PAWV
  • AmeriCorps
    • About Preserve WV
    • Current Preserve WV Members
    • Join Preserve WV AmeriCorps
    • Preserve WV Stories
    • Sponsor a Member
  • Programs
    • Advocacy >
      • Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits
    • Annual Awards
    • Blair Footsteps Interpretive Trail
    • Historic Masonry Workshop
    • Historic Wood Window Preservation Workshop
    • West Virginia Endangered Properties >
      • West Virginia Endangered Properties List >
        • Endangered Properties Blog
        • Saved Sites
        • Lost or Archived Sites
    • West Virginia Historic Preservation Conference
    • Webinars >
      • Webinar Archive
    • West Virginia Historic Theatre Trail >
      • Movie Theatres of West Virginia
    • WV New Deal Trail
  • Resources
    • Fund Your Preservation Project >
      • Historic Preservation Loan Fund
      • Saving Historic Places Grant
    • Consultants and Contractors
    • Preservation Techniques >
      • Historic Building Assessment
      • How to Recycle Asbestos
      • Mothballing Property
      • Window Rehabilitation
    • Frances Benjamin Johnston: A West Virginia Icon >
      • Selected Photos
      • Behind the Lens Activity
    • Historic Preservation Degrees
  • News
    • Preservation Spotlights
    • Monthly E-newsletter
  • Contact
    • About Us >
      • Our Team
      • Our Story
  • Give
    • Become a Member of PAWV
    • Give Online
    • Ways to Give to PAWV
    • #GivingTuesday
    • Volunteer

WILD AND WONDERFUL NORTH BEND TRAIL SOJOURN

10/17/2016

 
​By Jennifer Wilt

My site is a four-county Heritage Tourism initiative that started in 2013 between Doddridge, Gilmer, Ritchie and Tyler counties. Our goal was to identify the historic and cultural assets that all four counties have in common and promote them as thematic trails packages. One of the most-used assets in our region is the North Bend Rail Trail.
Picture
The North Bend Rail Trail is a recreational trail for cyclists, hikers and equestrian enthusiasts. It is operated by West Virginia State Parks and at one point passes through North Bend State Park near Cairo in Ritchie County. Once simply an abandoned railroad, the trail is now part of the 5,500 mile coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail. Stretching 72 scenic miles, the North Bend Rail Trail passes through thirteen tunnels and crosses 36 bridges. The trail runs from Wood to Harrison counties and traverses the full east-west length of Doddridge and Ritchie counties. Since the North Bend Rail Trail is one of our largest regional attractions and given the fact that I am also a North Bend Rails to Trails Foundation board member, I take a particular interest in the trail.
Earlier this year the North Bend Rail Trail was chosen by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy as one of their 2016 sojourn trails. Each year the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy selects a series of rail trails throughout various states to highlight the impact that long-distance trail networks have on America’s communities. These events bring together hundreds of riders to utilize and celebrate trails. A major benefit of the sojourn program is to draw attention to trail gaps in potential regional trail systems, connection of which could result in major economic, health and environmental improvements.

For this year’s sojourn, over 130 cyclists paid up to $500 to attend what was to be called the Wild and Wonderful North Bend Trail Sojourn, a four-day, three-night event scheduled to kick-off on June 19, 2016 in Parkersburg. The ages of the cyclists ranged anywhere from 7 to 77 years of age. Only one participant was from West Virginia.

The North Bend Rails to Trails Foundation, the nonprofit organization who manages the North Bend Rail Trail, was tasked with the responsibility of providing accommodations and entertainment for the nearly 130 cyclists as they traveled through each county. The Foundation asked local government agencies, historical societies, and businesses to work together to beautify their communities and ensure that local interest sites were staffed and opened for the participants for the four-day event.

As requested, each county coordinated clean-up projects that coincided with the WV Make It Shine Program. Several truckloads of trash, tires, etc., were picked up along the trail. Towns spruced up their storefronts, set up signage and put together promotional packages so that sojourners would have some local information about each community that they would travel through.

