Greenbrier River Trail End to End
Seventy-eight miles, thirty-five bridges, two tunnels and a gradient under one percent. The most achievable long-distance ride in West Virginia and a bikepacking trip a first-timer can finish.
Day by day
Cass to Marlinton, 24 miles
- 9:00 amShuttle to Cass. If timing allows, ride the Shay locomotive to Whittaker Station first.
- 11:00 amRoll south from the northern terminus. Gentle, shaded, river on your left most of the way.
- 2:30 pmArrive Marlinton. Resupply, then eat in town.
- EveningStay in Marlinton or camp at one of the primitive sites just south.
Marlinton to Anthony, 34 miles
- 8:00 amThe remotest stretch of the trail. Fill water before leaving town.
- 11:00 amSharps Tunnel and the 229-foot bridge over the Greenbrier, the trail's signature structure.
- 2:00 pmDroop Mountain Tunnel, then the long quiet run south.
- 5:00 pmCamp at Anthony or push a little further toward Blue Bend.
Anthony to Caldwell, 20 miles
- 8:30 amThe easiest miles of the trip, with the river widening alongside.
- 10:30 amOptional detour to Blue Bend for a swim in the CCC-built pool on Anthony Creek.
- 12:30 pmFinish at Caldwell, five minutes from Lewisburg. Lunch downtown before the drive home.
Before you go
Book ahead
- A shuttle from Marlinton or Lewisburg, since the trail is point to point
- Lodging in Marlinton for the midpoint night if you would rather not camp
- Cass Scenic Railroad tickets if you want the train before you ride
What to bring
- Tyres of 35mm or wider. The surface is crushed limestone with rougher patches
- Lights for the Sharps and Droop tunnels
- Everything you need for repairs. There is no service for long stretches
- Cell coverage is absent for most of the corridor
If three days is too much, ride Caldwell to Marlinton and back over two days, or do the northern half from Cass, which is very slightly downhill.
Outfitters and lodging on this route
Itinerary pages carry the highest booking intent on the site. Placement is sold per route.
List your business hereWhere you'll be
Greenbrier River Trail
Seventy-eight miles from Cass to Caldwell on a former Chesapeake & Ohio logging grade, crossing 35 bridges and passing through 2 tunnels, following the Greenbrier River the entire way.
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
A preserved company logging town and a working fleet of Shay geared steam locomotives that climb the original grades to Whittaker Station and on to Bald Knob — at 4,842 feet the second-highest point in West Virginia, reachable by train.
Blue Bend Recreation Area
A CCC-built swimming area on Anthony Creek in the Monongahela National Forest, with a deep green pool below a stone-walled beach, a campground and a loop trail up onto the ridge.
Watoga State Park
West Virginia's largest state park at over 10,100 acres, built largely by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
Beartown State Park
A half-mile boardwalk through a formation of large Droop Sandstone blocks separated by deep crevasses, some of which hold ice into early summer.