Virtual Ride of the Blackwater Canyon Circle Loop

Miles 16 through 34	Blackwater Canyon Circle Loop
Just the Blackwater Canyon Trail

The majority of these photos were taken on 10/2/2006 and 10/2/2007. The Mileage and Ride Time (RT) figures were taken from my bike computer. Ride Time is just the time actually moving. You're total trip time will be higher. There are two photos with the each "Mile and RT" listing. Usually the first photo is the view up the trail and the second is the view looking back. Two views for the price of one.

Click on photo to enlarge

Parking. The best place to park is at the Allegheny Highlands Trail trailhead in Hendricks WV. The town is small so it's easy to find. It's right next to Route 72 and a short distance from the beginning of the Blackwater Canyon Trail. Second photo is the view looking from the trailhead towards Blackwater Canyon.
Mile: 0 RT 0:00 Start the Circle Loop ride on the Blackwater Canyon Trail. The trail starts directly across Route 72 from where the Allegheny Highlands Trail ends. There are no signs marking the trail. It is a small gravel road.
Mile: 1 RT 0:06 Blackwater Canyon Trail
Mile: 2 RT 0:13 Blackwater Canyon Trail
Mile: 2.1 Forest Service gate across the trail. Trailhead for Limerock Trail NO. 142
Mile: 3 RT 0:22 Blackwater Canyon Trail
Mile: 4 RT 0:35 Blackwater Canyon Trail
Mile: 5 RT 0:39 Blackwater Canyon Trail
Mile: 5.8 Lindy Point Overlook in the distance. It's on the opposite side of the canyon. Second photo is zoomed view of same. Click Lindy Point Overlook to see the view from the overlook.
Mile: 6 RT 0:47 Blackwater Canyon Trail
Mile: 7 RT 0:55 Blackwater Canyon Trail
Mile: 7.1 The view down into the Blackwater River
Mile: 7.1 Pose Point in the distance. It overlooks the confluence of the Blackwater River and the North Fork Blackwater River. The trail parallels the North Fork from here.
Mile: 7.9 Upper Forest Service Gate and ....
....Douglas Falls
Mile: 8 RT 1:18 Blackwater Canyon Trail The town of Douglas just off to the left.
Mile: 8.7 Old beehive coke ovens
Mile: 9 RT 1:10 Blackwater Canyon Trail
Mile: 9.2 Intersection of the Blackwater Canyon Trail and Douglas Road. Turn right onto Douglas Road and cross over the North Fork Blackwater River.
Mile: 9.2 North Fork Blackwater River

Mile: 9.7 Time for a History Break Douglas road leads between the two buildings shown at the right. The building on the left side of the road was built as the offices for the Davis Coal and Coke Company early in the 1900's. When the company reached peak production in 1910 it controlled 135,000 acres, employed 1,600 men of 16 nationalities, operated two power plants, and worked more than 1,000 coke ovens and nine mines within one square mile of the this office. The other building is the Buxton and Landstreet store. It was the "company store" for the Davis Coal and Coke Company. It is now home to the Mountain Made Artisan Gallery.
Look to your left behind the Davis Coke and Coal Building and you will see what looks to be a small gravel road. (This photo shows a car parked on it.) This is the right of way for the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway. (No "h" at the end of this Pittsburg) The track was first laid thought this spot in 1884. The railway reached Thomas in August and Davis on November 1 of that year. The right of way we just biked up in Blackwater Canyon was built in 1887-1888.

The WVCP Railway was owned by Henry Gassaway Davis who the town of Davis is named after.
He had a brother named Thomas, which is where the town of Thomas gets it's name.
There was another brother named William. When H.G. Davis's railroad surveyor laid out
the town of Davis he named the three main streets Henry, Thomas and William.
H.G. Davis also had a son-in-law named Elkins.
I'll let you figure that one out for yourself.

Look to your right and you can see where the old right of way continues south from the corner of the parking lot behind Mountain Made Gallery as it heads for Davis. The old rail bed is intact and would make a great path. Unfortunately it is currently owned by a hunting club and is posted. (second photo)
So we continue our bike loop on Douglas Road but we will meet up with the old railbed further out. Be sure to check out the front of the Buxton and Landstreet building as you pass. It was condsidered the finest building in the county when built in 1900. There were men working on the Davis Coke and Coal Building the day I took these pictures. I hope they have found a tennant for the building. Hate to see it in ruins.

Mile: 10 RT 1:18 Douglas Road
Mile: 10.2 Intersection with State Route 32 Turn right onto SR 32. Be warned. It's steep and can be busy.
Mile: 11 RT 1:25 Route 32
Mile: 11.6 You will see the sign ahead for "DAVIS". Across the road you should see the sign for the "Tucker County Landfill". We turn right here....
....onto an unmarked gravel road. This is probably private land but it's not posted so I'm assuming it's OK to bike.
Go a short distance on the gravel road and look to your right. You'll see several large rocks. They are sitting on the old Davis Branch railbed that we crossed earlier. Turn right and go between the rocks. Head south on the path.

The path merges with a wide gravel road.
Let's stop and look around.
If you look at the topo map you'll
see that this whole area was once
a large strip mine.
Nice reclamation job.

From here if you look east you can see
about 20 of the windmills on Backbone
Mountain. This is a zoomed photo to make
them easier to see.
We continue south on the gravel road.

Mile: 12 RT 1:32 Gravel Road
Mile: 12.5 Look for a small dual track leaving the gravel road on the left. There will be a short washed out stretch then you will get back on the old railbed.
Mile: 13 RT 1:39 Old Davis Branch Railbed
Mile: 13.2 Once you see Pendleton Lake there will be a set of wooden steps leading down to the left. Be careful of the steps. They've seen better days. At the bottom of the steps you'll enter Blackwater Falls State Park.
As you pass along the lake look back and you can see the cut stone culvert built by the railroad to carry the line over Pendleton Creek. There are several of these arches on the old railway. They were hand built by immigrant Italian stone masons over 100 years ago. The fact that they still remain shows the quality of their craftmanship.
The path along the lake will bring you to the park's nature center. It can be a bit marshy along the fence.
Head out from the nature center on the road. Take the right fork as you leave.
Mile: 13.8 Pendleton Point Overlook The road will bring you here to the overlook.


You can see Blackwater Falls Lodge directly across the canyon. As you leave the overlook go right on the park road. This road parallels the canyon.
Mile: 14 RT 1:49 Blackwater Falls State Park Road There are many picnic sites and a water fountain along this section of park road.
Mile: 14.8 Falls parking and Trading Post The Trading Post has bathrooms and a snack bar. If you want to get a close up view of the falls you'll have to park the bike and walk down. 214 steps to the bottom.
Blackwater Falls The Falls are reportedly the most photographed spot in all of West Virginia.
The second photo is looking down Blackwater Canyon with the mist from the falls visible. Notice the observation platform in the top center of the photo. We are headed to that spot.
Mile: 15 RT 1:54 Blackwater Falls Park 4 way intersection We turn right. Towards Lodge - Cabins ->
Mile: 15.3 Blackwater River Bridge
The view from the bridge.
Since the river divides the canyon I'm going to end this page here. But the Circle Loop isn't done yet.....

Miles 16 through 34

Blackwater Canyon Circle Loop

Just the Blackwater Canyon Trail

Click on photo to enlarge

......Continue the Blackwater Canyon Circle Loop by clicking on East Side Of The Canyon - Miles 16 to 34.

......Continue the Blackwater Canyon Circle Loop by clicking on

East Side Of The Canyon - Miles 16 to 34.