WV Rails-to-Trails Council

05/18/2026

YOU are invited to a joint community meeting for Marion and Monongalia counties as part of the P2P (Parkersburg to Pittsburgh) Corridor master planning project. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 19 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Fairmont State University. A meal will be provided.

This meeting is an essential step in developing an actionable blueprint for sustained rural prosperity along the trails that make up the P2P Corridor. This includes the Mon River Rail-Trail, MCTrail, and West Fork River Rail-Trail!

Trails are part of a $1 Trillion outdoor economy and have the potential to bring business to the area (not to mention quality-of-life improvements), but not without planning, partnerships, and community input.

Please plan to join us on May 19 and invite others who you think should be there. Registration is appreciated for meal-planning purposes. https://p2pcorridor.org/events/spring-engagement-session-wndrn-aag55-s76n8-gsz4d-3fwwe

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Please join us for the P2P Meeting on Tuesday, May 19 5:30-7:30pm at Fairmont State University for Marion and Monongalia Counties! All are Welcome!

Learn more and RSVP
https://p2pcorridor.org/events
There is a meal involved so it helps to RSVP but feel free to show up….

Or show up for Wednesday, May 20 for Fayette County, PA and the Sheepskin Trail!

TAKE THE SURVEY- https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P2PCorridor

Read blog below to get a taste of our earlier meetings across WV and this one in Parkersburg- Wood County. Amy Camp will be leading the last two meetings.

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Public Meetings — Spring 2026
You’re Invited

The regional master planning process for the Parkersburg to Pittsburgh (P2P) Corridor requires extensive public engagement. That’s where you come in!

You’re invited to share your ideas at one of our in-person public meetings this spring. These meetings will include surveys, discussions, and more to gather input on a completed trail network.

Upcoming Spring Meetings

All meetings are from 5:30-7:00PM. More details about each meeting are below.

Marion & Monongalia Counties Public Meeting
May 19, 2026 Fairmont State University, Turley Student Services Center, Room 106

Fayette County Public Meeting
May 20, 2026 South Union Township Indoor Sports Complex

P2PCorridor.org

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Photo
The Ohio River in Parkersburg, West Virginia

You know you’re in for a good community meeting when a registrant emails you to say he’ll be there along with his wife and a model covered bridge:

“Be there by five with wife, a bridge, wearing a cap from Antarctica.”

That would be retired pilot, educator, and all-around idea man Stanley Cole, who attended a community meeting I hosted this week for the Parkersburg to Pittsburgh (P2P) Corridor Regional Master Plan project. Besides bringing the model to encourage the installation of prefabricated bridges along the trails, he also brought positive energy. At one point he told a young concessionaire who is renting bikes and kayaks how proud he was of him. It was a sweet moment.

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Stanley Cole with the model covered bridge.

Another personal highlight of the high energy gathering was meeting Belinda Armstrong, one of the artists who painted a striking 12-peice installation in the hallway of the Wood County Resiliency Center. The collection celebrates the Mid-Ohio Valley’s connection to the river. Belinda and her husband, Ken, are the parents of a former client of mine. How is it possible that I’ve led a workshop for their daughter 200 miles away and then got to meet them in PKB?

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Sharing a moment with Belinda and Ken Armstrong in front of one of her paintings.

Belinda wasn’t the only artist in the room. We had people working in the arts, in education, economic development, tourism, and more all come together to think about the promise of this corridor. When we kicked off this project in December, a Facebook commenter asked, “Why Parkersburg?” (suggesting, as Gertrude Stein once famously did, that “There’s no there there”).

After my time with this group (and others in Doddridge, Ritchie, and Harrison counties over the last couple of weeks), I can tell you why. We have some pretty amazing communities across Appalachia and along the trails that make up the P2P Corridor. It’s the people. It’s the culture. It’s the landscape. And so much more.

There’s significant work ahead, but many of the ingredients are there. Speaking of which, I had the opportunity to visit Point Park in Parkersburg. I can’t say enough about this incredible civic investment at the confluence of the Little Kanawha and Ohio rivers. This park is special! (See a short video I posted here...it’s the only way to see how fantastic the Floodwall Mural is.)

