First visit
North Bend Rail Trail
Ride a section of the North Bend Rail Trail through the tunnels, and stay at North Bend State Park on the trail itself.
Full guide to North Bend Rail Trail →Ohio River islands and the North Bend Rail Trail
Mid-Ohio Valley
The Ohio River corridor and the counties inland from it. Terrain is lower and less steep than the rest of the state. The Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge protects 22 islands across nearly 400 river miles, providing habitat for freshwater mussels, migratory birds and bottomland forest. Inland, the North Bend Rail Trail runs 72 miles through 13 tunnels on a former Baltimore and Ohio grade, and the three forks of the Hughes River provide quiet canoe water and smallmouth fishing.
Lower, flatter and warmer than the rest of West Virginia, this region is organized around the Ohio River. It also holds the North Bend Rail Trail, which passes through 13 tunnels in 72 miles.
Seventy-two miles, thirteen tunnels, a protected chain of river islands, and three quiet forks of the Hughes.
Our recommendations
What we'd do here
Second visit
Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Paddle the back channels of the Ohio River Islands refuge, then take the sternwheeler to Blennerhassett Island.
Full guide to Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge →What locals do
Mountwood Park
Ride Mountwood Park, fish the Hughes forks for smallmouth, and canoe water where you'll see no other boat.
Full guide to Mountwood Park →One day here
North Bend tunnels in the morning with a light, lunch in Harrisville, and an afternoon paddling behind an Ohio River island.
Practical note
Bring real lights for the North Bend tunnels. Several are long, curved and completely dark, and a phone torch is not adequate for riding a bike through one.
Signature places
- North Bend Rail Trail — 72 miles, 13 tunnels, part of the American Discovery Trail
- Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge
- Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
- North Bend State Park and Mountwood Park
- Hughes River forks for quiet canoeing and smallmouth
- Big flatwater and catfish on the Ohio main stem
What this region does best
North Bend Rail Trail — 72 miles, 13 tunnels, part of the American Discovery Trail.
Year-round · SeasonBeginner · Suits
Where, in this region
North Bend Rail Trail
Trail
North Bend State Park
State Park
1 place in the Mid-Ohio Valley carry gravel biking.
Mar–Nov · SeasonIntermediate · Suits
Where, in this region
North Bend Rail Trail
Trail
4 places in the Mid-Ohio Valley carry flatwater paddling.
Apr–Oct · SeasonBeginner · Suits
Where, in this region
North Bend State Park
State Park
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
State Park
Mountwood Park
Trail
Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
Hughes River forks for quiet canoeing and smallmouth.
Apr–Oct · SeasonBeginner–Intermediate · Suits
Where, in this region
Canoeing across West Virginia →Big flatwater and catfish on the Ohio main stem.
Year-round · SeasonAll · Suits
Where, in this region
Fishing across West Virginia →Big flatwater and catfish on the Ohio main stem.
Apr–Oct · SeasonIntermediate · Suits
Where, in this region
Hughes River
River
The Mid-Ohio Valley lists boating & motorboating, without a named site of its own on this site yet.
Apr–Oct · SeasonAll · Suits
Boating & Motorboating across West Virginia →
3 places in the Mid-Ohio Valley carry birding.
Year-round, peak May · SeasonAll · Suits
Where, in this region
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
State Park
Hughes River
River
Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
Year-round · SeasonBeginner · Suits
Where, in this region
Wildlife Viewing across West Virginia →3 places in the Mid-Ohio Valley carry camping.
Apr–Oct · SeasonAll · Suits
Where, in this region
Camping across West Virginia →North Bend Rail Trail — 72 miles, 13 tunnels, part of the American Discovery Trail.
Year-round · SeasonAll · Suits
Where, in this region
North Bend State Park
State Park
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
State Park
Mountwood Park
Trail
2 places in the Mid-Ohio Valley carry mountain biking.
Mar–Nov · SeasonIntermediate–Advanced · Suits
Where, in this region
North Bend State Park
State Park
Mountwood Park
Trail
Every place we cover here
6 named destinations in this region.
Trail · Mid-Ohio Valley
North Bend Rail Trail
Seventy-two miles on the old Baltimore & Ohio grade from Wolf Summit to Parkersburg, passing through more than ten tunnels and over dozens of bridges — the longest tunnel run of any rail-trail in the region and part of the coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail.
72 mi length10+ tunnels
State Park · Mid-Ohio Valley
North Bend State Park
A 1,405-acre park on a horseshoe bend of the North Fork of the Hughes River, with a lodge, cabins, campgrounds, a 305-acre lake nearby and direct access to the North Bend Rail Trail.
1,405 ac park305 ac north bend lake
State Park · Mid-Ohio Valley
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
An island in the Ohio River reached by sternwheeler from Parkersburg, holding a reconstructed 1800 Palladian mansion, horse-drawn wagon tours and quiet riverbank walking.
Local knowledge
500 ac islandSternwheeler access
Refuge · Mid-Ohio Valley
Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Twenty-two islands and several mainland tracts scattered along nearly 400 river miles of the Ohio, protecting some of the last relatively undisturbed island habitat on the river — critical for freshwater mussels, migratory birds and river-bottom forest.
22 islands~400 mi river span
Trail · Mid-Ohio Valley
Mountwood Park
A county park outside Parkersburg with a 50-acre lake and one of the better mountain bike trail networks in the western half of the state, plus camping, disc golf and the site of the old Volcano oil town.
2,600 ac park50 ac lake
River · Mid-Ohio Valley
Hughes River
Three forks — North, South and Middle — draining a landscape of narrow ridges and small farms in Ritchie and Wirt counties, giving quiet Class I canoe water and good smallmouth fishing with almost no other boats.
3 forksClass I difficulty
On Instagram
AdvertiseThis space is available
Local outfitters, lodging and shuttles
Regional placement for operators based in or serving the Mid-Ohio Valley. Capped at three per page.
List your business hereQuestions about the Mid-Ohio Valley
What is the Mid-Ohio Valley known for?
Lower, flatter and warmer than the rest of West Virginia, this region is organized around the Ohio River. It also holds the North Bend Rail Trail, which passes through 13 tunnels in 72 miles.
What can you do here in one day?
North Bend tunnels in the morning with a light, lunch in Harrisville, and an afternoon paddling behind an Ohio River island.
Which counties are in this region?
Wood, Pleasants, Ritchie, Doddridge, Tyler, Wirt, Jackson, Roane.
Where should I base a trip here?
Parkersburg, Ravenswood, Harrisville, Ellenboro, St. Marys, Spencer.
Organizations working here · 6
Agencies, watershed groups and access organizations tied specifically to this region.
Friends of the Hughes River
Ritchie County watershed organization covering the North, South and Middle Forks of the Hughes River.
Blennerhassett Chapter Trout Unlimited
Fishing
Mid-Ohio Valley TU chapter working on coldwater conservation and angler education.
Ducks Unlimited
Hunting
Wetland and waterfowl habitat conservation, with Ohio River corridor projects.
Visit Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Federal lands
Protected island chain along the Ohio main stem — paddling, birding and mussel habitat.
Visit North Bend Rail Trail
Trail systems
72 miles through 13 tunnels on a former B&O grade — part of the American Discovery Trail.
Visit Visit Greater Parkersburg
Tourism
Ohio River recreation, Blennerhassett Island, North Bend Rail Trail and Mountwood Park.
Visit 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.