...
The West Virginia Northern Rail Trail is a 10-mile trail project occupying the former West Virginia Northern railroad bed between Kingwood and Tunnelton in Preston County. The short-line railroad...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest offers a wide variety of trails for day or multi-day hikes of varying levels of difficulty, including several trails built on former logging railroad...
The Stone Camp Run Trail follows an old railroad corridor through a deep hollow on Middle Mountain in the Monongahela National Forest's Laurel Fork North Wilderness. The scenic trail crosses the...
The Monongahela National Forest’s Otter Creek Wilderness has many trails, mostly for hiking through the scenic landscape of rhododendron, timber and mosses. Biking is prohibited on the trails, but...
Morgantown is known as the home of West Virginia University, the inspiration for a Joni Mitchell song and the birthplace of Don Knotts. But it’s also known for its extensive rail-trail system along...
In West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, the Dolly Sods Wilderness features sweeping vistas, spruce and aspen groves, beautiful meadows, beaver dams and rolling creeks. The area is also home to...
The Limerock Trail is pure West Virginia: From Forest Service Road 18, the 4-mile rail-trail passes through rhododendron forests and along rocky cliffs and rushing streams. You begin with the sound of...
In West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, the Dolly Sods Wilderness features sweeping vistas, spruce and aspen groves, beautiful meadows, beaver dams and rolling creeks. The area is also home to...
The Railroad Grade Trail is a rural hiking trail built on a former logging railroad corridor in the Monongahela National Forest near Blackwater Falls State Park and Canaan Valley Resort State Park....
The Allegheny Highlands Trail (AHT) follows the original route of the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway, built by Henry Gassaway Davis in 1884. For 26 miles, this exceptionally scenic trail...
The Monongahela National Forest’s Otter Creek Wilderness has many trails, mostly for hiking through the scenic landscape of rhododendron, timber and mosses. Biking is prohibited on the trails, but...
In West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, the Dolly Sods Wilderness features sweeping vistas, spruce and aspen groves, beautiful meadows, beaver dams and rolling creeks. The area is also home to...
The Monongahela National Forest’s Otter Creek Wilderness has many trails, mostly for hiking through the scenic landscape of rhododendron, timber and mosses. Biking is prohibited on the trails, but...
The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is an iconic rail-trail that runs 150 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was built in partnership between state agencies and many local...
Located in the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest—a hotspot for mountain biking and rock climbing—the Lumberjack Trail offers a scenic hike on an old...
Nestled in a northern valley of West Virginia, the Barnum Rail-Trail follows the North Branch Potomac River through the superb scenery of the Upper Potomac region. If you plan to explore this...
The scenic East Fork Trail follows the East Fork of the Greenbrier River through hemlock stands and pine plantations and past many small waterfalls, extending 8 miles from the Island Campground in...
In West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, the Dolly Sods Wilderness features sweeping vistas, spruce and aspen groves, beautiful meadows, beaver dams and rolling creeks. The area is also home to...
The Monongahela National Forest’s Otter Creek Wilderness has many trails, mostly for hiking through the scenic landscape of rhododendron, timber and mosses. Biking is prohibited on the trails, but...
Located in Blackwater Falls State Park in the Monongahela National Forest, the Davis Trail is an easy rail-trail that ambles up Canaan Mountain as it heads south towards Canaan Valley Resort State...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
Located in the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest—a hotspot for mountain biking and rock climbing—the Lumberjack Trail offers a scenic hike on an old...
The Monongahela National Forest’s Otter Creek Wilderness has many trails, mostly for hiking through the scenic landscape of rhododendron, timber and mosses. Biking is prohibited on the trails, but...
The Limerock Trail is pure West Virginia: From Forest Service Road 18, the 4-mile rail-trail passes through rhododendron forests and along rocky cliffs and rushing streams. You begin with the sound of...
The little-known Kendall Trail extends 2 miles south from the tiny community of Friendsville, Maryland, to the ruins of the former logging town of Kendall. The trail offers expansive views of the...
Nestled in a northern valley of West Virginia, the Barnum Rail-Trail follows the North Branch Potomac River through the superb scenery of the Upper Potomac region. If you plan to explore this...
In West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, the Dolly Sods Wilderness features sweeping vistas, spruce and aspen groves, beautiful meadows, beaver dams and rolling creeks. The area is also home to...
The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is an iconic rail-trail that runs 150 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was built in partnership between state agencies and many local...
