Find the top rated trails in Petersburg, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_0_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
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...
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 Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (a.k.a. C&O Canal Towpath) follows the route of the Potomac River for 184.5 miles between Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland....
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...
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...
Now the longest rail-trail east of the Mississippi River, the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) spans two states in its course along great rivers and across mountain passes. Running from...
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 24.5 miles this exceptionally scenic...
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,...
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 Tea Creek Area Trails system consists of 12 trails totaling 44 miles, many of which follow old logging railroad corridors. The trails are found in the Marlinton Ranger District within Monongahela...
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 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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
Widney Park Rail-Trail is located in the quiet West Virginia community of Durbin. The old railroad town has a charming Main Street with welcoming shops and restaurants and the rail-trail is located...
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 24.5 miles this exceptionally scenic...
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...
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...
Now the longest rail-trail east of the Mississippi River, the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) spans two states in its course along great rivers and across mountain passes. Running from...
In 1888, the Blackwater Canyon Trail, located in the Monongahela National Forest, was used to haul coal and lumber through this stunning canyon. Today, remnants of this history still remain just...
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...
Now the longest rail-trail east of the Mississippi River, the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) spans two states in its course along great rivers and across mountain passes. Running from...
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 the heart of West Virginia, the Whitmeadow Ridge Trail is also in the center of the Monongahela National Forest. Otherwise known as the Whitmeadow Hunters Access Trail (notice the bullet...
_0_sc.jpg)
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....
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 Allegheny Highlands Trail (AHT) follows the original route of the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway, built by Henry Gassaway Davis in 1884. For 24.5 miles this exceptionally scenic...
The Tea Creek Area Trails system consists of 12 trails totaling 44 miles, many of which follow old logging railroad corridors. The trails are found in the Marlinton Ranger District within Monongahela...
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...
_0_sc.jpg)
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 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 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 West Fork Trail is a pleasant 22-mile trail that snakes its way through a remote mountain setting and follows the West Fork River for most of its route. The soothing rumble of the river...
In 1888, the Blackwater Canyon Trail, located in the Monongahela National Forest, was used to haul coal and lumber through this stunning canyon. Today, remnants of this history still remain just...
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 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...
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...
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...
I spent a day in Morgantown hitting both Mon River Trails and the Caperton Trail, but the Decker's Creek portion was the most scenic. (North is notable too). Be prepared for a steady climb out of Morgantown after a couple miles, but its a moderate grade and provides a fun reward on the way back down. After 13-14 miles, I ran into kids on dirt bikes on the trail and more non bicycle congestion ahead, so I reversed course and headed back down. Not many trail heads after a few miles, so bring lots of water.
Only issue was a hard time in finding good parking. Do NOT try to park at HR McQuain Park even though it is the hub of the trails in the area. All parking spots are metered or reserved for patrons of nearby places, it seems to be a bus transfer station based on the herd of buses I ran into on arrival and the traffic to get into the lot is awfully slow and congested. I ended up parking at Marilla Park which is only 1.5 miles from McQuain Park. There are tennis courts, a pool and skate ramps there, but parking is abundant and free. Wish I would have gone there first.
Can't say more been riding the YRT trail for years!!
A friend and I just recently finished this trail. It was an amazing ride with plenty to see along the route. The trail was very well maintained with the grass having been recently mowed and some sections of the trail having been repaved.
We completed this trail in 4 days going from Cumberland to DC; I was quite surprised at how empty the trail was, so if you want a nice peaceful ride and learn some historic facts about the area this is a great trail for you. There are plenty of free camping spots along the route as well as port-a-potties (not the best well kept many had wasp nests inside). Also their are water pumps along the route to stop and refill so you do not need to carry too much water.
Tried to ride this trail on 5/31/17 starting in Durbin. Had a nice chat with a local while gearing up. First quarter mile was good, then the overgrowth started. Further I rode, the worse it got. At around mile 7 it really was out of control, but I rode on. Around mile 8 there was a blowdown to climb over. The growth was seat high at this point. About mile 9 it was a single track ride and could not see the trail, just a path in the "grass". I turned around as I like to see what I'm riding into, and could not. A big disappointment. It was not worth the drive to get there. Don't bother. Ride the Allegheny Highlands Trail in Elkins instead!
How many YEARS is it going to take to mark the trail properly through Pittsburgh? Are you kidding me? How many more stories about getting lost trying to find your way? If you want to ruin the start of your bike ride, begin in Pittsburgh. If you want to ruin the end of your GAP adventure, finish in Pittsburgh. If you don't waste your time in Pittsburgh and start or finish in say, Homestead, it's a great trail. Clearly marked, great scenery and wildlife. Many great places to stay or camp along the way. Many wonderful places to eat too. We stayed at some fantastic B&B's along the GAP and enjoyed every meal during our four day ride into Cumberland.
