Find the top rated birding trails in West Virginia, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Hadn't ridden the panhandle in about 5 yrs. It is in much better condition than it was last time. WV has what looks to be very new blacktop. Good trail, without heavy traffic.
I haven't been on this trail in about 5 yrs. It is much improved since then. WV now has pavement . Not all the way but within a few miles of Weirton.PA/ Allegheny County still gravel but in nice condition.
We rode on September 22 and we're warned by another cyclist that there was a dog near Duck who is chasing cyclists spooking horses and even bit a walker.
We rode the section from Renick to Seebert on 9/23/22. The ride was wonderful, the scenery engaging, and we saw both deer and a black bear who crossed the trail in front of us just north of the Droop Mountain tunnel. Although the surface is crushed cinders/gravel, the trail was in need of maintenance. We were constantly dodging branches and sticks and several sections simply needed mowed as the center line between the two tracks made if difficult for us to ride our recumbent trikes. We saw very few other cyclists but truly enjoyed the ride.
I'll break this review into two parts. First up is the section from Elkins to the Corridor H construction at mile marker 16. We parked behind the Elkins train station and the trail starts there on small side streets in Elkins and quickly crosses Rt 92 and follows a sidewalk and ramp up to a pedestrian/bike bridge over Rt 250. After a short, curving downhill it heads out of town. The trail is paved for almost 4 miles. After that it is largely double track that is easy to ride. This trail features nice wooded areas, open farmland, fields, mountain views and parallels Leading Creek for quite a ways. There are a few very short shared use road sections that are really nothing. At Montrose the trail goes single track for a ways and a quarter mile section is all grass but there is an adjacent road that you can ride. After that it starts a gradual 2% grade up the ridge and then crosses over at the county line and drops towards Porterwood. At the 16 mile marker there are concrete barricades for the Corridor H construction area that you can easily go around. We went a bit further but it was quite muddy from recent rain and there was some construction activity so we turned around. We did meet a fellow who pushed his bike up through the mud and he said it was about a quarter mile long. If it had been dry and a weekend we would have gone through. This section was quite enjoyable.
The other section I have ridden by parking in Parsons near the old railroad depot. The trail is paved to Hendricks and up to about Porterwood. Other than some root heaves along the Black Fork of Cheat this is an excellent trail. The river is always nearby and on the Porterwood side there are plenty of Civil War signs about the battle fought here.
There are plenty of amenities in Elkins and Parsons has a decent amount also so you should be covered. Go and enjoy the trail. As noted in another review the trail website and Facebook page are woefully out of date or inadequate. Take these reviews as a recommendation to go ride this trail.
If you plan to ride the whole 77 mi after 9/7/2022, you can't. The city of Lewisburg is planning to close the trail on the Caldwell end to dig it up and put in a water line. You can still ride from Cass to Anthony but there is no access to the construction portion (unless they relent and make accommodation for trail users.) Safest place to leave a vehicle is at Renick. Hopefully, the Visitor's Center will have current information available.
I was able to go directly to the trail head in Shinston, WV by typing "City of Shinston Rails to Trails Trail Head" into Waze.
There is a nice, shaded parking lot with enough room for several vehicles. The trail starts right there between the highway and the parking lot. I unloaded and was on it within 5 minutes. I had noticed on TrailLink that it looked like I'd have to travel some city streets. This was so, because short sections of the original railroad bed ran through private property and wasn't accessible. I actually rode a short distance up a couple of streets and back before I noticed there were LARGE YELLOW PAW PRINTS painted on the street to guide you back to the trail.
There are short sections of paved trail mingled with longer sections of well packed gravel base for about the first 3.5 miles. After you reach Marion County (it's marked) the trail is paved nearly all the way to Monongah - with a few very short exceptions like where the pavement has deteriorated and had to be replaced with gravel. There are mile markers.
I rode the 10.5 miles to Monongah, then back to Shinston. It took me almost 2 hours but I stopped a few times to sight-see and grab a drink. The pavement was mostly pretty smooth but there were places where freezing and thawing had broken it and pushed 2 - 4 inch ridges across the trail, making me slow down.
Overall, it was a quiet, pretty, and peaceful ride and I regret not riding the last 5 or so miles of the trail. I'll be back to ride the entire trail from the Fairmont end soon.
I haven’t ridden the trail on bike, but I’ve driven the parts that are on the road. Depot St. is bordered by abandoned buildings that are known for drug activity. As a woman, I wouldn’t ride this trail alone or without protection.
Aug 2022. Bicycled from Parsons to Elkins (22 miles) and back. The views were great and there were many changes along the way: small town, forest, rural homes, creek-side, farm-side, and historic downtown. More than half is shaded by trees. The path is mostly off-road dedicated trail, with a few segments on lightly-used rural roads. The trail surface is mostly dry, solid dirt with a thin layer of fine gravel; we found it easy. The grade is flat in the southern half and sloped north of Montrose, though never difficult because it's railroad grade. There are no amenities between Elkins and Parsons, so bring water.
Although there is an official two-mile trail closure between Montrose and Parsons due to Corridor H freeway construction, we went around the barriers and rode through with no issues other than a bumpy ride over coarse gravel.
It's hard to get accurate status for this trail. The Facebook pages are old, and the official web site is stale: It says there is construction from Gilman to Kerans, but in reality, that segment is now fully open.
Definitely worth your time!
Good surface. Rode it on a road bike with 700X32 tires, no problems. Pretty water falls and rock outcropings.
Started in Clarksburg and rode South 26 miles r/t. This trail could be great but the base is grass, mud and stones that are so large it is dangerous to ride .2 tunnels were nice but had to walk our bikes through them. Base is large ruts, large stones with water running through tunnels. Salem was asphalt and great! I do not recommend this trail until base is safer to ride on. is tricky.
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