311 Miles of West Virginia: The Allegheny Trail’s Volunteer-Powered Story

Nicole Flood-Sawczyszyn didn’t get into trail advocacy looking for an easy project. The Allegheny Trail is 311 miles of West Virginia, running from the Mason-Dixon line through five Mon Forest Towns, six counties, six state parks, and two state forests before reaching the Appalachian Trail junction at Peters Mountain. It passes through Davis and Thomas, through Cass and Marlington and Watoga — West Virginia’s largest state park — and through Durbin, the small town Nicole calls home. The trail is 52 years old and entirely volunteer maintained.

In 2024, those volunteers logged over 7,000 hours of trail work. They cleared 32 miles of ice storm damage, added bridges and shelters and kiosks, and built out the farout app with 129 new amenities so hikers can navigate offline through the many stretches with no cell service. What Nicole is working to change is the awareness gap — the people who drive past the Route 220 trailhead every week and never think to stop. The Allegheny Trail isn’t waiting to be discovered. It’s already there, and it’s open.

Learn more about: Allegheny Trail Association / farout.app / Monongahela National Forest