I was there in the evening and enjoyed seeing how many people were out fishing, taking their kids for a walk, and catching the sunset. This is an actively used park and would make an ideal bookend for the P2P experience. Imagine beginning a walk or ride at Point Park in Parkersburg and ending at Point State Park in Pittsburgh, both on the Ohio River! That’s part of the vision for the P2P Corridor.

If you live or work along the P2P Corridor, please join us for one of our remaining meetings and take our community survey here. Trip photos are below.

About the P2P Corridor Project

The P2P Corridor links six existing and emerging rail-trails. When complete, the trails comprising the P2P Corridor from Parkersburg, WV to Connellsville, PA will create a fully connected 180-mile system of trails, one of the longest in the U.S. The P2P meets the Great Allegheny Passage near Connellsville. Trail users can continue on to Pittsburgh using the GAP and Three Rivers Heritage Trail. The master plan project has been made possible through an Appalachian Regional Commission ARISE grant made to the National Road Heritage Corridor with matching funds from the Just Transition Fund, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, and the City of Fairmont.

The P2P Trail Corridor is a 238-mile interconnected trail system from West Virginia to Pennsylvania, enhancing regional connectivity and recreation. Stay updated and get involved.

05/18/2026

Editor’s Notes: Following the trail forward

LOCAL COLUMNS
MAY 16, 2026
CHRISTINA MYER
Editor
[email protected]

If higher gas prices have you considering alternate means of getting to work, maybe you’ve considered a bicycle. We’re not exactly the most bicycle-friendly region, but we’re getting better; and I stumbled across a Louisville Public Media piece this week that reminded me I could get from Parkersburg to almost Clarksburg for only the cost of whatever it took to fuel ME on a bike for six hours … if I wanted to.

The piece was originally a West Virginia Public Broadcasting story about the value of multi-use, long-distance trail projects such as the possible Parkersburg to Pittsburgh Corridor. In West Virginia, the major gaps are in Marion and Harrison counties, but improvements are being made all the time.

And communities are starting to talk about the benefits. According to WVPB, consulting firm owner Amy Camp is working with those in West Virginia and Pennsylvania who are trying to get more benefits from the trails.

“What we’re doing right now with that corridor is creating a master plan that will help us to plan for the future of the various trails and how they link together,” she said. “Our vision is for a place that has new thriving businesses and vibrant communities along this interconnected rail trail corridor.”

We’ve all been traveling and seen, in some faraway town, the businesses that have sprung up to serve those who use a trail, and draw in more guests. I’m guilty of thinking “Parkersburg should have something like this,” in more than one cute little town.

But we do. It’s just that the full vision for what our region’s trails could mean to our communities has not yet been realized.

For example, yes, there is hope that one day a person on foot, bicycle or horse could get from Parkersburg to Pittsburgh if they are determined enough. What if they wanted to head west? It still takes a little figuring to get to the Buckeye Trail or even the American Discovery Trail from here.

For that matter, there’s still a big leap from the North Bend Rail Trail to the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, which DOES intersect with the Appalachian Trail (and from there you can choose a direction and explore approximately 2,000 miles from Maine to Georgia … but that is strictly for hikers.

No, I’m not planning to abandon civilization and start wandering all over the country on trails (though I can’t say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind lately), but it would be nice to know that if I decided to, I could.

Though I’m (mostly) joking about these kinds of trails being a transportation option, they most certainly are important tourism, recreational, physical and mental health, and even educational assets.

“(Trail development) contributes to business attraction, resident attraction and retention,” Camp told WVPB. “When you do treat a trail as an asset, it helps to create more livable places.”

And, much as we love it, it is vital that we look for ways to make West Virginia more livable. We cannot afford to ignore ideas that might attract and retain residents.

If young people have decided it’s time to “take a hike,” we want them to know they can do so, right here at home.

If higher gas prices have you considering alternate means of getting to work, maybe you’ve considered a bicycle. We’re not exactly the most bicycle-friendly region, but we’re getting better; and I stumbled across a Louisville Public Media piece this week that reminded me I could get from Parke...