We stopped at Harpers Ferry and were told by at least 3 park rangers that all you have to do is put your bikes on the bus at the Visitors Center ...cross the bridge and get on the trail. None of those people told us that when you cross the bridge there is a spiral staircase and about 40 metal stairs you have to carry your bike down to get on the trail. It was not fun and very dangerous. Luckily a few nice strong young men carried our bikes. The trail at the bottom of the stairs was nice, but very muddy. All I could think of was how are we gonna get our bikes back up the stairs. When I mentioned this to the business owners in Harpers Ferry, they all said yes, you need to complain to the park service. No where on any of the trail information is this problem listed.
This is an absolutely beautiful trail with lots of nature and serene sideways along its path.
My husband and I were looking for a nice long trail to do. We picked this one. Drove down from Canada to do some early Spring riding. We enjoyed the easy 6mile climb from Parsons towards Elkins but were quite surprised passing a wood factory and messy backyards with lots of dogs barking and chained up. I could go on but was disappointed by the whole area.
In 2016, it was my goal to ride the entire Great Allegheny Passage, in sections, on day trips. I live in western Pennsylvania and most of the trail is within 1.5 hours from my home. I have ridden parts of it since its earliest days in the 1980's, but until this year, never the whole trail.
I began in July by starting at Rockwood and heading for the Pinkerton tunnel. When I reached the tunnel, I took the by-pass and returned through the tunnel. It was a nice round trip of about 17.5 miles. I liked it so much that I repeated it the next day with my daughter.
The next trip again started at Rockwood, but this time I rode to Meyersdale. This ride includes the Salisbury Viaduct, the 1900 foot long, 100 foot high bridge across the Casselman River valley. I stopped in the visitor center, the restored train station, at Meyersdale for a break and then returned to Rockwood. As I recall it was a very hot day, about 90F, but most of the trail is shaded so it really wasn't uncomfortable at all. The length of this trip was as about 24 miles total.
Next trip I started at Meyersdale and headed for Frostburg. This trip takes you over the historic Bollman bridge followed by the 900 foot long Keystone Viaduct which crosses the CSX railroad and Flaugherty Creek. The trail continues through Sandpatch, Deal, and Warrens Mill eventually reaching the Eastern Continental Divide. Further on is the Big Savage Mountain tunnel. At 3300 feet, it is the longest tunnel on the trail. The tunnel opens up to a gorgeous vista of the Wills Creek valley and the mountains beyond. On a fast down hill ride comes the Mason Dixon line as you cross into Maryland, the Borden tunnel, and then Frostburg. I had a good lunch at the Trail Inn and started back for Meyersdale. On the return trip, about four or five miles short of Meyersdale, when my rear tire was punctured. It was my first flat ever on the trail. Since I had no repair kit or means to inflate my tire, I walked the rest of the way to Meyersdale and arrived at twilight. I now carry an extra tube, CO2 cartridges, and the proper tools to change a flat. This leg was about 32 miles for the round trip.
The next ride was with my brother. We started at Cumberland and rode up to Frostburg. It's a fair hill climb once you pass through the Narrows, but if you ride steady, it's not bad at all. Highlights include some great views of the mountains and valley below, and the Brush Tunnel. This section parallels the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad nearly the whole way to Frostburg, so be ready to photograph the train. Again, we had lunch at the Trail Inn. The return trip is a quick ride down hill. Total distance was about 32 miles.
The following trip started at Confluence where I headed for the Pinkerton Tunnel again. This section also includes great scenery along the Casselman River. About a half mile short of the tunnel, I came across a rattlesnake stretched across the trail sunning itself. It was a busy day on the trail and I feared that someone might ride over the critter either hurting it or worse, being bitten by it. So I stopped and shooed it off the trail with a long stick, but not before it coiled and rattled quite a bit. Eventually, it peacefully and safely left the trail. The other cyclists watching me were quite entertained. When I reached the tunnel, I again took the by-pass and returned through the tunnel. On the return leg to Confluence, I paused with some other riders in the underpass at Harnedsville to wait out a brief summer rain shower. I then continued through Confluence on to Ohiopyle. This section of the trail parallels the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle State Park and is like riding through a forested cathedral. This is also one of the busiest sections of the trail, probably because it is so beautiful. The trail and views of the river can't be beat. At Ohiopyle I stopped for lunch at the Falls City Restaurant and Pub where I enjoyed some great food and craft beer. If you've never been to Ohiopyle, take some time to explore. You'll like what you see and want to come back. After lunch, I returned to Confluence. Total mileage this day was about 40 miles.