The West Virginia Northern Rail Trail is a 10-mile trail project occupying the former West Virginia Northern railroad bed between Kingwood and Tunnelton in Preston County. The short-line railroad...
The South Prong Trail is a remote, rugged rail-trail that offers a moderate, though sometimes quite hilly, hike. There are two very distinct sections of this trail—one section is boggy, while the...
Following the Potomac River, the C&O Canal Towpath traverses the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park for 184.5 miles between Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland. For...
The Stone Camp Run Trail follows an old railroad corridor through a deep hollow on Middle Mountain in the Monongahela National Forest's Laurel Fork North Wilderness. The scenic trail crosses the...
The County Line Trail is a short, less-traveled alternative to the neighboring 21.7-mile West Fork Trail. The County Line Trail travels 4 miles along the border of Randolph and Pocahontas counties,...
Located in the Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest—a hotspot for mountain biking and rock climbing—the Seneca Creek Trail is a scenic feast of streams, meadows,...
The Allegheny Highlands Trail (AHT) follows the original route of the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway, built by Henry Gassaway Davis in 1884. For 26 miles, this exceptionally scenic trail...
The Railroad Grade Trail is a rural hiking trail built on a former logging railroad corridor in the Monongahela National Forest near Blackwater Falls State Park and Canaan Valley Resort State Park....
The Hawksbill Greenway is a 2-mile non-motorized pathway in the town of Luray, Virginia, two hours from Washington D.C. It extends from Linden Street in the west to the Flowering Forest in the east....
I have literally walked this trail hundreds of times, once I year I walk from Masontown to rock forge and back, takes around eight hours, also walk from Masontown to the trail end above Reedsville and have walked that dozens of times, takes me just under 5 hours and around 30K steps. it is a great trail and someone mentioned snakes, it is crazy because two years ago I saw something like 5 snakes one year, then the next two I have seen nothing, luck of the draw I guess. the bathrooms at masontown head are very nice, just wish there were more rest rooms, even porta toilets strategically placed and maybe changed out every month or so would be awesome, that really is my only complaint. awesome Trail and I use it a ton :)
Our goal was to ride the Caperton and Mon River trails, so we parked at Marilla Park and traveled a couple miles on the Deckers Creek Trail to get to the Mon riverfront. There was plenty of parking at the park even though it was a perfect fall day to ride. The trail is paved but quite rough. Some nice people have painted over the bumps making it easier to avoid or at least prepare for the bumps and drop offs. Can't really recommend this trail for anything but a connector to a better trail.
On 10/22/20 my friend and I rode the above stretch. It was absolutely beautiful! We were cautious due to the mornings heavy fog and all the damp leaves on the ground. Made the paths edges somewhat difficult to see. The trail was extremely smooth until you get to the Brunswick Waste Treatment Plant, where you share the dusty and bumpy road with big trucks coming and going from the plant. Pot holes were terrible there. But once back on the trail, it was a smooth sail. I believe it was around a 28-mile ride for us.
We did about twelve miles of the western part. Really pretty. We will be back!
We parked by the river on Douglas Road and rode to Hendricks. The ride is beautiful with many cool features to see. Douglas Falls was a bit chilly on 9/12 but we could not resist taking a brief swim.
Ride back up from Hendricks is a bit of an uphill push, but still a nice ride. If you have younger riders you might want to consider being dropped off in Thomas and picked up in Hendricks. Or perhaps starting in Hendricks and knocking off the uphill ride to Thomas and then saving the sweet downhill ride for the way back.
Great Trail!
On June 30, 2020, I started in Cumberland at first light. Bike was fully loaded for a self sufficient adventure. I was on a carbon road bike with 23mm tires. There were only a couple sections where the gravel was soft an pillowy slowing me down a bit to ensure I stayed upright. The key to getting through this brief section is to keep pedaling. The more you pedal the more your bike wants to stay upright. Beyond that the the trail is very isolated in sections. At some parks/ parking lots along the route There are tool stations with air pumps. There are bathrooms along the that I thought were few and far between, perhaps due to Covid and some being removed. I was able to do 122 miles in one day fully loaded at about 13 mph, just interested to see how far I could go. I noticed most others were not moving at that speed. I made the return trip back to Cumberland the next day.
One word describes this ride - WOW!!!
Beautiful scenery, and rode about 6 miles without turning a pedal.
First, I have to start with a disclaimer. Highlandtrails.org website clearly states “this section is quite steep and is not maintained for recreational use”.