The event kicked off from Parkersburg as scheduled on June 19th. With few exceptions, everything went as planned. The bikers not only stopped for a bite to eat, they also toured the many historic districts, museums, depots and gift shops along the way. Overnight accommodations were provided at North Bend State Park on the initial and return legs of the journey, as well as in Salem, Harrison County, at the midpoint. The numerous tunnels on the trail seemed to be one of the most popular attractions. The event was a huge success on all levels. Local reporters received a lot of positive comments from the participants. One lady from Richmond, Virginia said, “This is an absolutely beautiful state, one of those hidden gems.” Another cyclist said of the local people, “They’re so friendly and engaging and hospitable.”

We have not received the compiled data from the Conservancy yet, but we hope to use the report and recommendations from the sojourners to make the much needed repairs and connections that will allow the North Bend Rail Trail to become a more integral part of the American Discovery Trail.

Hosting an event of this magnitude was not an easy task. I participated in the four month planning phase as a North Bend Rail Trail board member (outside of my AmeriCorps service time), I recruited and managed volunteers on clean-up projects as an AmeriCorps member, gave historical tours in Doddridge County as a Historical Society member and did all that I could to promote an invaluable historic asset for Northwest West Virginia Heritage Byways. In small communities like ours, we all wear many hats. For this event we were able to gather all our resources and pull-off an extremely successful event.

Comments are closed.

    Preserve WV Stories

    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Greenbrier County
    Improvement Projects
    Learn Something New
    Meet The AmeriCorps
    Monroe County
    Pocahontas County
    Recruitment
    Support Preserve WV
    Volunteering

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016

Get Involved

  • Give Online
  • ​Volunteer
  • Join AmeriCorps 
  • ​Subscribe 
  • Kroger Community Rewards
  • Shop with Amazon Smile
  • Contact Us

Programs

  • June 2022 E-News
  • Saving Historic Places Grant
  • Preserve WV AmeriCorps
  • Advocacy
  • ​Preservation Awards
  • Endangered Properties List
  • Conferences
  • Historic Preservation Loan Fund
  • WV Historic Theatre Trail
  • WV Historic New Deal Trail


Contact Us

Preservation Alliance of West Virginia
​421 Davis Avenue, #4  |  Elkins, WV 26241
​Email: info@pawv.org
Phone: 304-345-6005
Donate with Crypto

Organizational Partners:
PAWV Logo
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
© COPYRIGHT 2022 - PRESERVATION ALLIANCE OF WEST VIRGINIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • AmeriCorps
    • About Preserve WV
    • Current Preserve WV Members
    • Join Preserve WV AmeriCorps
    • Preserve WV Stories
    • Sponsor a Member
  • Programs
    • Advocacy >
      • Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits
    • Annual Awards
    • Blair Footsteps Interpretive Trail
    • Historic Masonry Workshop
    • Historic Wood Window Preservation Workshop
    • West Virginia Endangered Properties >
      • West Virginia Endangered Properties List >
        • Endangered Properties Blog
        • Saved Sites
        • Lost or Archived Sites
    • West Virginia Historic Preservation Conference
    • Webinars >
      • Webinar Archive
    • West Virginia Historic Theatre Trail >
      • Movie Theatres of West Virginia
    • WV New Deal Trail
  • Resources
    • Fund Your Preservation Project >
      • Historic Preservation Loan Fund
      • Saving Historic Places Grant
    • Consultants and Contractors
    • Preservation Techniques >
      • Historic Building Assessment
      • How to Recycle Asbestos
      • Mothballing Property
      • Window Rehabilitation
    • Frances Benjamin Johnston: A West Virginia Icon >
      • Selected Photos
      • Behind the Lens Activity
    • Historic Preservation Degrees
  • News
    • Preservation Spotlights
    • Monthly E-newsletter
  • Contact
    • About Us >
      • Our Team
      • Our Story
  • Give
    • Become a Member of PAWV
    • Give Online
    • Ways to Give to PAWV
    • #GivingTuesday
    • Volunteer