Opening Day for Trails is Saturday, April 7 and I’m getting you trail-ready with a list of area trails to inspire you to find one that works into your daily routine or make a family goal to try them all!
The asphalt-surface trails are great for biking, inline skating and walking or jogging. Crushed surfaces, of course, eliminate skating and I’ll be honest, take a little more effort to bike. Some trails, such as the Brooke Pioneer Trail even offer fishing opportunities.
Even though Opening Day is celebrated at the start of our warmer season, our trails aren’t just for warm weather. All of our local trails can be used during snow for cross country skiing as well!
The trails are all wheelchair accessible, which also means stroller-friendly.
My favorite way to trail is by biking. If you have little ones, it doesn’t have to slow you down. Get your bike outfitted with a child seat or pull-behind options such as a trailer for multiple children or tandem pull-behind for a child about four years or older, not yet ready to pedal alone.
For a detailed report on each trail, click on its title.
Brooke County, WV: 6.7 miles, asphalt rail-trail
Trail end points: Charles St. and 2ndSt. (Wellsburg) and Wheeling Heritage Trails at SR2 and Stone Shannon Road (Short Creek)
Follow the east bank of the Ohio River between Wellsburg and the Brooke-Ohio County line at Short Creek. Continues onto the Wheeling Heritage Trails.
Harrison County, OH: 11.2 miles, asphalt rail-trail
Trail end points: Broadway Street at OH 151/Boyce Dr (Bowerston) and Cadiz Street at Water Street (Jewett)
A rich wildlife setting with pastoral landscapes provides a wonderful environment for birding. You will pass through five covered bridges. With a stop in Scio at B & F Dairy Bar, everyone is refreshed and ready to keep biking!
Glen Dale to Moundsville Rail-Trail
Marshall County, WV: 3.4 miles, asphalt rail-trail
Trail end points: Glen Dale Fokker Field airport (Glen Dale) and 13thSt. (Moundsville Riverview Park)
The trail begins and ends at Glen Dale City Park and Moundsville Riverview Park and parallels the Ohio River behind shopping plazas and neighborhoods.
Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail
Columbiana, OH: 12.5 miles, asphalt rail-trail
Trail end points: Route 164/S. Lincoln Ave (Lisbon) and Union Street (Washingtonville)
Great trail to enjoy beautiful Ohio scenery and nature. Trail features a covered bridge and connection to the Sandy Beaver Canal Towpath. Leetonia has a Dairy Queen, a short distance from the trail. Also in Leetonia is a walking path to view the coke ovens from times past.
Belmont County, OH: 2.6 miles, asphalt
Trail end points: Reservoir Rd/Twp 278 and North Market St/Twp 435 (St. Clairsville)
Features a tunnel your kids will love to ride or walk through. It is a quite impressive, narrow, 532 feet-long tunnel built in 1902. While it is lighted, it still feels as though you’re exploring a cave. A platform above the tunnel gives a great view of the trail. In addition to the tunnel, you’ll also cross a 342-foot bridge. There is a gazebo on the trail as well. A lot to see in only 2.6 miles.
Brooke County, WV; Allegheny & Washington, PA: 29 miles, asphalt, crushed stone
Trail end points: Walkers Mill Rd/SR 3028 (Carnegie, PA) and Police Lodge Rd at US 22 (Weirton)
With a start in Colliers, you will follow Harmon Creek and cross the West-Virginia-Pennsylvania state line, marked with a white sign. This is a great photo op where your kids will enjoy being in two states at once! Small bridge crossings keep it interesting. Collier Friends of the Panhandle Trail sponsor several annual events on the trail between June-October. In Burgettstown, you can grab a bite to eat at near-trailside stores or restaurants.
Brooke County, WV: 2.2 miles, asphalt rail-trail
Trail end points: Brooke Pioneer Trail at Charles St. and 2ndSt. and Charles St. north of 28thSt.
This short, paved trail spans the length of Wellsburg and shares low-traffic roads with vehicles. At the southern end, the trail melds into the Brooke Pioneer Trail, eventually linking with Wheeling Heritage Trails.
Ohio County, WV: 16.5 miles, asphalt rail-trail
Trail end points: Short Creek Rd and SR 2 (Short Creek) to 48thSt and Water St (S. Wheeling) and Lava Ave at Jr. Ave (Elm Grove)
Signs along the way provide a self-guided tour of Wheeling. Other views include Pike Island Locks and Dam along the Ohio River where barges usually are in sight. Heading toward Elm Grove, cross the Hempfield Viaduct high above Wheeling Creek and through the 1904 Hempfield Tunnel.
Photo credit: courtesy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
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