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Morgantown

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Morgantown

Community Description

Morgantown is a unique community in West Virginia. With West Virginia University as the largest employer, the core cultural influence on the town and of course the reason that there are thirty thousand students, it is definitely a college town. Opportunities to experience sporting events, theater, music and other cultural events create a more cosmopolitan community than other West Virginia cities.

Morgantown's outdoor resources are a big part of the culture of the area, with many people participating in a wide variety of adventure sports in all seasons. With opportunities to recreate right in town as well as just outside of town, adventure based day trips are plentiful. Located near both the Pennsylvania and Maryland borders, there are also great opportunities just across state lines.

Check out the descriptions and details for all the outdoor recreation resources near Morgantown below.

Community Resources

Morgantown has many businesses that cater to visitors. Check out the Greater Morgantown Convention and Visitors Bureau to find information about hotels, restaurants and other local businesses. The City of Morgantown has information on government resources. Two outdoor stores cater to those who need gear for adventure excursions - Pathfinder is a general outdoor store with clothing, bicycles, camping gear, climbing gear, ski gear, boats, etc. It is located in downtown Morgantown. Wamsley's is a bicycle shop located along the rail trail in the Seneca Center.

Stories

Urban Trail Running In Morgantown (Highland Outdoors)

Outdoor recreation opportunities near Morgantown:

Bikes cross the rail bridge in Morgantown

Bicycling

With the introduction of the Monongahela River Trail and Deckers Creek Trail in the 1990s, bicycling in Morgantown became much more accessible. For those who are just looking for a casual ride, there are multiple trail access locations right in town. If you are looking for a longer ride, head into Preston County or to Fairmont or check out Road Cycling around Morgantown. The Cheat Lake Trail is just outside of town.

Campers at McCollum Campground

Camping

There are a few campgrounds in the Morgantown area, all located on Chestnut Ridge to the east of town. Coopers Rock State Forest has two campgrounds, an RV and tent campground and a new tent -only more primitive loop. Chestnut Ridge County Park also includes a campground. All three of these options allow close access to the other activities and recreation resources at Coopers Rock area.

Kayakers paddle around "Jump Rock" on the Mon.

Canoeing

Since the introduction of the Monongahela River Trail, there has been a greater focus on the Monongahela River as a recreational resource. City parks on the river downtown and in Star City as well as access locations and docks just outside of town have given canoeing and kayaking a boost in popularity.Cheat Lake offers multiple locations for access and does have no wake zones to get away from power boats. Dunkard Creek,Big Sandy Creek, Tygart River (Grafton) and Tygart Lake are locations within forty five minutes of town that also offer great river or lake canoeing.

Ski tracks on Roadside Trail at Coopers Rock

Cross Country Skiing

Although there are no groomed trails or xc ski facilities nearby, Chestnut Ridge gets much more snow than in town. Ski enthusiasts make tracks at Coopers Rock ,Deckers Rail Trail, & Snake Hill WMA

A bridge and stream at Coopers Rock

Hiking

If you want to take a hike in town without doing much or any driving, check out these locations: Arboretum, Monongahela and Deckers Rail Trails,Krepps Park, White Park. Just outside of town there are a few more great local hiking destinations: West Run/Bakers Ridge, WV Botanic Garden,Cheat Lake Trail, Snake Hill WMA & Coopers Rock.

Two mountain bikers ride trails in White Park

Mountain Biking

Three locations in town offer mountain biking that you can get to without driving. White Park has been a pet project of local riders and trails have been built and improved over the last few years. Westover City Park has newly built trails and is a good location for beginners. Coopers Rock area has been a riding destination for years. Quebec Run Valley Falls and Big Bear are located within forty minutes of town and offer larger trail systems.MAMBA (Morgantown Area Mountain Bike Alliance) is the new IMBA chapter in town and is working on supporting and improving mountain bike resources in the area.

A climber makes their way up a climb at Snake Hill

Rock Climbing

Coopers Rock is the most well know climbing site near Morgantown with a plethora of quality bouldering and good top rope climbing, however up and coming areas in the Cheat Canyon and at Snake Hill are starting to gain some notoriety. Gritstone is the new climbing gym in town that brings the climbing opportunities full circle.

Sunning beside the Cheat River

Swimming Holes

When the summer temperatures get hot and you want to take a dip, there are a number of places around Morgantown to choose from. Cheat Lake and Chestnut Ridge Park have swimming areas. Deckers Creek includes a few waterfalls and swimming holes. Blue Hole, the Cheat Canyon and the Cheat Narrows offer classic swimming holes all a short drive from town.

Kayakers wait in the eddy below Zoom Flume Rapid

Whitewater

Without a lot of fanfare, whitewater rivers and creeks offer the largest number and quality of adventure recreation spots near Morgantown. There is a wide variety of runs that kayakers and rafters can play on close enough to town that an evening paddle is quite common. Whiteday Creek, Little Sandy Creek (Upper),Little Sandy Creek (Lower), Cheat River Canyon, Big Sandy Creek (Upper), Big Sandy Creek (Lower), Three Forks Creek,Valley Falls, Cheat River Narrows.

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1550 University Ave, Morgantown, WV 26506

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