Landslide in Tucker County damages part of rail trail

HENDRICKS, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Blackwater Canyon Rail Trail is a roughly 10-mile trail that runs from Hendricks to Thomas in the woods of the Allegheny Highlands. However, the local biking community is raising alarms as a landslide threatens to take out a portion of the trail.

Matt Marcus from Davis-based bike rental store Blackwater Bikes told 12 News that the Blackwater Canyon Rail Trail is the most popular trail in Tucker County and that thousands of people visit each year from around the East Coast.

Friends of Blackwater said that the trail also has historic qualities as it runs along what used to be the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railroad, and that the archway, which the landslide fell on, was built in the late 19th century.

The trail is currently being maintained by volunteers, but cleaning up the landslide is beyond their ability. It’s unclear who should fix the landslide and maintain the trail.

The landslide is on land owned by Scenic Vistas, LLC, but that business has no obligation to maintain the trail or prevent more landslides.

The trail is the property line between the Monongahela National Forest land on the uphill side, and Scenic Vistas on the downhill side, so Friends of Blackwater is trying to push the U.S. Forest Service to maintain the trail.

Judy Rodd, the Executive Director of Friends of Blackwater, said she hopes the Forest Service will step in and also help prevent more slides in the future.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.