I rode this on a hybrid with 700x38 tires and had no problems. Sure, wider tires would have been nicer, but maybe the suspension fork and seatpost saved me?
Trail is singletrack hard packed cinders with pea sized gravel. It will shake everything on your bike and give your arms a great massage. Trail never felt soft or mushy. Had one small washout about a foot wide and maybe 6” deep. Easy to walk across, and they had it marked with reflector posts so we knew something was there.
Started our ride behind the post office in Thomas. Don’t let the puddles scare you away. It’s not all like this. Trail starts as a 10 ft wide gravel driveway with potholes that goes to the sewage treatment plant. We missed the right turn across the bridge after the plant, so we ended up on Douglas Rd. Rode the paved road down the hill and across the river. Slight left turn onto the gravel road with the Douglas Falls sign. More potholes and have to watch for cars coming at you on the one lane road. Be careful crossing the bridge. I walked it. Went through a small parking area at the falls and finally got to the yellow gate. That’s where the fun starts. Beautiful Douglas Falls on the left. Partially obscured by trees. Next 6 miles was all down hill with some gorgeous views. Passed 3 waterfalls coming down the canyonside and under or over the trail and into the river. Great view of the canyon from the spot with the railing. I don’t think I turned a pedal until we got to the yellow gate north of Hendricks. What a ride!!! Had about 2 miles on a gravel road to the beautiful trailhead in Hendricks. Our driver had picked up sandwiches in Parsons, so we sat in the pavilion and enjoyed lunch.
Part of me wishes it was fixed up so more folks could enjoy it, but part of me says leave it wild and wonderful. Be sure to check out this gem if you are in the area....Bikin-Mike - 09/01/20
Started at Mile 3 right behind the Springhill Suites. Easy access from the back of their parking lot. Trail surface was in great shape. Cinders were a little thin from about mile 3.5 to 5.5. Could feel the ballast underneath, but nothing too bad. Easy on a hybrid with 700x35 tires. Trail is usually high above the creek. Closest to the creek with a nice little waterfall was at mile 7.2. Prettiest spot was at the rock overhang and the gorgeous waterfalls at mile 12. Good news - the grade flattens at about mile 12, so instead of 16 miles uphill it was only about 9!!! Had some pea size loose limestone near the road crossings at the limestone mine. Had about 5 small concrete bridges between Masontown mile 13 and Reedsville mile 17. Trail past Reedsville was a little soft, but they were working on it. Started a pretty steep climb from Reedsville to the dead end in the woods. Ate lunch at the DQ in Reedsville. Follow the signs to downtown. About a 1/2 mile up a steep alley with no traffic, then a very short ride on the sidewalk along Rt 7 from Church St to DQ. Nice pavilion to sit outside and eat.
My only complaint is quite a bit of road noise from trucks on Rt 7 for most of the ride. If I do it again, I think I’d turn around at Masontown. Not much scenery from there to the end.
After a break at the hotel, road the 3 miles of paved trail into Morgantown. Two nice restaurants right on the trail next to the river just left of the creek.
After dinner, rode the paved trail along the river up past WVU. All told, about 44 miles.
Great day! Great trail! Thanks for the wonderful trail.....Bikin-Mike - Aug 2020
We took this trail out of Morgantown on hybrid bikes. The first few miles were paved, but had broken pavement and became narrow in places. In town, the scenery was not great. About 2-3 miles out of town, the trail turned to limestone and was very rocky. After crossing 3-4 roads and getting bumped around, we turned back and took the Caperton trail, which was a delight. I assume this trail gets better a bit further out. Also, mountain bikes might be necessary.
In my last review (very recent, and in fact, just yesterday) of this section of the Great Allegheny Passage, I complained about the very poor condition of the trail. Well, I rode this section again today just to see if it was repaired yet. Lo and behold, it was! New limestone was laid down on the entire 10+ mile length between Ohiopyle and Confluence. This made for a smooth, fantastic ride. I hope that the trail will be continually maintained like this. Congratulations and a BIG Thank You to the crews who did this work!! What a great surprise this was. The trail was fun again.
Generally a great trail. However, the section between Ohiopyle and Confluence is in dire need of repair. I don't know when the last time crushed limestone has been added to this trail, but it must have been 15 years ago. The last few years, this section has been very rough on tires. There is actually no limestone in several places, and you are riding on exposed base stone, which is very rough. Rough enough to destroy a tire if you are moving fast. On my last trip this past spring, the trail condition was still horrible. I'm hoping that the trail has been repaired by now (August 2020).
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