Meadow & Gauley Rivers Access Trail

The Meadow & Gauley Rivers Access Trail offers an exceptional multi-use overlanding adventure for offroaders, campers, and outdoor enthusiasts looking to explore West Virginia's rugged river canyons. Spanning approximately 18.2 miles along a repurposed historic railroad grade, this scenic route winds parallel to the water, offering a mostly flat and highly accessible path for four-wheel-drive vehicles, SxSs, ATVs, and dirt bikes. Along the way, travelers will encounter two historic railroad tunnels and multiple impressive railroad bridges that can be crossed or explored on foot. The surrounding wilderness features numerous primitive camping sites situated directly along the riverbank, making it an ideal destination for multi-day overlanding trips. With elevation ranging from 982 feet to 1,902 feet, the trail provides outstanding opportunities for swimming, fishing, kayaking, and hiking to nearby waterfalls along secondary trails. While the main route carries a low technical difficulty rating of 2, certain designated sections narrow significantly, requiring vehicles to be 60 inches wide or less, making UTVs, ATVs, dirt bikes, or hiking the only viable ways to continue. Because the nearest convenience stores and amenities are over an hour away, visitors should plan to be entirely self-sufficient, packing in all necessary food, water, and gear, and packing out all trash to preserve this pristine riparian environment.