After years of planning and more than a year of construction, the first phase of the Clear Fork Rail Trail in northwest Raleigh County will open in two weeks.
To celebrate the opening of the trail, a ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for Monday, June 17 at 2 p.m. at Jerrold’s Valley, located at 101 Rich Lane in Whitesville.
The ceremony is public and refreshments will be available.
Molly Williams, executive director of the Raleigh County Parks and Recreation Authority, said she is glad the public can enjoy the first phase of the trail.
“We’re happy to have this part of the trail done so people can use it,” Williams said.
The Clear Fork Rail Trail follows the old CSX tracks along the Clear Fork River in the northwestern hump of Raleigh County. Once completed, the trail extends for almost 15 miles.
The first phase of the trail is just under eight miles long and is located between the unincorporated communities of Jarrolds Valley and Ameagle.
Williams said this section of the trail also has one of the newest additions to the West Virginia Waterfall Trail, which includes waterfalls from across the state.
The state waterfall website describes the Clear Fork Rail Trail waterfall as deceptively beautiful.
To find the waterfall, look for signs for the Clear Fork Rail Trail along W.Va. 1, also known as Clear Fork Road.
There is a parking lot next to the Larry Allen “Crocky” Holstein, Jr. Memorial Bridge.
Once parked, head from the road to the walking kiosk and turn left to follow the wide gravel path. The waterfall is just less than a quarter mile upstream.
Williams said she has been out several times while construction is underway and the trail goes through remote areas and neighborhoods.
“The trail clearly follows the CSX line, so there will be different sections that go through neighborhoods, but there will also be sections that are completely wooded,” she said. “There are sections that follow the creek and sections that have a rock wall on one side and you can see the beautiful rock formations. It really varies.”
Williams said the trail is intended for “multi-use,” meaning it is open to walkers and cyclists, but also accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.
She added that the route will offer something completely new to Raleigh County.
“It’s unique because of its location; it’s quite remote compared to the track that runs through Beckley,” Williams said. “And just the community that it goes through and the region that it goes through has different histories, different stories.”
Williams said they are working on an interpretation plan for the trail. She said the plan is to add interpretive signs along the trail that identify the different flora and fauna, as well as the history of the region and the towns and communities the trail passes through.
Williams said she hopes the route will encourage more tourists to explore that area of Raleigh County, as well as locals who may have never explored it before.
“As a parks and recreation agency, we are here to help visitors and residents have a good outdoor recreation experience,” she said. “This just expands the amenities we have for our residents and our visitors. There is no other 15-mile trail in this region, so it just provides a different type of outdoor recreation that isn’t available locally.”
The project cost for the first phase of the trail was approximately $2.5 million. It was paid for with money from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization, the National Coal Heritage Authority and the Raleigh County Commission.
The county and its partners are still working to raise funding for the second phase of the trail, which is approximately 7 miles long and will extend from the Ameagle community to McDowell Hollow in the Clear Creek Crossing community. This phase is expected to cost more than $7 million.
The Region I Planning and Development Council is working with the province in both phases of the process.
Engineering for the trail was done by Chapman Technical, environmental analysis by Thrasher Group and construction by Aspen Corporation.
Alpha Metallurgical Resources donated cover materials and the trailhead kiosk.
For more information, visit raleighcountyparks.org, call 304-934-5323 or email parksandrec@raleighcounty.com.
