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The as-yet unnamed trail would merge with the Appalachian Trail’s western cousin, the Great Eastern Trail.
A forgotten railroad bed has become the catalyst for plans for a new trail connecting three West Virginia State Parks as well as the 1,800-mile Great Eastern Trail.
Mercer County recently discovered it owns land along the right-of-way of the former Bluestone Lumber Company railroad near Princeton, West Virginia. The county is looking to develop a trail from Gardner, at Interstate 77 Exit 14, along Brush Creek and the Bluestone River to Pipestem and Bluestone State Parks. A spur would also connect to Camp Creek State Park.
The as-yet unnamed trail would merge with the Appalachian Trail’s western cousin, the Great Eastern Trail, as it traverses Bluestone River Gorge into Pipestem. The new, multi-use trail would serve hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders. The county is also creating a Bluestone River Water Trail for boaters, with public access points along the walking trail.
“We hope to get at least one kayak launch open later in spring,” says Mercer County Commissioner Bill Archer. “We will be starting river and creek cleanups soon.”
Mercer and neighboring Summers County are seeking funding for signage, GPS markers, and amenities along the trail.
The proposed trail passes the site of an old county poor farm, a mill site, Brush Creek Falls, and the Nature Conservancy’s Brush Creek Preserve.