The best entry point
Friends of the Cheat
Restoration, water trail maintenance, river access and Cheat Fest every spring. The organization that brought a dead river back.
Full guide to Cheat Canyon →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.
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
If you climb
New River Alliance of Climbers
Maintains hardware, trails and landowner relationships throughout the gorge. Climbing access here exists because they do this work.
Full guide to Endless Wall Trail →Wherever you are
Your local watershed group
The WVDEP watershed group directory lists dozens across the state. Spring cleanups and fall trail days need no experience at all.
Full guide to Coal River Water Trail →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 parkNew 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 paddlingGreenbrier 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 streamsEastern 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. The listings above and below it are unpaid.
List your business hereQuestions 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
Groups that handle access, maintenance, licensing and conditions data for this activity. Starred entries publish updates worth following.
WVU Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative
Outdoor recreation research, economic impact analysis, community development and outdoor industry development.
WV TRAIL — Trails & Recreation Advocacy & Information Link
Statewide
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
Statewide
Extremely useful master directory for finding Friends-of-the-River and watershed organizations throughout West Virginia.
Visit West Virginia Watershed Network
Statewide
Network connecting watershed organizations, agencies and local conservation initiatives across the state.
West Virginia Rivers Coalition
Rivers
Statewide river protection, public lands, water quality, and paddling-related conservation and recreation.
Visit Friends of the Cheat
Rivers
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
Rivers
River access, kayaking, fishing, cleanups, recreation and watershed protection on one of the East's finest gentle rivers.
Greenbrier River Watershed Association
Rivers
One of West Virginia's oldest watershed associations and especially important for Greenbrier, Monroe, Pocahontas and Summers county research.
Friends of the Lower Greenbrier River
Rivers
Historical/contact record only — appears to have folded back into the Greenbrier River Watershed Association rather than continuing independently.
New River Conservancy
Rivers
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
Rivers
Supports the New River Gorge, Gauley River and Bluestone National Scenic River through conservation, recreation and National Park Service partnerships.
New River Clean Water Alliance
Rivers
Local New River Gorge-region water-quality partnership connected with New River Conservancy.
Visit Friends of Blackwater
Rivers
Blackwater River, Blackwater Canyon, public lands, trails and recreation conservation in the Potomac Highlands.
Visit Friends of Deckers Creek
Rivers
Deckers Creek restoration, trails, water quality and outdoor recreation in Monongalia and Preston counties.
Visit Friends of the Hughes River
Rivers
Ritchie County watershed organization covering the North, South and Middle Forks of the Hughes River.
Friends of Mill Creek
Rivers
Local watershed group; listed in the WVDEP watershed group directory.
Visit Guardians of the West Fork
Rivers
West Fork River watershed protection, cleanup and river access advocacy.
Visit Save the Tygart Watershed Association
Rivers
Tygart Valley River watershed protection and recreation access.
Visit Upper Monongahela River Association
Rivers
Monongahela River recreation, boating, riverfront development and quality-of-life initiatives.
Cheat Lake Environment & Recreation Association (CLEAR)
Rivers
Cheat Lake water quality, shoreline recreation and lake access advocacy.
Buckhannon River Watershed Association
Rivers
Buckhannon River watershed protection, monitoring and river recreation.
Visit Meadow River Watershed Association
Rivers
Meadow River watershed protection and stream monitoring.
Meadow River Valley Association
Rivers
Particularly important around the Meadow River Valley and climbing and recreation access.
Morris Creek Watershed Association
Rivers
Kanawha-area watershed restoration group focused on acid mine drainage remediation.
Visit Paint Creek Watershed Association
Rivers
Paint Creek watershed monitoring and restoration in the Kanawha basin.
Visit Piney Creek Watershed Association
Rivers
Piney Creek watershed group working in the Raleigh County area of the New River basin.
Visit Sleepy Creek Watershed Association
Rivers
Sleepy Creek watershed protection in Berkeley and Morgan counties.
Visit Warm Springs Run Watershed Association
Rivers
Warm Springs Run watershed group in the Berkeley Springs area.
Visit Opequon Creek Project Team
Rivers
Opequon Creek watershed restoration, monitoring and stream access in the Eastern Panhandle.
Visit Coal River Group / Coal River Water Trail
Rivers
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
Rivers
Guyandotte River paddling and water-trail development in southwestern West Virginia.
Cacapon Institute
Rivers
Watershed science, environmental education and Potomac Highlands water resources.
Visit New River Alliance of Climbers (NRAC)
Climbing
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
Climbing
Especially useful for determining land ownership, current access restrictions and sensitive climbing locations before you visit a cliff.
Visit Access Fund
Climbing
National climbing-access organization with extensive involvement in West Virginia land acquisition and access negotiation.
Visit Access Fund Local Climbing Organizations Directory
Climbing
Identifies three WV-specific climbing groups: New River Alliance of Climbers, Friends of Seneca and Cheat Canyon Climbers Coalition.
Visit Friends of Seneca
Climbing
Seneca Rocks climbing access, stewardship, trail work and rescue infrastructure.
Cheat Canyon Climbers Coalition
Climbing
Climbing access and stewardship in the Cheat Canyon region near Morgantown.
