Biking the Greenbrier River Trail

April 18, 2019 7:06 AM

I'd like to bicycle the Greenbrier River Trail, a state park in West Virginia, and most of the information I can find about it is sparse, outdated, or covers only small sections of the 77-mile trail. I'm looking for advice from people who have done the whole trail recently.

Specific questions:

• There was a lot of flood damage in 2016 and again in 2018. Can anyone speak to its current condition? Are their closures and/or sections where I really need a mountain bike instead of a road/cross bike?
• Recommended accommodations in the middle of the trail, since I plan to break it up over two or three days?
• Two days or three? I am planning on two since I regularly bike 35 hilly miles, so 35 flat ones per day doesn't sound too bad, but wouldn't mind taking three if there are cool side trails or attractions I might want to stop and check out.
• Are there specific dates I should avoid due to big events / races / crowding?
• There are conflicting reports about the availability of cell service, probably due to the information being outdated. Is it still nonexistent for the entire trail, or has that improved?

Any other tips/advice are welcome and appreciated.

posted by xylothek to Travel & Transportation around West Virginia (2 answers total)

The park's web page has contact info at the bottom. That's probably the best source for much of this info.
posted by jon1270 at 8:19 AM on April 18, 2019

Parts of that trail are definitely within the National Radio Quiet Zone which doesn't prevent cell phones from working but limits the number, location and power of cell towers. The giant Green Bank radio telescope is nearby and can be an interesting tour.
posted by mmascolino at 9:03 AM on April 18, 2019 [1 favorite]