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Trail & River Stewardship

Almost every trail and river resource in West Virginia is maintained by a volunteer organization. Friends of the Cheat, Friends of Deckers Creek, the New River Alliance of Climbers, WV TRAIL, the West Virginia Scenic Trails Association and dozens of watershed groups do the work that keeps access open.

Accessible & Volunteer Season · Year-round All 3 places

Nearly every trail and river resource you use in West Virginia is maintained by volunteers, and most of those groups are three people and a truck.

Membership is usually twenty or thirty dollars, and it materially affects what these organizations are able to do.

Our recommendations

Where we'd send you

Practical note

Trail days and river cleanups are also the fastest way to meet people with detailed local knowledge. A considerable amount of route and access information circulates through volunteer workdays rather than published sources.

What to know before you go

  • The WVDEP watershed group directory is the master list for finding a local river group
  • Most groups run spring cleanups and fall trail days that need no experience
  • Climbing access in particular depends on active landowner relationships

Regions that do it best

Cheat River whitewater and rail-trail network

Mountaineer Country

The northern counties around Morgantown.

 Sandstone climbing, big whitewater, a national park

New River Gorge

The New River has cut a gorge roughly 1,000 feet deep through Nuttall sandstone, protected since 2020 as New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

 Rail-trails, limestone caves, gentle river paddling

Greenbrier Valley

The Greenbrier Valley sits on Greenbrier limestone, producing karst topography: sinkholes, springs, sinking streams and extensive cave systems, several with more than forty miles of surveyed passage.

 Appalachian Trail, warm rivers, limestone streams

Eastern Panhandle

The Appalachian Trail crosses the Potomac at Harpers Ferry and runs roughly 24 miles through this region.

Every place we cover for trail & river stewardship

River · Mountaineer Country

Cheat Canyon

One of the classic big-water runs of the East: roughly 11 miles of Class IV–V through a remote gorge below Albright, with named rapids including Big Nasty, Coliseum and Pete Morgan.

11 mi canyon runClass IV–V at high water
Trail · Mountaineer Country

Mon River Rail-Trail System

About 48 miles of connected crushed-limestone rail-trail through Morgantown: the Caperton Trail along the riverfront downtown, the Mon River Trail running north to the Pennsylvania line and south toward Prickett's Fort, and the Deckers Creek Trail climbing 19 miles east to Reedsville.

48+ mi connected19 mi deckers creek trail
River · Metro Valley

Coal River Water Trail

An organized water trail on the Big Coal, Little Coal and main-stem Coal rivers south of Charleston, with maintained access points, mapped mileages and signage — the product of sustained work by the Coal River Group to turn a working-class industrial river back into a recreation asset.

88 mi water trailClass I difficulty
AdvertiseThis space is available

Guides and rentals for trail & river stewardship

Reserved for a West Virginia operator serving this activity. Everything above and below it is unpaid editorial.

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Questions people ask

How can I volunteer for trail work in West Virginia?
Contact the organization that maintains the trail — the West Virginia Scenic Trails Association for the Allegheny Trail, Friends of the Cheat and Friends of Deckers Creek for northern rail-trails and rivers, the New River Alliance of Climbers for climbing trails, or your local watershed group through the WVDEP directory.
Organizations, agencies and resources · 75

The groups doing the actual work — access, maintenance, licensing and data. Starred entries are worth following continuously.

