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Walk Across West Virginia

WAWV Walking Routes

Few of us have the time to actually Walk Across West Virginia (WAWV), but we can do a virtual Walk Across West Virginia by walking a distance equal to walking across the state. On this page are descriptions of five routes across West Virginia. Two are exiting walking trails (the American Discovery Trail and the Allegheny Trail), two are hypothetical routes North-South and West-East across West Virginia through the geographical center of West Virginia and one (GRB-Thomas) is a combination of trails and highways. The longest route across the state is 281 miles. If you walked five and a half miles a week or 23 and a half miles a month, in your local neighborhood, you would equal the longest distance in less than a year. So why not set a personal goal of Walking Across West Virginia this year! Record the date you reach a specific mileage point on one of the routes to track your progress. You can use the mileage tracking chart found on the WAWV website to track your accumulated miles. Include your family members in your trip. You might enhance the “virtual” experience by actually walking parts of the existing trails nearest you, or by visiting some of the areas traversed by the hypothetical routes. The West to East route across the state also includes “trivia” about West Virginia. Test your knowledge about West Virginia.

North To South In A Straight Line

West To East In A Straight Line

Can you answer the trivia questions?

American Discovery Trail In West Virginia - East To West

Date	Miles	Location
	0	Green Springs, WV
	11.8	Fort Ashby
	32.5	Ridgeville
	48.0	Greenland Gap, Grant County
	65.4	Bear Rocks at Dolly Sods, Tucker County
	68.1	Red Creek Campground, Dolly Sods
	77.4	Canaan Valley State Park
	88.8	Blackwater Falls State Park Lodge
	105.2	Hendricks
	109.2	Parsons
	126.4	Valley Furnace
	129.2	Nestorville
	136.5	Phillipi
	141.0	Arden
	154.0	Tygart Lake State Park
	158.0	Grafton
	188.4	Bridgeport
	196.9	Glen Falls, Harrison County Rail-trail
	208.9	Clarksburg
	212.9	Wilsonburg, Eastern end of North Bend Rail Trail - North Bend Rail Trail Association"    Map of North Bend Rail Trail
	215.9	Tunnel  There are 10 tunnel on the North Bend Rail Trail.
	219.3	Salem
	228.3	Smithburg
	231.2	West Union
	242.8	Pennsboro View of the trail looking east in Pennsboro.
	247.4	Ellenboro     This is another of the 10 tunnels on the trail and is located between Ellenboro and North Bend State Park
	248.8	North Bend St. Park
	251.9	Cairo
	259.1	Petroleum    This multi-county region of West Virginia was a major oil producing region in the late ninetheenth and early twentiest centuries. This photo of an early oil well was taken from the trail. The derrick is gone, but the walking beam pump is still visible on the right.
	270.2	Walker
	280.2	Parkersburg
	281.0	Ohio River

Learn more about the American Discovery Trail website or go directly to their West Virginia Page. The ADT website has more detail turn listing for the trail.
Read Bill and Laurie Foot's ADT Journal about hiking and biking the American Discover Trail, including the West Virginia section.

Allegheny Trail - North to South

The Allegheny Trail was developed and is maintained by the West Virginia Scenic Trails Association. From their Allegheny Trail page, you can order a detailed trail guide.

Greenbrier River Trail - Thomas

Click on photos to enlarge

This route follows rail trails, secondary and U.S. Forest Service roads, and short sections of U.S. highway routes. Though the route could be walked (especially the rail trails and forest service road), it would be an excellent bike touring route.

