Greenbrier Valley Weekend
The most approachable region in the state: a rail-trail at under one percent grade, warm river paddling, a preserved eighteenth-century town, and limestone country with commercial show caves.
Day by day
Trail and town
- 10:00 amRide or walk the Greenbrier River Trail north from Caldwell. Turn back whenever you like.
- 2:00 pmLunch in Lewisburg, then the galleries and the historic district on foot.
- 7:00 pmDinner in town, which has the strongest restaurant scene in this part of the state.
Rock, view and river
- 9:00 amBeartown State Park. A half-mile boardwalk through Droop Sandstone crevasses that hold ice into early summer.
- 11:00 amDroop Mountain Battlefield tower for the view down the valley.
- 2:00 pmFloat or fish the Greenbrier. Class I–II, warm and shallow through the summer.
Underground or north
- 10:00 amLost World Caverns outside Lewisburg, entered by stairway into a single large chamber.
- 1:00 pmOr head north instead to Marlinton and Watoga State Park, the largest in the system.
Before you go
Book ahead
- A show cave tour, particularly the longer wild-cave options
- Dinner in Lewisburg on a Saturday
- Bike rental or shuttle if you are riding the trail
What to bring
- Layers for caves, which hold about 52°F year-round
- Shoes you do not mind getting muddy for any wild-cave option
- Sun protection for the trail, which is exposed in stretches
In wet weather the show caves and the Lewisburg galleries and theatre make a full day without going outside.
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.
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.
Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park
The site of the largest Civil War battle fought in West Virginia and the state's oldest state park, with a lookout tower over the Greenbrier Valley, short trails and a museum.
Lost World Caverns
A commercial show cave outside Lewisburg, entered by a long stairway into a single enormous chamber holding the 28-foot Snowy Chandelier stalactite.
Watoga State Park
West Virginia's largest state park at over 10,100 acres, built largely by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.