From Railbed to Trailhead: How a 19-mile path became a community gem in Masontown, West Virginia

MASONTOWN, W.Va. (WV News) — Tucked into the hills of northern West Virginia, the 19-mile Deckers Creek Trail stretches from the riverfront of Hazel Ruby McQuain Park in Morgantown into the higher terrain of Preston County, ending just past Reedsville.

It’s part of a larger 48-mile network maintained by the Mon River Trails Conservancy, but this particular corridor has its own distinct character.

According to Ella Belling, executive director of the Mon River Trails Conservancy, “What makes that stretch so beautiful is just the scenery along it. You’re going to experience kind of a different temperature, and you’ll get kind of a new experience.”

That scenery isn’t just rolling hills and green woods—the trail gains roughly 1,000 feet in elevation at its terminus, offering a steady climb f