About the Allegheny Trail
West Virginia’s Longest Hiking Trail
The Allegheny Trail is a 311-mile north-south trail from the Mason-Dixon Line at the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border until it meets the Appalachian Trail on Peters Mountain at the Virginia-West Virginia border.
Our History - Stewards of the Allegheny Trail
Founded in 1972 by the West Virginia Scenic Trail Association.
The Allegheny Trail was a dream born by two avid backpackers who wished for a long-distance hiking trail through the wild and wonderful mountain state. The idea was to branch off of the 4 miles of the Appalachian Trail that passed through West Virginia to show off the beauties and natural wonders of the state.
Read the full story of the ALT below.
Our Values
Respect - In all that we do we respect landowner’s and manager’s interests and goals. Value. Through our trails, we seek to add recreational assets and value to the state and local communities.
Access - We provide access to the natural beauty, wildlife, and economic history of a unique landscape via our trails.
Connection - We strive to maintain a human connection to the land, flora, and fauna.
Sustainability - In building and maintaining the trail we are committed to sustainability and sound principles of conservation.
Inclusiveness - In all that we do we welcome all those who desire to participate.
“A PATH IN THE WOODS”: THE WEST VIRGINIA SCENIC TRAILS ASSOCIATION’S FIRST 40 YEARS
Research and recollections by Doug Wood, December 2020.
Without the assistance of Bob Tabor, Nick Lozano, Charlie Dundas, Carolyn Welcker, Shirley Schweizer, Bruce Bond, and Arthur Foley, this compilation of memories would be sparse and suspect. Watch for updated versions in the future.
In 1958, members of Explorer Scout Post 4, sponsored by Kanawha Presbyterian Church in Charleston, West Virginia, were backpacking on the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains. The Post Advisor, Doug McGrew was an inspiring leader of young men. McGrew was a Union Carbide chemical engineer. One Explorer Scout, in particular, remembers the positive influence McGrew had on his charges.
Nicolas B. Lozano, who was 15 years old at the time and is now a retired insurance executive, refers to his former Post Advisor as “the Grandfather of the Allegheny Trail.” According to Lozano, McGrew’s leadership inspired his Scouts and led them into life-changing outdoor experiences, such as that backpacking trip in 1958.
Nick remembers thinking upon his return home to West Virginia after that trip, “Why should we West Virginia scouts have to travel to other states to experience the adventure of long-distance backpacking? We have the Allegheny Mountains with all their natural splendor and wildness to rival the Great Smoky Mountains. Why can’t we have a trail like the Appalachian Trail running through the mountains of The Mountain State?” So, Doug McGrew is the “Grandfather” of the Allegheny Trail, because Nick Lozano is one of the “Founding Fathers” of the Allegheny Trail.