Been riding the Parkersburg end of the North Bend trail, just wanted to update fellow riders of utility work on the trail. Trail was great until about the mile 6 marker then it was a mess and we had to walk our bikes around the equipment and get on the hardtop road and we finally turned around and rode back until we found the trail on the other side of the construction area.

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!

I did the whole Mon River part of this trail system for the first time last weekend, and I hope my experience is helpful to others: The Sheepskin Trail, Mon River-North, Caperton, Mon River-South and MC trails are all contiguous, and can be thought of as one, mostly crushed limestone, trail. I started out on the Sheepskin Trial in Point Marion, PA, where I found easy parking and a stunning, huge outside wall mural of stained glass. Cyclists coming from the north may find it convenient to start here. I continued south as the trail turned into the MR-N, which can only be thought of as scenic if you appreciate waste water treatment plants, coal powered electric generating stations, and locks and dams. The Caperton section is a varied, mostly urban route that runs past the WVU campus and offers opportunities for food and drink right on the trail. Found MR-S the most scenic of the three and also enjoyed the quick little ride through the pretty state park and lighted tunnel into nearby Fairmont on the MC Trail before I turned around and headed back. Almost no port-o-johns, picnic tables or water anywhere along the trail. Few benches, several of which are in poor shape. Downed trees blocked much of the trail in several areas and had been cleared only enough for a bike to pass, not removed from the trail. The MR-S was often grassy and sometimes narrowed to a foot path. Seems like maybe this trail system could use some more volunteers! Haven't done the Deckers-Creek yet.

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

Labor Day gem! First time visit and would recommend to anyone. Can view the river most of the way. Lots of shade and easy grade. Really is a 5 star.

We started the trail across from the Saltlick Township Volunteer Fire Hall. The first gate was a little difficult to pass because one has to squeeze between the side of the closed gate and a large rock, trying to be careful not to fall in the ditch. The trail between the first gate and the second gate is nice, wide and easy to navigate. The second gate was not so easy to navigate. Over grown. Further you go on the path the less there was of one. I don't know how maintains the trail but they don't do a very good job at it.

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

Disappointed to find out the south portion of the trail is closed for renovations. Parked at the Lake Lynn side and walked about 1.5 miles before turning around. The trail is crushed limestone/gravel so it’s easily navigable in most shoes. Hopefully the rest of the trail reopens.