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Print Friendly MapThe Greenbrier River Trail weaves a path of 77 miles through lush forest and rural small towns of West Virginia’s Allegheny Highlands, along the longest undammed river in the eastern United States. Parts of the trail lack cell service due to a quiet zone created for a nearby radio telescope—compounding the feeling of remoteness here in the midst of the Appalachian Mountains. With 35 bridges and two tunnels, the state’s longest rail-trail offers a serene and stunning natural retreat, earning acclaim in the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame, and as one of U.S.’s 52 Millennium Legacy Trails.
About the Route
The Greenbrier River Trail’s northern endpoint is at Back Mountain Rd/WV 66 and Deer Creek Road, just outside Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. From Cass, the trail heads south for 9 miles, to the town of Clover Lick, which houses a restored railroad depot built in 1900 that once served the booming logging industry. 16 miles south of Cass, the serpentine route comes to the 500-foot-long Sharps Tunnel. Completed by the railway in 1900, the tunnel is immediately followed by a trestle bridge that crosses the river.
After winding further south, the trail becomes paved for a 4-mile stretch through Marlinton, the largest town on the trail, where users can find trail information and several cafés, grocery stores, bike shops, and overnight accommodations in town. Marlinton is also the site of the annual Roadkill Cookout in the fall. For those with more plain palates, the town of Seebert is 10 miles further south on the trail, and boasts a well-known ice-cream stop.
South of Seebert, the trail becomes even more remote, passing towns that are little more than names on a map. However, cell service becomes more prevalent. Another remnant of the railroad era emerges just north of Horrock, at the 402-foot-long Droop Mountain tunnel. Like with its northern counterpart, a light will prove useful inside the pitch-black tunnel. The trail continues south from the Droop Mountain Tunnel for about 29 miles, with campsites and other rest sites offering restrooms and drinking fountains throughout southern stretch of the trail.
Just north of the southern endpoint in North Caldwell, trail users can take a historic detour three-tenths of a mile north on Stone House Road, to see The Stone Manse, a historic home built in 1796. The Greenbrier River Trail’s southern endpoint is at Stone House Rd/CR 38 & Mountain View Farm Dr (North Caldwell). Lewisburg, 3.5 miles west of the endpoint, has a variety of shops, restaurants, and lodging.
Trail History
Maintained by the state parks department and the nonprofit Greenbrier River Trail Association, the trail uses the former corridor of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O), which hauled coal and lumber and animal hides out of the mountains from the early 1900s. The line was abandoned in the late 1970s, and the tracks removed in 1979.
Cass, at the northern end of the trail, was created as a company town for a giant lumber mill operation. Today, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park serves as the base of operations for steam locomotives that run tourists to nearby mountain destinations. Marlinton, the largest town on the Greenbrier River Trail, was the first colonial-era settlement in the Greenbrier Valley, in 1749.
In 2021, the Department of the Interior designated it a National Recreation Trail.
The Greenbrier River Trail runs between Back Mountain Rd/WV 66 and Deer Creek Road (Cass) and Stone House Rd/CR 38 & Mountain View Farm Dr (North Caldwell), with parking available at both endpoints.
Parking is also available:
These are not official addresses, and there are numerous parking options along this route. See TrailLink Map for all parking options and detailed directions.
Beautiful trail that follows an amazing, clear stream that begs to be fished. It is the water supply for Lewisburg.
We spent three days riding this trail. It was an absolutely beautiful ride with lots of bridges and two tunnels. It's mostly flat with plenty of shade on a hot summer day. Lots of photo opportunities.
My friend and fellow bike adventurer David and I spent three days riding the entire trail twice. West Virginia is truly scenic and this trail also doesn't disappoint. Many trails claim they are adjacent to water but often meander far away. This trail is next to the scenic Greenbrier River almost the entire 77 miles and the tree canopy was protective on our hot, sunny days. We lodged in Marlinton (TwoTire AirB&B) a town with all necessary services. Day one we rode north to Cass, an historic town with a nice cafe, museum, gift shop and an excursion steam locomotive. The up and back ride was 51 miles. Day two we rode south to Rorer (26 miles) and back for our 52 mile day. We stopped at the really nice general store on the trail in Seebert (10 miles south of Marlinton) and bought sandwiches to take to our lunch stop...this is the only food service on this stretch of the trail. On day three we drove to Spring Creek so we could ride south to the trails end near Caldwell. Spring Creek has very limited and remotely located parking so I'd recommend other parking areas if you follow a similar itinerary. There is no food service on this stretch. we planned to ride into Caldwell and over to Lewisburg but this turned out to be a bad idea. The trail ends at mile marker 3.1. The narrow and hilly country road into Caldwell has no shoulder and had traffic on our Sunday stop. We determined it was too dangerous to cycle but we needed lunch...solution...call Dominoes and have a pizza delivered to the trailhead.
Phone service is limited but we found that stops like Cass, Seebert and Caldwell had service.
The trail is mostly a two track path and is fairly well maintained. The best bike for this trail would be a gravel or touring style bike with 36c or larger tires. I wouldn't recommend a road bike and while we saw one hand cycle and one recumbent, they were struggling a bit.
I did the trail from end to end in two days pulling a BOB trailer with no problem staying overnight at one of the campsites near Cass. It’s an easy trail to ride with wildlife around each bend. I saw every kind of animal WV has to offer including two bears. The campsites are well spaced and well thought out. Water is available but I wouldn’t pass one by without topping off. This is a great trail for an introduction to bike packing. Cell service is sketchy at best so be prepared.
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