The Greenbrier River Trail (GRT),
is a
lineal state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
comprising a
rail trail
A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...
between
North Caldwell
North Caldwell is a borough in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey, United States, and a suburb of New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,694, an increase of 511 (+8.3%) from the 2010 census count ...
and
Cass
Cass may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Cass (surname), a list of people
* Cass (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Big Cass, ring name of wrestler William Morrissey
* Cass, in British band Skunk Anansie
* Cass, ...
in eastern
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
.
Greenbrier River Trail State Park web site, accessed April 19 2008
/ref>
The GRT route and its contours were originally engineered by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P. Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Richmond t ...
, serving as a passenger and freight line before becoming unviable after the Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. The right of way was gifted to the State of West Virginia in the late 1970s and the former railbed reopened in 1980 as a recreational multi-use trail.
The wheelchair-accessible trail features a hard-packed crushed-limestone surface accommodating hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
, bicycling
Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bike ...
, ski-touring and horseback-riding. Access is provided at 14 trailheads. The route features 16 primitive campsites (several with three-sided camping shelters), 50 to 60 picnic tables, and passes three state parks and two state forests. As it follows the Greenbrier River
The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River, long,McNeel, William P. "Greenbrier River." ''The West Virginia Encyclopedia''. Ken Sullivan, editor. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. 2006. . in southeastern West Virginia ...
, the trail drops (north to south) along its route, crossing 35 trestles and traversing two tunnelsDroop Mountain Tunnel with a length of and Sharps Tunnel with a length of .[McNeel, William P. "Greenbrier River." ''The West Virginia Encyclopedia''. Ken Sullivan, editor. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. 2006. ]
In 1999, the GRT was one of 50 trails in the United States designated a ''Millennium Legacy Trail''. In 2012, the trail was elected to the National Rail Trail Hall of Fame and was named by Backpacker magazine
''Backpacker'' is an American lifestyle magazine publication that features information on wilderness hiking and adventure. It has been published since 1973. ''Backpacker'' magazine is currently published by '' Outside'' and is based in Boulder, C ...
as "one of the Top 10 hiking trails in the United States."
Background
The GRT follows portions of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P. Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Richmond t ...
's former Greenbrier Division constructed between North Caldwell and Cass in 1899 and 1900. The route was used heavily in the 1920s for through traffic via its connection with the Western Maryland Railway
The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad (1852–1983) which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation.
The WM beca ...
at Durbin, serving quarries, sawmills and tanneries as well as agricultural and livestock operations. The line hit its peak peacetime tonnage in 1926.
By the 1930s rail traffic waned, with the coming of improved roads and the depletion of timber tracts. Passenger service ended January 8, 1958, and freight service ended in December 1978, with the line being officially abandoned December 29, 1978.
The Chesapeake and Ohio donated most of its right-of-way south of Durbin, including the land that became the Greenbrier River Trail, to the State of West Virginia on June 20, 1980. A contractor for the railroad removed the track south of Cass in 1979–1980 and the state purchased the track from Cass to Durbin for its scrap value to be used by the Cass Scenic Railroad
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park is a state park and heritage railroad located in Cass, Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
It consists of the Cass Scenic Railroad, an long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and oper ...
.
Image:G R T 2004 Marlinton Trailhead.JPG, Marlinton trailhead
Image:G R T 2004 Trail Long Straight.JPG, Straight shady section of trail
File:Greenbrier River Trail - Sharps Tunnel Southern Entrance.jpg, Southern entrance to Sharps Tunnel
Trailheads
See also
*Cycling infrastructure
Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except whe ...
*Greenbrier County
Greenbrier County () is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,977. Its county seat is Lewisburg. The county was formed in 1778 from Botetourt and Montgomery counties in Virginia.
History
P ...
* Pocahontas County
*High Bridge Trail State Park
High Bridge Trail State Park is a rail trail in Southside Virginia converted from a rail line last belonging to Norfolk Southern.
The first section of the High Bridge Trail opened in 2008 and the final section was completed in 2012. With a leng ...
*New River Trail State Park
New River Trail State Park is a rail trail and state park located entirely in southwest Virginia, extending from the trail's northeastern terminus in Pulaski to its southern terminus in Galax, with a spur from Fries Junction on the main trai ...
*Virginia Capital Trail
The Virginia Capital Trail (VCT) (informally, the ''Cap Trail'', or simply ''the Cap'') is a dedicated, paved bicycle and pedestrian trail crossing four counties and between Jamestown and Richmond, Virginia — that is, between the Colony ...
*Fall Line Trail
The Fall Line Trail (FLT) is an approximately 43 mile
multi-use trail currently under development — from a northern terminus in Ashland, Virginia to a southern terminus in Petersburg, Virginia.
Early in its development, the trail had bee ...
*Virginia Creeper Trail
The Virginia Creeper Trail is a multi-purpose rail trail. Located in southwestern Virginia, the trail runs from Abingdon to Whitetop, Virginia, near Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and the North Carolina state line.
The trail accommodate ...
*Washington & Old Dominion Trail
The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park is a linear regional park in Northern Virginia. The park's primary feature is the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail (abbreviated as W&OD Trail), an asphalt-surfaced paved rail trail ...
References
External links
*
Greenbrier River Trail Association web page
West Virginia Rails-to-Trails page
Hiking and Biking Map of the Greenbrier River Trail
Greenbrier River Watershed Association
Greenbrier River Trail at Trailink
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Protected areas of Greenbrier County, West Virginia
Protected areas of Pocahontas County, West Virginia
Rail trails in West Virginia
State parks of West Virginia
Transportation in Greenbrier County, West Virginia
Transportation in Pocahontas County, West Virginia
Long-distance trails in the United States