My brother and I joined forces again on the following ride starting at Connelsville. From here, we rode upstream to Ohiopyle. On this trip I remember that my brother was counting the number of other cyclists we encountered. In this 17 mile stretch he counted over 120 on the trail until we were just short of Ohiopyle where the crowds made his informal census impossible. This attests to the popularity of the trail. This section is also quite scenic and again parallels the Youghiogheny River. The bridges at Ohiopyle offer wonderful views and always beg one to stop and enjoy. Lunch this day was again at Falls City Restaurant and Pub, my favorite in Ohiopyle. The return leg is mainly downhill and the total mileage was about 34 miles.
My next trip also began at Connelsville, but this time I headed downstream towards West Newton. This trip began the remainder of the trail which I had not previously explored. On this section I was impressed by the number of little villages and communities through which the trail passed, Adelaide, Dawson, Van Meter, and Smithton as well as long stretches of woodsy trail. You pass through Cedar Creek Park along the way as well. At West Newton, I had lunch at the Trailside Restaurant and Pub. Great food and beer and it's literally adjacent to the trail access parking. On the return trip I met two women who were through-riding from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. They were from New Jersey and California and on the first day of their journey. I was impressed by the numbers of through-riders I noticed on each of my rides this season. It is obvious that through-riding is becoming increasingly popular on the GAP. This leg of the trail was the longest at 50 miles roundtrip.
My brother joined me again for the next ride from West Newton to McKeesport. This ride was fairly rural with wooded areas and small communities until we reached Boston when the surroundings become interspersed with industry. We reached McKeesport near the Marina parking area. This is where the Youghiogheny River enters the Monongehela. From here we returned to West Newton for lunch at the Trailside Restaurant and Pub. Total mileage this trip was about 36 miles.
My final leg of this journey was on a beautiful sunny day in October. I started at McKeesport and headed for Point State Park in Pittsburgh. This is the most urban portion of the trail and begins with a crossing of the Monongehela River to the west bank. It passes Kennywood Park, the Waterfront, a shopping center at Homestead, and Sandcastle water park. Eventually, I crossed the the Mon again at the Hot Metal Bridge which has a great view of downtown Pittsburgh. This leads to the last portions of the trail ending around the Allegheny County Jail. From there the streets of Pittsburgh lead to the end of the GAP at the medallion near the fountain in Point State Park. On the return trip I stopped at the Hofbrauhaus, another favorite restaurant, on the Southside for an excellent lunch. I ended the ride in McKeesport where I began for a total of 32 miles on the day. My goal of riding the GAP in 2016 was complete.
I apologize for the extended dissertation, but I don't think that enough good things can be said about the Great Allegheny Passage. This is a wonderful trail full of great scenery, fun trail towns, nice people, exceptional bridges and tunnels, and adventure. I recommend that everyone should get out and enjoy it.
I went on a 11 mile run through swains lock and it was so fun, you would occasionally see other runners but not too much. I also enjoyed the scenery around me. It is mostly dried dirt but has some mud. Really great if you are going with family members.
In October due to a weird work schedule, I got on the trail at Connellsville, rode to Pittsburgh, took Amtrak to Washington, DC, then rode back via the C&O Towpath and joined the GAP again at Cumberland. Did it in six days pulling my BOB trailer the whole way.
The GAP trail is terrific. Very well-maintained, seems very popular. I encountered all sorts of people, including many riding the entire Pittsburgh to Cumberland or on to Washington route. The beginning it uphill for nearly twenty miles, but very do-able if you set your pace. The Mason Dixon line monument is wonderful, as is the tunnel nearby. Lots of great scenery and wildlife--even saw 1 porcupine and a black bear darted across the trail. I stayed at the Ramada in Cumberland (fine) and had a great Italian dinner nearby, then stayed in Meyerdale the next night before heading back into Connellsville where I stayed off the trail a bit at the Melody Motor Lodge--a throwback to another era but fine. Parked my car near the Amtrak station at the Connellsville PD--they just asked that I leave them a note with my contact info just in case. I really enjoyed the more industrial areas as well as the natural ones--McKeesport, Homestead, etc. Lots of history and beauty.
I would rate the GAP among my top four bike trails--with the Katy in MO, the Greenbrier in WV, and the shorter but beautiful VA Creeper--especially east of Damascus.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
_0_st.jpg)