05/18/2026

Visitor center opens as Elk River Trail extends toward West Virginia capital city, Charleston
By David Sibray
May 17, 2026

CLAY, W.Va. — A visitor center and more than four miles of trail have been added to the 73-mile Elk River Trail in central West Virginia, a hiking and biking route that shares its path with the Elk River Water Trail, a popular kayak destination. The new center will open at a public open house in Dundon, near Clay, on May 21.

Dillard Price, acting chief of W.Va. State Parks, said the new center and trail extension are significant.

“The opening of the Elk River Trail headquarters marks a major milestone in our mission to enhance the visitor experience while honoring West Virginia’s rich industrial heritage,” Price said. “By providing a central hub for trail information, local history and essential amenities, we are making it easier than ever for hikers, bikers and history enthusiasts to explore the region’s beauty.”

Ken Tawney, president of the Elk River Trail Foundation, said the improvements are vital to the region’s economic growth. Shadowed by expressway I-79, the trail leads through a scenic valley alongside the Elk River Water Trail.

“This is big news,” Tawney said, “and I think its economic impact is already exceeding expectations.”

Tawney referred to a study commissioned by the foundation that found spending on the trail over the next decade would generate nearly $390 million in regional economic activity.

“Implementation of these and other strategies is expected to cost just more than $4 million over the next 10 years,” Tawney said. “However, the economic impact associated with new tourist activity in Clay, Sutton, Gassaway, and Clendenin is much more substantial.

“Elk River trail towns could reasonably anticipate $250 million in new sales activity over the next 15 years. This spending would generate nearly $390 million in regional economic activity, supporting 195 full- and part-time jobs across different sectors of the economy.”

Elk River Trail Visitor Center to include museum, gift shop

The new trail visitor center was designed to resemble a train depot and sits near the historic junction of the Elk River Railroad and the Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad, which now hosts rail-bike rides.

Price said the facility will serve as a visitor hub, house a museum, exhibit space, a superintendent’s office, and a gift shop featuring West Virginia-made products, and will operate from early spring to early fall.

Dundon developed in the early 1900s along the Coal & Coke Railway at the mouth of Buffalo Creek. Like many mountain communities, it declined as coal production and rail traffic fell after World War II. Today, it is best known for its position on the Elk River Trail, where former railroad routes and the historic Dundon railroad bridge have been repurposed for hiking and biking, reflecting the region’s shift from industry to outdoor recreation and heritage tourism.

Elk River Trail extended to historic Clendenin

At the same event, the addition of another 4.3 miles to the trail extends the route to Clendenin, a 20-minute drive from downtown Charleston. Price said the effort to extend the trail was an excellent example of intergovernmental cooperation for social and economic benefit.

“This acquisition is a significant win for West Virginia’s growing rail-trail system and a testament to the power of strategic partnerships,” Price said.

“By adding to the trail, including the beautifully developed section through Clendenin, we are providing visitors with more seamless access to the scenic Elk River. We are proud to work alongside the Town of Clendenin to ensure this stretch remains a premier destination for outdoor recreation.”

Through an Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation grant for $1.5 million, the state was able to extend the ready-to-use trail along a bed owned by the Elk River Railroad from Mile Post 89.7 at Queen Shoals to Mile Post 94 in Clendenin. The new section includes a mile of paved trail to Clendenin as well as several existing park benches and a gazebo.

The state entered into an agreement with the Town of Clendenin to operate, maintain, and patrol this new section, and will provide support while the day-to-day operations will be administered by our partners in the town.

West Virginia’s state parks and forests admit more than seven million people each year, consist of 36 parks, nine forests, and three rail trails, and are managed by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, a division of the West Virginia Department of Commerce.

The new Elk River Trail headquarters, located at 12 Buffalo Creek Road, invites the public to attend an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Find out more about the Elk River Trail.

MEET THE AUTHOR
David Sibray
Historian, real estate agent, and proponent of inventive economic development in West Virginia, David Sibray is the founder and publisher of West Virginia Explorer Magazine. For more information, he may be reached at 304-575-7390.

https://wvexplorer.com/elk-river-trail-wv-extended/

CLAY, W.Va. — A visitor center and more than four miles of trail have been added to the 73-mile Elk River Trail in central West Virginia, a hiking and biking

05/18/2026

West Virginia State Parks announces Elk River Trail expansion, new headquarters open house
Open house planned May 21 at the Dundon Trailhead in Clay.

