Don’t start the colder COVID months already bored with the trails—try some new hikes this winter.
If you’ve gotten tired of your go-to trails just as the need to get outside hits in earnest, switch it up a little this fall. Morgantown has more than a few places to hike.
For getting away from it all right in town, try the Falling Run Greenspace. This relatively new urban oasis can be accessed from Outlook Street—practically downtown—and its planned five miles of trails are more than half complete. It has the only waterfalls anywhere in town, so it’s a great place to relieve stress and enjoy the great outdoors close to home.
Just 15 minutes from downtown, check out the West Virginia Botanic Garden. Multiple small, connected loops give options for a different hike every time. The reservoir loop is wide and makes for a great spot for a conversational walk with a friend.
If you have a couple hours, adjust your altitude with some of the less-traveled trails at Coopers Rock State Forest. The Virgin Hemlock Trail there is a serene one-mile loop alongside the babbling Laurel Run. Or for a jaw-dropping view, head out to Raven Rock Trail—arguably the better overlook at Coopers Rock. Raven Rock is also less crowded than the ever-popular overlook, so it’s a win-win.
And if you haven’t visited the two-mile loop trail at Elizabeth’s Woods, keep it in mind for a restless afternoon to come. It’s part of Tom’s Run Preserve, just seven miles south of town, and it only just opened to the public with new parking access in 2020. The trail rises and dips through serene, mature forest—a perfect place to breathe some fresh, healthy air this fall and winter.
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