Biking the North Bend Rail Trail, West Virginia - photos, review, maps and more!

Rail Trail Biking

North Bend Rail Trail

Clarksburg to Parkersburg West Virginia

Photo Archive

October 2003

2 days to ride the trail. Big bunnies, cows and tripod dogs highlight a great fall ride.

Wolf Summit to Salem (miles 71 - 64.7)

Grace geared up to go at the Wolf Summit trailhead

Dana checking the mileage

Jeff and Amber ride by nice signage

The first tunnel - Tunnel # 2 1,086' long

Another view of the tunnel

Christopher and Jeff roll into Salem

and then there were 4 - the remains of our 6-person group

Nice caboose museum in Salem

Another view of the caboose

Salem to Smithburg (miles 64.7 - 53.7)

Kelli and Jeff ride into the fall colors

Spooky graveyard near the town of Industrial

A dog watches Christopher go by

The next tunnel - Long Run Tunnel (# 4) is 846' long

Christopher on top of the tunnel

Dana walking into the tunnel

Inside the tunnel

Riding over a bridge

Through some pretty farm land

Farm scene

Cows grazing by the trail

Riding by the restored depot in Smithburg

Few small buildings in Smithburg

Smithburg to Toll Gate (miles 53.7 - 41.7)

A bridge near West Union

Jeff finds out that socks make nice beer coozies

Lunch! Pizza at West Union

Court house at West Union

Another view of the court house

Interesting old farmer's store

Riding

Beautiful Fall foliage

Tunnel # 6 the longest on the trail at 2,297'

Jeff riding into the tunnel

Giant free-range bunny in a yard along side the trail

Toll Gate! Population 53

Toll Gate to Cairo (miles 41.7 - 25.1)

We encountered this cow on the trail

Tunnel # 7 (779' long) at 39.1 mile

Kelli rolls into the town of Pennsboro (at 38.2 mile)

Interesting handmade trail signs in Pennsboro

Pennsboro's depot is reported to be in line for a restoration

Kelli rolls into Tunnel # 8 (588' long) at mile 37.3

Woodland Trails Cabins in Ellenboro (33.6 mile) - for the night!

Jeff enjoying a rare cold one at the Silver Star in Ellenboro

It was a long hard day

Next morning, we ride the steepest grade at mile 33.5

Very pretty canyon to ride through

30.4 mile - Tunnel #10 (377') Dick Bias Tunnel, carved from rock

28.9 mile - Tunnel #12 (577')

Dana riding out of Tunnel #12

Someone's forgotten fishing spot

28 mile - Tunnel # 13

Bridge (decked) 36 over North Fork of Hughes River

Another view of the bridge

Around mile 25 just before Cairo - an abandoned tunnel

Cairo - mile 25 Country Trails Bike Shop (rentals available here)

Cairo's Pioneer Days Festival

Pioneer Girl hands out some pioneer pizza

View of the North Bend Rail Trail office

Horses at the festival

Cairo to Happy Valley Road (miles 25.1 - 1.0)

Christopher scales a high signal tower

22 mile - Tunnel #19, Silver Run Tunnel (1,376') reported to be haunted!

Jeff is dead!

Christopher riding

14 mile - Tunnel #21 (1,840'), Eaton Tunnel 2nd longest

Jeff and Christopher riding a pretty area

Beer Stop

6.4 mile - We meet up with Keith, Aaron and Kelli again!

Kelli riding beside a very pretty field

Dana and Jeff's turn to climb the signal tower

All done! Group portrait at Happy Valley Road (mile 1)

August 1999

Riding the entire 72 miles in one day with lots of tunnels and near heat stroke!

Starting out in front of a cool tunnel

The same tunnel without us in the picture - notice the fog rolling out!

A very old cemetary along a remote stretch of trail

Another one of the many tunnels along the trail

Riding by the restored station at Smithburg

In front of a tunnel

View from one of the many bridges

Dana rides into a tunnel that looks like a black hole

Another one of the many tunnels along the trail

Trail winds with cliffs off to the side

Aaron rides along the same spot

Dana in front of another tunnel

A glass factory that sits on the trail

Another view

Pretty view of a tunnel around North Bend State Park

A well deserved rest in Cairo at a bike shop

Red-faced and on the verge of heatstroke, Dana musters the energy to climb a signal post

A tunnel that, legend has it, is haunted

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