From Staff Reports
Elk River Trail headquarters

West Virginia State Parks announced a new Elk River Trail headquarters in Clay and a 4.3-mile trail expansion connecting Queen Shoals

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia State Parks officials have announced plans for a public open house celebrating the opening of a new Elk River Trail headquarters and the expansion of the popular rail trail system.

The event is scheduled for May 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Dundon Trailhead in Clay.

Located at 12 Buffalo Creek Road, the new Elk River Trail headquarters was designed to resemble a historic train depot and sits near the former rail junction of the Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad and Elk River Rail Road Inc.

The facility will serve as a visitor center and operational hub for the trail system, housing the trail superintendent’s office, a gift shop featuring West Virginia-made products and exhibits highlighting the region’s railroad history.

“The opening of the Elk River Trail Headquarters marks a major milestone in our mission to enhance the visitor experience while honoring West Virginia’s rich industrial heritage,” West Virginia State Parks Acting Chief of Parks Dillard Price said. “By providing a central hub for trail information, local history and essential amenities, we are making it easier than ever for hikers, bikers and history enthusiasts to explore the beauty of the region.”

Officials said the gift shop will feature Almost Heaven merchandise, state park apparel and West Virginia Grown food products.

The headquarters will also operate as a museum showcasing artifacts and historical information tied to the area’s railroad history. The facility will operate seasonally from early spring through early fall.

In addition to the new headquarters, state parks officials announced a 4.3-mile extension of the Elk River Trail through a recent land acquisition from Elk River Railroad Inc.

The property was purchased for $1.5 million using funding from an Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation grant.

The newly acquired section stretches from Mile Post 89.7 in Queen Shoals to Mile Post 94 in Clendenin and includes approximately one mile of paved trail, along with existing park benches and a gazebo.

“This acquisition is a significant win for West Virginia’s growing rail-trail system and a testament to the power of strategic partnerships,” Price said. “By adding to the trail, including the beautifully developed section through Clendenin, we are providing visitors more seamless access to the scenic Elk River. We are proud to work alongside the Town of Clendenin to ensure this stretch remains a premier destination for outdoor recreation.”

Officials said the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has partnered with the Town of Clendenin to operate, maintain and patrol the new section of trail.

Under the agreement, the WVDNR will provide support while daily operations will be handled by the town of Clendenin.

https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/west-virginia-state-parks-announces-elk-river-trail-expansion-new-headquarters-open-house/article_109ad4a8-2c39-4c63-a1da-632d01751d6b.html

West Virginia State Parks will host a May 21 open house for the new Elk River Trail headquarters and a 4.3-mile trail expansion.

11/25/2025

Take a few minutes to complete our online survey and help guide the future of trail connectivity, access, and investment across the state.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WHB52VV

Survey closes Wednesday, November 26

Your input matters—whether you're a trail user, advocate, or community leader, this is your chance to shape what comes next.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WHB52VV

11/25/2025

11/25/2025

Special thanks to all who came to help us support the work of the Mon River Trails Conservancy ❤️

10/04/2024

Mile 3-6 of the Mon River Rail-Trail is now OPEN with drainage and resurfacing work finished. Thank you to our funders- Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust and donors to the Mon River Trails Conservancy. Thank you to the contractor, Mountain Valley Resources, for improving drainage and restoring 10ft width to this well-used section of rail-trail. Enjoy!

10/01/2024

TODAY- Trail work continues on mile 3 of the Mon River Rail-Trail, north of Van Voorhis Trailhead. Contractor is laying and compacting stone surface. Please do NOT go into area with Trail CLOSED signs and keep yourself and others safe.

09/19/2024

All of Mon River Rail-Trails will be Open Today but Tomorrow (Sept. 20)- mile 3 (north of Van Voorhis) to mile 6 (Star City) will be Closed for resurfacing. Please stay out of areas with Trail Closed Signs. Thank you for your patience.