Blue Ridge Country July/August 2021 - 12

THE GOOD WALK
'IT'S A BIG CONNECTOR'
Walking the White Oak Trail
The Oak Hill, West Virginia rail trail brings people together in a pleasant, versatile setting.
By LEONARD M. ADKINS | Photos by LEONARD M. AND LAURIE ADKINS
L
aurie and I were only a few hundred yards into our
walk of Oak Hill, West Virginia's White Oak Rail
Trail and already there had been so many things
to appreciate.
Throngs of bees and butterflies flitted about,
enjoying blossoms of goldenrod, aster and jewelweed.
Cattails rose from small, perpetually moist sites.
Human-made features were also eye-pleasing. A white
fence edged along a freshly mowed field, while brightly
colored benches surrounded by pleasantly landscaped
plots appeared at strategically chosen spots. (There's
even a shorter bench so that children can take a break
without their legs dangling in the air!)
We began to encounter more people as we got closer
to town, though the trail's 10-foot width made for easy
social distancing.
Town resident Justin Ferrell explained his appreciaShaded
benches are one of the attractions of the White Oak Trail.
tion of the route: " I originally used it for walking with
family and friends. That led to running and then to riding
my bike. It's close to my house and it's a testament
to the town that I can go from home to being on a wellmaintained
trail in less than five minutes. The scenery
and adventure in our area make it a world-class destination,
but things like the rail trail are the amenities that
really set us apart. You can throw
a rock with your eyes closed and
hit a town with a pathway, but a
town with miles of paved trail on
the edge of a national park is something
else entirely. "
WHEN YOU
GO
THE WALK: An easy 4.9mile
rail-trail walk (one way;
optional 1-mile side trail) in
southern West Virginia.
GETTING THERE: Reach
northern trailhead by taking
Summerlee Road from US 19,
1.3 miles north of WV 16/
Oak Hill exit. Go 1.3 miles; no
parking here. Reach southern
trailhead by taking VA 612
from US 19, 1.7 miles south
of WV 16/Oak Hill exit. Drive
1.2 miles to parking on right.
Parking also available at 469
Central Avenue near trail's
mid-point.
MORE INFORMATION: A
map is on hikingproject.com/
trail/7028458/white-oak-railtrail.
12
BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Becky Sullivan, executive director
of the New River Gorge Convention
and Visitors Bureau, echoes
Ferrell's enthusiasm: " Awareness of
Oak Hill has increased with people
looking for rail trails. Once they
find it, they find other things to
do and explore our area's scenic
beauty. Many people are interested
in outdoor activity, but not all are
looking for high adventure like rock
climbing and whitewater rafting.
" This trail is a perfect way to get
outside and enjoy it at your own
pace. I can access it easily from
home or office, so it's a nice perk
on a stressful work day. I use it for
fitness and enjoying nature; my
5-year-old son loves to look for butterflies.
The pavement files down
our dog Maisy's nails and there's a
pet wash located beside the trail, so
she gets a full spa day in one walk! "
Tom's, also located next to the
trail, was the obvious place for

http://www.hikingproject.com/ http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM

Blue Ridge Country July/August 2021

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