Date	Mileage	Mileage Between Points	GBR Trail Miles*	Description
	0	0	3.1	North Caldwell Parking Area- Off of U.S. Route 60
	2.5	2.5	5.6	Hopper - site of freight and passenger stop.
	5.7	3.2	8.8	Loopemount
	8	2.3	11.1	Keister
	10.9	2.9	14	Anthony   View of Greenbrier River from GBR Trail north of Anthony. .
	18.6	7.7	21.7	Spring Creek Bridge
	21.9	3.3	25	Renick   View of GBR Trail traveling through farmland.
	26.5	4.6	29.6	Horrock
	27.8	1.3	30.9	Droop Mountain Tunnel
	32.4	4.6	35.5	Greenbrier/Pocahontas County line
	35.7	3.3	38.8	Beard
	36.2	0.5	39.3	Denmar - Originally a state tuberculoses hospital, later a long term care facility and now a medium security prison.
	42.7	6.5	45.8	Seebert - Access to Watoga State Park
	49	6.3	52.1	Buckeye    September finds fields of yellow wildflowers along the trail.
	52	3	55.1	Marlinton Municipal Park - Begin paved section
	52.9	0.9	56	Marlinton - End Paved section
	58.2	5.3	61.3	Thorny Creek
	59.3	1.1	62.4	Clawson
	62.2	2.9	65.3	Sharps Tunnel - 511 feet long
	68.1	5.9	71.2	Cloverlick - Restored Depot
	71.3	3.2	74.4	Stony Bottom
	73.7	2.4	76.8	Sitlington
	76.3	2.6	79.4	North Greenbrier River Trail Head
	77.3	1		Cass - Take County Rt. 1, Back Mt. Road out of Cass. - Paved
	81	3.7		Wanless
	91.2	10.2		250/11 Intersection. Turn right onto 250/11
	91.9	0.7		Intersection of U.S. Rt. 250, Greenbier river Bridge. Pick up West Fort Trail under bridge on far side. May have to go back toward Durbin to gain easy access.
	98.3	6.4		Burner - Little River Joins West Fork of Greenbrier River
	101.4	3.1		May
	106.5	5.1		Wildell  Winter doesn't mean abandoning your outdoor adventures. With the proper clothing and equipment, a winter excurion can be tremendously rewarding. This skier takes advantage of the snow on the trail close to Glady.
	108.4	1.9		Randolph/Pocahontas Cty. Line, Greenbrier River/Glady Creek drainage divide. Water south of the divide enters the Ohio R. via the Kanawha River. Water north of the divide enters the Ohio River via the Monongahela River.
	113.6	5.2		Glady - Pick up route 27 (paved)  This tunnel is just past Glady toward Bemis. Not on the route, but it was worth the short side trip in the snow.
	113.8	0.2		Intersection - Continue straight
	123.3	9.5		Alpena - Intersection - US 33 - Turn Right onto 33
	124.3	1		Right turn onto gravel Forest Road 91 at top of Shavers Mountain - Alpena Gap
	125.7	1.4		Bare left
	127.1	1.4		Bear Haven Recreation Area
	130.8	3.7		Intersection with access road to Bickle Knob. Access Road comes in from the right. 0.3 miles to the tower. Fantastic view of the area from the tower.
	134.6	3.8		Access Rd to Stuart Recreation Area - Camping/showers
	135	0.4		Old route 33 - Turn Right
	137.1	2.1		Route 33 (Four Lane) - Turn right
	140.5	3.4		Elkins - Intersection with Route 92 Right Turn onto Route 92 (Rather than following Route 92 through Elkins, you can follow the back streets. There is a visitors center at the intersection where you can get directions and a map if they are open.)
	141.6	1.1		Jct. 219 North - Follow 219 North
	142.4	0.8		Allegheny Trial trail head on right. Pick up trail here. It is paved for about 3 miles out of Elkins.
	145.2	2.8		Gilman
	148.7	3.5		Kerens
	152.9	4.2		Montrose
	159.2	6.3		Moore
	160.5	1.3		Porterwood
	163	2.5		Parsons - Pick up U.S. 219 North in Parsons. American Discovery Trail goes through Parsons.
	165.2	2.2		Right onto route 72
	166	0.8		Hambleton
	167.1	1.1		Hendricks - Pick up Blackwater Canyon trail coming in from left past the post office.  This maple tree along the trail in the canyon is its full autumn glory.
	175.6	8.5		Douglas  This large stone culver carries the trail over Big Run in Blackwater Canyon.
	177.9	2.3		Thomas
* The Greenbrier River Trail uses the old railroad mileage starting in Ronceverte, 3.1 miles south of the southern trail head, where it joined the main line of the railroad. Many of the old railroad mile markers remain in place along the trail.

Answers to Bonus Questions

1. The low water mark on the Ohio side of the river is the state boundary. The Ohio River is within West Virginia.

2. Weirton, Wheeling, Moundsville, Parkersburg, and Huntington are major WV cities on the Ohio River.

3. The Gauley and New Rivers meet at Gauley Bridge to form the Kanawha River.

4. Andrew Jackson, seventh president and military hero.

5. Mercer County is the southern most county crossed by I-77.

5a. Monongalia County is the last county before I-79 crosses into Pennsylvania.

6. Kanawha, Clay, Calhoun, Jackson and Wirt Counties border Roane County.

7. US 119 enters Pennsylvania at Point Marion, Pa. in the north and Kentucky at Williamson, WV in the south.

8. Webster Springs, Sutton, and Charleston are three of the communities that border the Elk River.

9. Charleston is the largest city on the Elk and the Capitol of the state.

10. Morgantown is the last major town before I-79 leaves West Virginia. Morgantown is the site of West Virginia University.

11. The civil war skirmish for control of the Gauley Bridge and Weston Turnpike at Bulltown.

12. Braxton -- Carter Braxton, American Revolution political leader. Webster -- Daniel Webster, American Statesman.

13. Shavers Fork flows into the Cheat River, Cheat into the Monogahela River, Monongahela into the Ohio River, Ohio River into the Mississippi River, and the Mississippi into the Gulf of Mexico.

14. Pocahontas, the legendary Indian princess.

15. The West Fork flows into the main Greenbrier River, Greenbrier into the New River, New River into the Kanawha River, Kanawha River into the Ohio river, Ohio River into the Mississippi River, Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico.

For more information about

Walk Across West Virginia (WAWV), and other resources involving or promoting physical activity, call Kristy Blower at 558-0644 or e-mail: Kristy.D.Blower@wv.gov

Contact Information

Kristy Blower
Physical Activity Coordinator
West Virginia Bureau for Public Health
Division of Health Promotion
Room 206
350 Capitol Street
Charleston, WV 25301-3715

(304) 558-0644
Kristy.D.Blower@wv.gov