greenbrier river trail

With 77 miles of trail, beautiful scenery along the Greenbrier River, good access at many points, and excellent maintenance, this trail is hard to beat for hiking and biking.

Nature is beauty here. Location is good and there is a lot of parking. Is an easy walk. Good for horses or bikes. Good view of Knapps Creek from the old train bridge.

This was a trainbed not too long ago. Today it is a very well maintained bike and walking trail that runs from Cass Scenic Railroad to Caldwell, between Lewisburg, WV and White Sulphur Springs, WV. The grade is very gentle and easy to walk or ride. It hangs along the bank of the Greenbrier River the entire length. There are many parking areas to access the trail and places to fish or just take in the scenery.The only dislike I have is that my body is too old and tired to walk its entire length. Try it for a short walk or a week long trek.

I've done a lot of rail trails and I thought the Greenbrier was gorgeous! Probably because of all the river views, unspoiled forest and bridges. We were staying at mile marker 45.5 and biked both ways. I plan to come back in the spring for a longer trip!

My son and I rode all 77 miles of this trail in August 2014 and loved it! We stayed at Watoga State Park in a cabin--amazing place! I still think about falling asleep to that crackling fire in the fireplace. The trail is beautiful and well-maintained with an excellent map and trail markers. There are places to rest, camping, and bathroom facilities all along the trail. The grade is level, unlike the surroundings, which are very mountainous (driving was not easy in this area)! The remote, natural setting is beautiful! What you do not have on this trail are places to stay or stores/towns for supplies (Cass, Watoga, and Marlinton are the only towns on the trail). Stores/towns are few and far between on steep, winding mountain roads, so there's no quick running to the store--you must plan everything and have supplies! We arranged for shuttle service via friends and Jack Horner's Store (near Watoga) so we did not have to do out-and-back trips. On weekdays, we saw very few people (which was fine with us). We did not see any bears on the trail, although we talked to some people who said they had seen one. We did see evidence of bears though! We also saw a big copperhead who was not afraid of people at all and was not moving from the trail. We proceeded with caution. Both a blessing and a curse is the lack of cell phone coverage in this area due to the National Quiet Zone. I loved seeing people talking to one another rather than staring at a phone screen. However, not having a phone really adds to the sense of isolation in these remote areas. The driving was challenging on the wild mountain roads, and many people drive very fast. I just pull to the side and let them pass, which they are happy to do. Our ride on the Greenbrier River Trail was the trip of a lifetime--beautiful, serene riding in nature's paradise! I would encourage anyone to do this trip...just be sure to plan ahead, as the area is remote and mountainous. (But if I can do it, anyone can!!)

We rode the greenbriar trail from Caldwell to Marlinton, then the next day north another 12+ miles and back to Marlinton. Then back to caldwell the last day. In Marlinton we stayed at the locust hill b&b. The rooms were great and they serve dinner in their pub so we didnt have to worry about finding a place to eat dinner. This trail goes through few small towns and those it goes through have limited facilities. However we knew this from reading the trail literature and packed or own food and water. The trail is really beautiful and follows the river most of the time. If you are looking to spend some time in natural beauty then this is the trail for you. It is well maintained but sparsely traveled, we saw lots of deer but very few people except right by caldwell, marlinton, and seebert. We got sandwiches in seebert at horners corner and in marlinton at the dirt bean, half coffee shop and half bike shop.We really enjoyed our trip on the trail and the natural beauty couldn't have been better. We were a group of 4 women and we always felt comfortable and safe on the trail.

Well maintained and beautifully scenic. Easy to commune with nature. Be prepared for a couple of 20-mile plus days. But riding is easy

We rode about 20 miles of this trail, and we LOVE rails to trails areas because you are off of the main roads. The trail runs by the Greenbriar River for much of the distance, which is nice. There was not as much access to the river on the parts that we rode--we would have liked to have been able to walk down to the river itself. Our main problem with this trail though was the people in the surrounding towns, like Marlinton, Seebert and Cass. The people in general were very unfriendly to outsiders and gave off a somewhat scary vibe. It caused us to be slightly afraid for our safety since a lot of the trail is very remote. We were glad our children were not with us, and we would not bring them back to ride this trail. We did see 1 other family on the trail--this family and a couple of other single riders were the only people we saw on the trail, and we were there in the middle of summer. Be sure to bring extra food and water, because the only places to stop are the towns and there are not a lot of towns. Because of the general feel, we will not be going back to this area.

Great rail trail with crushed limestone. It is so beautiful. Wildflowers, deer, turkey, herons, and even a skunk. Didn't see a bear though which we were hoping for. The river is beautiful and the ride was pretty easy. Slight grade going south to north. Very quiet and hard to leave! Bring extra water as the access to water isn't that great. Also make sure you know how to change a tire as there aren't many stops for repair. No cell coverage anywhere in the area so it is a great chance to disconnect.

Beautiful wildlife, mountains, pictures, trails. You won't want to leave, if you have to, I guarantee you'll be going back .

This is a rail to trail....gravel...not paved....not concrete. Thus no skyscrapers, no noise, no motors, not many people. I walk it. I ride it. No better place I have ever visited to restore your soul and spirit. The spring wildflowers and fawns, the summer birdsong and greenery, the fall colors and bear and winter brings the blanket of complete quiet and the bluest blue. I love my West Virginia. Thank you God for letting me live here.

Beautiful scenery and a well maintained trail.There is scant cell coverage and very limited support (NO food and beverages other than water fountain/pump water on the trail) The small towns apparently don't understand WiFi.

Beautiful scenery! Easy ride. Very level. Rented bikes because our road bikes don't work well on crushed gravel. Shuttle services available locally if you only want to ride one way.

Very nice rails trail. See very few people, even on July weekend. Bring your own food and water as drinking water along the trail is unavailable. Only a couple of towns along the entire length so plan accordingly. Trail very well maintained. Saw deer, coyote, many birds, and a few snakes. We stayed in Seebert which made for a good central location to ride both north and south. Bring a camera as the scenery is georgeous!

Great level riding with many places to jump off the bike for a photo shot or to take swim in the Greenbriar River