WVU Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative University Outdoor recreation research, economic impact analysis, community development and outdoor industry development. Visit WV TRAIL — Trails & Recreation Advocacy & Information Link Nonprofit Statewide organization covering non-motorized trails of nearly every type: hiking, biking, water trails, equestrian, rail trails and accessible trails. Visit WVDEP Watershed Groups Directory Government Extremely useful master directory for finding Friends-of-the-River and watershed organizations throughout West Virginia. Visit West Virginia Watershed Network Nonprofit Network connecting watershed organizations, agencies and local conservation initiatives across the state. Visit West Virginia Rivers Coalition Nonprofit Statewide river protection, public lands, water quality, and paddling-related conservation and recreation. Visit Friends of the Cheat Nonprofit Cheat River restoration, recreation, water trail, access, events and conservation. Its work specifically combines restoration with promoting recreational opportunities. Visit Friends of the Cacapon River Nonprofit River access, kayaking, fishing, cleanups, recreation and watershed protection on one of the East's finest gentle rivers. Visit Greenbrier River Watershed Association Nonprofit One of West Virginia's oldest watershed associations and especially important for Greenbrier, Monroe, Pocahontas and Summers county research. Visit Friends of the Lower Greenbrier River Nonprofit Historical/contact record only — appears to have folded back into the Greenbrier River Watershed Association rather than continuing independently. Visit New River Conservancy Nonprofit Major New River conservation organization spanning North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Now also developing the New River Water Trail, making it especially important for paddling and tourism. Visit Friends of New River Gorge National Park & Preserve Nonprofit Supports the New River Gorge, Gauley River and Bluestone National Scenic River through conservation, recreation and National Park Service partnerships. Visit New River Clean Water Alliance Nonprofit Local New River Gorge-region water-quality partnership connected with New River Conservancy. Visit Friends of Blackwater Nonprofit Blackwater River, Blackwater Canyon, public lands, trails and recreation conservation in the Potomac Highlands. Visit Friends of Deckers Creek Nonprofit Deckers Creek restoration, trails, water quality and outdoor recreation in Monongalia and Preston counties. Visit Friends of the Hughes River Nonprofit Ritchie County watershed organization covering the North, South and Middle Forks of the Hughes River. Visit Friends of Mill Creek Nonprofit Local watershed group; listed in the WVDEP watershed group directory. Visit Guardians of the West Fork Nonprofit West Fork River watershed protection, cleanup and river access advocacy. Visit Save the Tygart Watershed Association Nonprofit Tygart Valley River watershed protection and recreation access. Visit Upper Monongahela River Association Nonprofit Monongahela River recreation, boating, riverfront development and quality-of-life initiatives. Visit Cheat Lake Environment & Recreation Association (CLEAR) Nonprofit Cheat Lake water quality, shoreline recreation and lake access advocacy. Visit Buckhannon River Watershed Association Nonprofit Buckhannon River watershed protection, monitoring and river recreation. Visit Meadow River Watershed Association Nonprofit Meadow River watershed protection and stream monitoring. Visit Meadow River Valley Association Nonprofit Particularly important around the Meadow River Valley and climbing and recreation access. Visit Morris Creek Watershed Association Nonprofit Kanawha-area watershed restoration group focused on acid mine drainage remediation. Visit Paint Creek Watershed Association Nonprofit Paint Creek watershed monitoring and restoration in the Kanawha basin. Visit Piney Creek Watershed Association Nonprofit Piney Creek watershed group working in the Raleigh County area of the New River basin. Visit Sleepy Creek Watershed Association Nonprofit Sleepy Creek watershed protection in Berkeley and Morgan counties. Visit Warm Springs Run Watershed Association Nonprofit Warm Springs Run watershed group in the Berkeley Springs area. Visit Opequon Creek Project Team Nonprofit Opequon Creek watershed restoration, monitoring and stream access in the Eastern Panhandle. Visit Coal River Group / Coal River Water Trail Nonprofit Paddling, river access, conservation and recreation along the Big Coal, Little Coal and main-stem Coal rivers — one of the most developed water trail networks in the state. Visit Guyandotte Water Trail Alliance Nonprofit Guyandotte River paddling and water-trail development in southwestern West Virginia. Visit Cacapon Institute Nonprofit Watershed science, environmental education and Potomac Highlands water resources. Visit New River Alliance of Climbers (NRAC) Nonprofit One of the most important organizations on this entire list. Protects and expands climbing access, maintains trails, replaces hardware and works with landowners and land managers throughout the New River Gorge region. Visit NRAC Climbing Access Database Nonprofit Especially useful for determining land ownership, current access restrictions and sensitive climbing locations before you visit a cliff. Visit Access Fund Nonprofit National climbing-access organization with extensive involvement in West Virginia land acquisition and access negotiation. Visit Access Fund Local Climbing Organizations Directory Nonprofit Identifies three WV-specific climbing groups: New River Alliance of Climbers, Friends of Seneca and Cheat Canyon