Find the top rated dog walking trails in Clarksburg, whether you're looking for an easy short dog walking trail or a long dog walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a dog walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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EASTERN SECTION. Starting at the Wolf Summit terminus, I rode 10 miles (and 10 back) on a Saturday afternoon 10/19/19 on an old Schwinn LeTour w/ 27 x 1 1/4 tires. I knew it was not an appropriate bike for this trail but it's what I've got.
Yes, the trail is in awful shape, and the state should invest in its improvement. Even during an especially dry fall, I encountered mud and soft ground frequently. The surfaces really varied. The most common surface was grass, but there were sections of fine stone/hard trail (w/in Salem especially) and sections of single and double track. There were a few spots where gravel had been put over previously-muddy problem areas. But the gravel was too big and laid thick to bike through. In the 10 mile section I biked, there were a lot of paved roads that ran parallel to the trail in part. On the way back, I took those to switch it up.
I will bike here again because I live closeby, the tunnels are cool, and it's remote. I will absolutely not bike here in the spring (trail will be soft&wet and a mess then) or after a lot of rainfall.
We parked at Star City parking lot and headed to connect to Deckers Creek Trail. I was glad they had marked the bumps on the asphalt portion with orange. Once we were out of town we started the 1000 foot climb which was gradual. Once we were on the cinder part of the trail we really warmed up to this trail. While you do hear traffic, you are surrounded by beautiful woods and rock formations. You do pass some industry but I really enjoyed the woods, rocks, and creek. Be mindful of some of the bridges as there can be an inch or two rise. It took us about 3 hours to go to end of trail (about 23 miles) when normally we go 10 miles an hour. There are no bathrooms until about mile marker 13.
Great trial for running and biking. Scenic. Love it. It never gets old.
The first few miles north of Elkins is paved and offers a nice ride with nice views. The trail then turns into what I can best describe as mostly as two cow paths with a minimum of crushed rock and plenty of grass. Makes it difficult to enjoy the countryside views when needing to concentrate of navigating the terrain.
Also blew a tire driving there on West Va state roads as hit a pothole. As the mechanic that fixed my tire commented "we don't have potholes in WV, we have craters!" Suggest anyone thinking of driving state/local roads in this state avoid them unless driving a dump truck or larger vehicle.
I went onto this trail at the northern terminus at the dam / power station as a detour from a longer road bike ride I was taking. Be forewarned: there are long steep stairs down to the trail at this end. Be prepared to carry your bike, stroller, whatever, ~40 steps.
For the first northernmost half-mile or so, there was a lot of big gravel on the trail. This was unpleasant and a rough ride and not like the reliable fine surface of other area trails (such as Mon River or Decker's Creek). But it was only 1/2 mile like that.
The worse problem was that ~2.5 miles south, the trail was gated and locked. This was a nice weekday, 330PM, late August before Labor Day weekend... I talked to another biker on the trail, and he said that the gate should've been unlocked by park staff. So unfortunately almost half the trail was randomly inaccessible this day. I did not go find any park staff and I do not know the gate locking schedule.
This is a beautiful trail though with lake-bridges and park amenities (restrooms, water fountains [not working], swimming beach, picnic tables, playground,...). I'd go here again to walk or swim but not out my way to ride here.
My wife and I rode a tandem on a weekday morning (08/22/2019) starting at the Caperton Trail access adjacent to the Jeep Dealer about 0.6 miles from the start of the Deckers Creek Trail (DCT). The parking area at the Morgantown end of Deckers Creek is blocked off due to construction. As is the description, the first part (about 2.9 miles) of the DCT is paved. It is also fairly flat. Once you cross Carnegie St (behind the Springhill Suites), the trail turns to dirt/cinders and starts to climb. While the asphalt paving was "cleaner", it was bumpy in places where cracks formed due to tree roots. It turned out that the dirt part of the trail was actually smoother - with the exception of the occasional stick/twig/small branch. The dirt part of the trail is a steady climb at about 1.5% for 10 miles. The condition of the surface is "smooth" enough for road bike tires - knobbies are not necessary. Commuter/hybrid tires would be best. The gates along the trail have openings that are clear enough for us to ride a tandem through without too much trouble.
