By Betty Gandee
West Virginia is known for its beautiful scenic terrain.
With the railroads being vacant for many years here in Clay County, one group decided to make a trail for both the community and out of towners to enjoy. Mitch DeBoard, head of the Buffalo Creek Watershed Association, had been pushing the developing trail for years. With the flood of 2016 severely damaging the 113-year-old railroad, volunteers got together to make this dream a reality. The trails were covered with uprooted trees and debris, all of which needed to be removed to make the tracks passable for rail cars and bikes.
The Clay County Business Development Authority, of which DeBoard is president, took this concept a little further by adding rail bikes. The trip takes around two and half hours, and is offered at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. from Thursday through Monday. The trip is six miles long and stretches between Dundon and the town site of Adair. The railcars travel through 12 miles of beautiful Clay County landscape, and overall the journey takes about three hours.
The response to the opening of this trail has been phenomenal. People from multiple states have come to enjoy the scenery and take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and take in nature at its finest. DeBoard says that the response has been so great that they purchased new rail bikes and ten passenger excursion cars. This brought the total number of available rail bike seats to 18, and passenger car capacity up to 38.
With the Golden Delicious Festival coming up, the Buffalo Creek Trail is offering tours Thursday through Monday at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. Booking has already begun, so call 304-618-7992 to book a ride. The cost is $25 per adult and $15 for children 12 and under.