Visit West Virginia Wildwater Association (WVWA)
Paddling
Long-running WV paddling organization offering trips, clinics, conservation information and river-access resources.
West Virginia Scenic Trails Association
Hiking
Home organization for the Allegheny Trail — maintenance, mapping, guidebooks and volunteer trail work.
Visit Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Hiking
Particularly important around Harpers Ferry and the Eastern Panhandle, where the ATC is headquartered.
Visit Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
Hiking
Important for trails, shelters and cabins in West Virginia's eastern region.
Visit West Virginia Mountain Bike Association (WVMBA)
Biking
Statewide mountain biking organization — race series, advocacy, trail building and club coordination.
Visit Mountaineer Trail Network
Biking
Building a connected purpose-built singletrack network across north-central West Virginia.
Snowshoe Highlands Area Recreation Collaborative (SHARC)
Biking
Regional trail development around Snowshoe and Pocahontas County, home to an IMBA Ride Center designation effort.
West Virginia Rails-to-Trails Council
Biking
Statewide rail-trail advocacy, development and conversion of abandoned rail corridors.
Elk River Trail Foundation
Biking
Supports the Elk River Rail Trail, Water Trail and the BC&G trail system.
Mon River Rail-Trails Conservancy
Biking
Maintains the Mon River, Caperton and Deckers Creek rail-trails through and around Morgantown.
Visit West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners (WVMTR)
Running
Statewide trail-running organization with races, group runs, trail resources and stewardship projects.
Visit West Virginia Cave Conservancy
Caving
Cave ownership, conservation and managed access — acquires and protects significant West Virginia caves outright.
Visit Trout Unlimited
Fishing
National coldwater conservation organization with active West Virginia chapters and restoration projects.
Visit Mountaineer Chapter Trout Unlimited
Fishing
North-central West Virginia TU chapter — stream restoration, education and youth programs.
Blennerhassett Chapter Trout Unlimited
Fishing
Mid-Ohio Valley TU chapter working on coldwater conservation and angler education.
National Wild Turkey Federation
Hunting
Turkey habitat conservation with West Virginia chapters and public land habitat projects.
Visit Ducks Unlimited
Hunting
Wetland and waterfowl habitat conservation, with Ohio River corridor projects.
Visit Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Hunting
Elk habitat conservation, relevant to West Virginia's reintroduced southern coalfields herd.
Visit Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
Hunting
Public land access advocacy with a West Virginia chapter.
Visit Potomac Valley Audubon Society
Birding
Eastern Panhandle birding, field trips, land conservation and nature education.
Visit Audubon
Birding
National bird conservation, Important Bird Area designations and climate-range research.
Visit Wild Wonderful Back Country Horsemen of West Virginia
Horseback
West Virginia affiliate of Back Country Horsemen — trail maintenance, access advocacy and stock-use education.
Back Country Horsemen of America
Horseback
National organization defending stock access to public lands and maintaining backcountry trails.
WV TRAIL — Accessible Trails
Accessible
Accessible trail advocacy is explicitly within WV TRAIL's statewide trail mission.
Visit West Virginia Land Trust
Conservation
Land protection and public preserve creation — a frequent source of new trail and public access announcements.
Visit West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
Conservation
Long-running public lands advocacy for the Monongahela National Forest, wilderness designation and highlands protection.
Visit The Nature Conservancy — West Virginia
Conservation
Large-scale land protection and preserve management, including several publicly accessible West Virginia preserves.
Visit West Virginia Environmental Council
Conservation
Environmental policy coalition tracking legislation affecting public lands, water and recreation.
Cacapon & Lost Rivers Land Trust
Conservation
Land conservation in the Cacapon and Lost River watersheds of the Eastern Panhandle.
Appalachian Headwaters
Conservation
Watershed restoration, reforestation and Appalachian ecological and economic recovery work.
Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund
Conservation
West Virginia grant program funding public land acquisition and outdoor recreation access projects.
West Virginia State Parks Foundation
Conservation
Philanthropic support and volunteer coordination for the state park system.
Sierra Club — West Virginia Chapter
Conservation
Outings, conservation advocacy and public lands campaigns in West Virginia.
Visit West Virginia Native Plant Society
Conservation
Native flora study, field trips and botanical conservation, including shale barren and bog communities.
Visit West Virginia Master Naturalists
Conservation
Structured volunteer naturalist training and certification program in West Virginia ecology.
WV Association of Natural Resource Professionals
Conservation
Professional network for West Virginia natural resource managers, scientists and agency staff.
WV Connecting Communities
Trail systems
Initiative linking West Virginia towns to trail networks and outdoor recreation infrastructure.
Visit Related activities
Every organization we link to: local tourism offices, the state and federal agencies that manage the land, the nonprofits and clubs that keep access open, and the universities doing the research.
West Virginia has roughly 1.5 million acres of public land and a handful of places that carry almost all of the attention. The consequence is that a great deal of very good ground sits nearly empty, usually for one of three reasons: nobody has heard of it, the road in is gated or rough, or it is undeveloped and has nothing to advertise. Those are the places below — of them across regions.