The length of the DCT that we rode (up to the Masontown Trail Head) had nice tree cover, but let in enough light so that visibility was still very good.
Is an all weather surface really too much to ask for? this trail is soft with giant puddles after a rain. numerous trees across it. just a mess. could be a great trail of adequately funded by the state
I rode the NB trail July 5 and July 6. July 5 I rode r/t from Ellensboro to just a few miles west of Cairo. The trail was a beautiful fantastic ride. If I had stopped I would have said as good or better than any trail I have rode in OH & PA. The tunnels & landscapes were spectacular. The trail was well-maintained crushed limestone 90%. I was so pleased with my ride I rode into North Bend State Park up to the cabin area and talked to some people staying in the cabins. The cabins look fantastic as does it’s other facilities and I was ready to plan a trip to bring some people back down to ride this trail and stay in the state park. July 6, I rode r/t from Ellenboro with plans to ride east of toll gate. The trail was too much grass, some mud and a few very small areas of aggregate too large for a bike trail. I stopped at the Pennsboro depot which was very nice. I spoke to the volunteer manning the depot. He informed me the North Bend state park director is in charge of the trail and only has two part-time employees to maintain the trail. It’s really a shame W V state park system doesn’t have the resources to properly construct or maintain this trail. NB Trail would be one of my favorite trails if it had the proper construction maintenance. I could really see Cairo becoming a fantastic stop if it just had the bicyclists to frequent the attractions, stores, and restaurants. Based on the other reviews I’ve read it looks like I’m planning my next multi day bike trip at the Greenbrier Trail, PA GAP trail or TBD.
For a non-paved rail trail, it’s just what you would expect! If you are looking for an easy paved route, you should go elsewhere. We went at the beginning of June with 4 boys, 9-12 years old and did fine. We traveled from west to east, carrying our camping gear. Did 42 miles the first day and 28 the second. Rode through some mud, grass and water but most of the ride was hard packed. Tunnels were awesome and the scenery was beautiful. Camped at the state park, which was well taken care of. Only complaint is the price of a shuttle back to Wolf Summit ($250 since we had 7 bikes). Instead I paid my daughter to come get us, rather give her the money!
I rode the trail from Happy Valley to Pennsboro (about 39 miles) and then back to North Bend State Park to camp (10 miles). Then I rode back to Happy Valley. (About 30 miles)
Pros: Awesome scenery along the route. Tunnels galore. Quiet and peaceful. The people I met in the towns seemed very welcoming. There is also the ability to camp along the trail so it can be inexpensive if you can forego a shower.
Cons: The trail is very rough in spots and sometimes it was hard to discern where the "track" was. There were muddy and wet spots but with all the rain I can't say that that was the trail's fault. The main thing I'd say is that some sections are really smooth much like the GAP and others are worse than the C & O.
Know what to expect and plan accordingly. Wide tires are very helpful (I rode on 2.2 29ers). A suspension seatpost and/or stem would probably be enough to take the edge off. I don't think a suspension mountain bike is necessary but it might be the best for comfort. The trail itself isn't hard. There were no scary descents or tough climbs. I really enjoyed the challenge and I hope to see this trail develop more and more over the years.
My family and I rode the whole length of the trail June 7-8, 2019. We started in Parkersburg from the trail head at Happy Valley rd. About 10 miles in it was grassy and muddy. Some parts of the trail was nice with hard packed gravel but the honestly the majority of the trail was nothing but grass and mud. We were all very disappointed in this trail because it has potential and it was fun to ride through the tunnels and take a tour of the railroad station at Pennsboro. The Long Run tunnel was terrible with 3” of water at each end and very large gravel in the tunnel. Such a disappointment.
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