Grand Opening of the Clear Fork Rail Trail Phase I

WHITESVILLE, WV (WVNS) — Raleigh County Parks and Recreation is hosting a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the opening of the first phase of the Clear Fork Rail Trail.

The event will be held on Monday, June 17, 2024 at 2:00 P.M. It will be held at Jerrold’s Valley located at 101 Rich Lane, Whitesville, WV 25209. The trail will officially open with a ribbon cutting ceremony to welcome the new trail. Refreshments will also be provided.

The Raleigh County Parks and Recreation Authority and the Raleigh County Commission, with money obtained from the Raleigh County Commission, WV DEP Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization, and the National Coal Heritage Authority, were the organizations that completed construction for the first phase of this trail. They completed the first 4.87 miles, which is the first phase of two phases. The trail is a total of 14.6 miles.

The old CSX rail line along the Clear Fork River is the path of the trail. People walking on the trail will go down a hard gravel path, with rock walls, trussells, views of the river, waterfalls, and forest.

Others that worked on this project are:

• Chapman Technical – engineering for the trail
• The Thrasher Group – environmental review for the trail
• The Aspen Corporation – construction on the trail
• Alpha Metallurgical Resources – donation of capping material and the trail head kiosk

For more information, visit raleighcountyparks.org, call 304-934-5323, or email parksandrec@raleighcounty.com.

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