A 70+ mile adventure trail full of tunnels, bridges and a lot of local history.
Stretching 72 miles from I-77 near Parkersburg in Wood County to Wolf Summit in Harrison County the North Bend Rail Trail is a multipurpose recreational trail owned by the State of West Virginia and operated as a state park. Formerly an abandoned spur of the CSX system, the trail is also a part of the 5,500-mile coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail. The former rail line was constructed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad between 1853 and 1857. The trail's 72 miles pass through wooded areas, rolling hills, farmland and a variety of old Mayberry-like small railroad towns.
Known for its abundance of tunnels, North Bend Rail Trail passes through 13 of them and crosses 36 bridges. The tunnels are by far, its signature feature. Some of the tunnels are constructed of large stones, some brick and at least one is bored from solid rock.
Wood County is the Western Terminus of the trail and features some of its most remote and scenic settings. The section in Ritchie County can is probably the current center of activity. Numerous tunnels, several bridges, well groomed trail surfaces and North Bend State Park are all good reasons to visit this section, if you do not plan a full-length adventure.
Trail Snapshot
Trail(s): 72 miles from Wolf Summit, WV to Parkersburg, WV. varying degrees of rock base. Very smooth, to rough, the average being somewhere in the middle. Improvements are almost constant. The trail is double track, so ridding with a friend, is easy and comfortable.
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