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Trail Facts
- The Appalachian Trail crosses parts of Monroe and Jefferson Counties in West Virginia
- Spruce Knob is the highest point in West Virginia at 4,861 feet above sea level
- The Big Blue Trail is a 144 mile trail made up of 11 sections that form an alternative section of the Appalachian Trail by linking the Tuscarora Trail in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, to the Appalachian Trail in Dean's Gap, Pennsylvania
- In addition to the state flower Rhododendron (Rhododendron Maximum) state animals that can be seen along some trails include the state animal, the Black Bear (Euarctos americanus) and the state bird, the cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis).
- Some of the private organizations working hard to provide nature trails include the West Virginia Trails Conservancy, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, the Kanawha Trail Club, the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, and the West Virginia Rails to Trails Conservancy.
- Trails are designated for specific uses, some are especially for hiking or equestrian, some are hard surfaced for road and family biking, some are single track for mountain biking. The more variety there is the better the experience for us, the trail users!
- "Single-track" refers to a type of mountain bike trail that is very narrow and rough. The desired trail is a one way track only wide enough for one bike that contains lots of turns, obstacles and ups and downs. This is the favorite type of trail for many mountain bikers.
- A "Rail-Trail" is any trail that has been constructed on the right of way or bed of an old railway line. In most cases the trails are resurfaced with a hard, smooth surface and are very wide to enable two-way travel and groups of bicyclists. Some Rail-Trails however, are foot paths, and are designed to allow nature viewing.
- Many private organizations and small communities are developing nature trails and other recreational trails to improve the quality and variety of community activities. Private landowners and groups have in many cases joined with public agencies to form trails that use both private and public land.
- The American Discovery Trail (ADT)is a bicoastal trail that begins on the Delaware shore and continues to Point Reyes, California.
- The ADT goes through 9 West Virginia counties; entering in the east at Green Springs in Hampshire Co. then Mineral, Grant, Tucker, Barbour, Harrison, Doddridge, Ritchie, and finally exiting at Parkersburg,Wood Co. Total mileage is 276 miles.
- The Big Blue Trail was renamed in January 1997, it is now the Tuscarora Trail(south)
- West Virginia has 300 different species of birds that can most likely be seen in the state.
- Four of West Virginia's mammals are in danger of extinction; these are the eastern cougar, Virginia big-eared bat, Indiana bat and a subspecies of the northern flying squirrel.
- West Virginia has 22 types of snakes that can be found in the state. Only two of these are poisonous: The northern copperhead and the timber rattlesnake.
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