Greenbrier River Trail

"Easy Ride...Unimpressive River"

Having rode several sections of the New River in Virginia, a friend of mine suggested I try a new trail that actually fed into the New River. Almost 2 years later, we finally set a date to ride the 25-mile section between Cass and Marlinton, West Virginia. Since this was a new trail for me, and I did not know anyone else that had been on it, I opted to leave the wife and child at home and make this a "boys weekend out" trip.

Being similar in nature to the New River Trail (former railroad converted to biking/hiking trail) the trail is a level grade the entire distance with a width wide enough to accommodate riding 2 abreast. Since we rode the first weekend in October, we were treated with some colorful fall foliage but the trade-off was cold temperatures in the low 40s and then a light rain the last 10 miles that made our journey miserable. However, the weather is not to blame for my mediocre rating of the Trail.

Unlike the New River Trail, the Greenbrier is a very shallow and slow-moving river. Most of the way, it almost looked stagnant. Well, at least that's how it was during our visit. I missed the sounds of the river running over rocks like I've experienced on the New River.

At milepost 65.5 (we started at Cass - MP 80), we got to experience going through Sharp's Tunnel and cross the trestle going over the Greenbrier River itself. Now, if you don't want to pedal the distance to see these features, you'll need to start out at Clawson (MP 62). Something else to keep in mind in regards to distance is the infrequency of restroom facilities and potable water along the Trail. If you're traveling with children, this is something not to be overlooked.

Our endpoint was Marlinton where we spent the night at a very basic B&B that caters to visiting cyclists. Dining options were very limited. We had lunch at a Subway in the local convenience store and ate dinner at a small pizza/sandwich shop a few blocks down from the B&B. For a more traditional hotel selection and plethora of restaurants, check out Lewisburg.

Overall, the Greenbrier River Trail is an easy ride for the whole family, but I think the New River Trail is more family friendly with its number of camping sites and bathroom facilities along the trail. Off the trail, the towns around the New River Trail offer more lodging and dining choices than Greenbrier. If I were to return again, would I bring the family? Probably not.