Climbers Coalition. Visit Friends of Seneca Nonprofit Seneca Rocks climbing access, stewardship, trail work and rescue infrastructure. Visit Cheat Canyon Climbers Coalition Nonprofit Climbing access and stewardship in the Cheat Canyon region near Morgantown. Visit West Virginia Wildwater Association (WVWA) Nonprofit Long-running WV paddling organization offering trips, clinics, conservation information and river-access resources. Visit West Virginia Scenic Trails Association Nonprofit Home organization for the Allegheny Trail — maintenance, mapping, guidebooks and volunteer trail work. Visit Appalachian Trail Conservancy Nonprofit Particularly important around Harpers Ferry and the Eastern Panhandle, where the ATC is headquartered. Visit Potomac Appalachian Trail Club Nonprofit Important for trails, shelters and cabins in West Virginia's eastern region. Visit West Virginia Mountain Bike Association (WVMBA) Nonprofit Statewide mountain biking organization — race series, advocacy, trail building and club coordination. Visit Mountaineer Trail Network Nonprofit Building a connected purpose-built singletrack network across north-central West Virginia. Visit Snowshoe Highlands Area Recreation Collaborative (SHARC) Nonprofit Regional trail development around Snowshoe and Pocahontas County, home to an IMBA Ride Center designation effort. Visit West Virginia Rails-to-Trails Council Nonprofit Statewide rail-trail advocacy, development and conversion of abandoned rail corridors. Visit Elk River Trail Foundation Nonprofit Supports the Elk River Rail Trail, Water Trail and the BC&G trail system. Visit Mon River Rail-Trails Conservancy Nonprofit Maintains the Mon River, Caperton and Deckers Creek rail-trails through and around Morgantown. Visit West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners (WVMTR) Nonprofit Statewide trail-running organization with races, group runs, trail resources and stewardship projects. Visit West Virginia Cave Conservancy Nonprofit Cave ownership, conservation and managed access — acquires and protects significant West Virginia caves outright. Visit Trout Unlimited Nonprofit National coldwater conservation organization with active West Virginia chapters and restoration projects. Visit Mountaineer Chapter Trout Unlimited Nonprofit North-central West Virginia TU chapter — stream restoration, education and youth programs. Visit Blennerhassett Chapter Trout Unlimited Nonprofit Mid-Ohio Valley TU chapter working on coldwater conservation and angler education. Visit National Wild Turkey Federation Nonprofit Turkey habitat conservation with West Virginia chapters and public land habitat projects. Visit Ducks Unlimited Nonprofit Wetland and waterfowl habitat conservation, with Ohio River corridor projects. Visit Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Nonprofit Elk habitat conservation, relevant to West Virginia's reintroduced southern coalfields herd. Visit Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Nonprofit Public land access advocacy with a West Virginia chapter. Visit Potomac Valley Audubon Society Nonprofit Eastern Panhandle birding, field trips, land conservation and nature education. Visit Audubon Nonprofit National bird conservation, Important Bird Area designations and climate-range research. Visit Wild Wonderful Back Country Horsemen of West Virginia Nonprofit West Virginia affiliate of Back Country Horsemen — trail maintenance, access advocacy and stock-use education. Visit Back Country Horsemen of America Nonprofit National organization defending stock access to public lands and maintaining backcountry trails. Visit WV TRAIL — Accessible Trails Nonprofit Accessible trail advocacy is explicitly within WV TRAIL's statewide trail mission. Visit West Virginia Land Trust Nonprofit Land protection and public preserve creation — a frequent source of new trail and public access announcements. Visit West Virginia Highlands Conservancy Nonprofit Long-running public lands advocacy for the Monongahela National Forest, wilderness designation and highlands protection. Visit The Nature Conservancy — West Virginia Nonprofit Large-scale land protection and preserve management, including several publicly accessible West Virginia preserves. Visit West Virginia Environmental Council Nonprofit Environmental policy coalition tracking legislation affecting public lands, water and recreation. Visit Cacapon & Lost Rivers Land Trust Nonprofit Land conservation in the Cacapon and Lost River watersheds of the Eastern Panhandle. Visit Appalachian Headwaters Nonprofit Watershed restoration, reforestation and Appalachian ecological and economic recovery work. Visit Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund Nonprofit West Virginia grant program funding public land acquisition and outdoor recreation access projects. Visit West Virginia State Parks Foundation Nonprofit Philanthropic support and volunteer coordination for the state park system. Visit Sierra Club — West Virginia Chapter Nonprofit Outings, conservation advocacy and public lands campaigns in West Virginia. Visit West Virginia Native Plant Society Nonprofit Native flora study, field trips and botanical conservation, including shale barren and bog communities. Visit West Virginia Master Naturalists Nonprofit Structured volunteer naturalist training and certification program in West Virginia ecology. Visit WV Association of Natural Resource Professionals Nonprofit Professional network for West Virginia natural resource managers, scientists and agency staff. Visit WV Connecting Communities Nonprofit Initiative linking West Virginia towns to trail networks and outdoor recreation infrastructure. Visit

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