Allegheny Trail
West Virginia’s longest hiking trail features dozens of trailheads in the Monongahela National Forest, offering a unique challenge and regional perspective on Appalachia’s diverse high-elevation landscapes.
Allegheny Trail is a 316-mile long-distance footpath crossing West Virginia from the Mason-Dixon Line to the Appalachian Trail at Peters Mountain, maintained by volunteers of the WV Scenic Trails Association. The trail traverses state parks, Monongahela National Forest ridges, and high-elevation red spruce highlands, offering backpackers solitude and diverse ecosystems across four distinct sections. With trailheads near Durbin, Marlinton, Davis, and White Sulphur Springs, the trail provides access to some of Appalachia’s most remote mountain landscapes.
- Hiking
- Camping
- River
- Mountain Views
- Forest
- Wetlands
The Allegheny Trail has dozens of trailheads along its route, including at Blackwater Falls, along US-33 outside Elkins, Durbin, Gaudineer Knob, Cass Scenic Railroad, Marlinton, Lake Sherwood, and more. For additional trailhead information, visit the Allegheny Trail Website.
For assistance navigating on the trail, download the FarOut app for the most up-to-date guidance, including campsites, water, scenic stops, and more, or purchase a paper copy of the Allegheny Trail Hiking Guide available on the Allegheny Trail store.
The Allegheny Trail is open year-round, and each season brings something different. Fall, from late September through mid-October, draws the most hikers, when crimson sugar maples and yellow poplars turn the ridgelines into a kaleidoscope of color and migrating raptors ride the thermals overhead. Late spring brings warmer temperatures and the fragrance of trillium and dogwood in bloom. Summer offers cool streams and shaded forest cover through the heat. Winter strips the trees bare, opening up mountain views along stretches that stay hidden the rest of the year, although snowfall in the high Alleghenies makes winter hikes especially challenging.
Because the trail runs along exposed ridgelines for much of its 316 miles, spring and fall may bring sudden temperature drops and occasional snow, and summer afternoons often bring thunderstorms, so hikers should plan to be off the ridges by early afternoon.
Much of the ALT runs through rugged and remote backcountry, and cell service may be unavailable. For your safety, please register your hike with the West Virginia Scenic Trails Association (WVSTA) and always follow Leave No Trace principles.
While the majority of the ALT traverses public land, some sections cross private land, open to hikers through agreements with WVSTA. To help protect continued trail access, please be respectful of property owners along the route.
The Allegheny Trail’s 4 sections are maintained by the West Virginia Scenic Trails Association (WVSTA). In addition to facilitating continued trail development, WVSTA also hosts on- and off-trail events throughout the year across the state. Whether your skills lie in clearing trails, helping out as a camp cook, tabling at regional events, or contributing your marketing skills, please visit the Allegheny Trail Website for more info!
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