North Bend Rail Trail: Cairo to Silver Run Tunnel (Blog Hike #920)

Trail: North Bend Rail Trail
Hike Location: North Bend Rail Trail
Geographic Location: east of Parkersburg, WV (39.20856, -81.15603)
Length: 6.4 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: October 2022
Overview: An out-and-back on gravel rail-trail to a supposedly haunted old railroad tunnel.
Trail Information: https://wvstateparks.com/park/north-bend-rail-trail/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=924770
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: From Parkersburg, take US 50 east 18 miles to SR 31 and turn right on SR 31.  Drive SR 31 south 4.2 miles to the town of Cairo.  Park at the perpendicular street parking in downtown Cairo.

The hike: With a current population of 174, Cairo, WV is one of those kind of creepy two-thirds abandoned industrial towns that are scattered throughout West Virginia and more generally throughout Appalachia.  During the town's hay day in the early 1900's, over 650 people lived here.  Early settlers were attracted to this site by the fertile land and the abundant water provided by the North Fork of the Hughes River, which runs through town.  Later lumber and coal dominated the area, and the town's population declined along with these industries.

            Glimpses of Cairo's glory days remain, and they include the North Bend Rail Trail, which follows a former spur of the famous Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad.  Another remnant of this town's industrial past is the the two-story brick building that formerly housed the Bank of Cairo.  Built in 1897, that building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it presently serves as the town's City Hall.

            The North Bend Rail Trail is regarded as one of the best bike paths in Appalachia, and it is famous for its long tunnels and mountainous scenery.  The hike described here starts in downtown Cairo and heads west on the rail trail to a particularly famous tunnel: the 1376-foot long Silver Run Tunnel.  Not only is the tunnel an impressive construction, but it is supposedly haunted by a young ghostly woman who was seen by several railroad engineers when the railroad was operating in the early 1900's.  Honestly, even though I did this hike on a cloudy damp Halloween afternoon when dense fog made the tunnel an eerie setting, I did not observe anything paranormal during my hike.

North Bend Rail Trail's Cairo trailhead

            From downtown Cairo, head west on the North Bend Rail Trail as it crosses the North Fork of the Hughes River on an old railroad bridge.  This bridge has been repurposed with a wooden deck to support hikers, bikers, and horses, and strategically placed boulders block vehicle access.  The historic Bank of Cairo building stands to the left here, as do an old black bell and some smaller brick buildings.

Historic Bank of Cairo building

            The gravel rail trail heads west with the hillside rising to your right and houses on CR 31/4 downhill to your left.  Because this route was built for trains, the grade is very gradual.  Nevertheless, you gain about 200 vertical feet of elevation between downtown Cairo and the Silver Run Tunnel.  Where steep driveways exit right or left, choose the more gradual gravel trail to remain on the North Bend Rail Trail.  Mile markers appear at 1 mile increments and help you track your progress.

Picnic table beside the trail

            Near 1.5 miles into the hike, you pass a picnic table that makes a nice place to rest about halfway to the tunnel.  Tall rock outcrops, probably exposed during the railroad's construction, tower over the trail to the right here.  Other subtle reminders of this trail's railroad past such as wooden posts and ties can be seen occasionally if you look carefully.  Also, CR 31/4 often stays in sight downhill to the left even though houses become fewer and further between.  The forest here is a nice mixture of pine and broadleaf trees.

Rock outcrops towering over trail

            At 2.6 miles, you cross gravel CR 31/4 near where it intersects CR 18/2.  The surrounding hills grow taller now, and soon the trail enters the deep rock cut that leads to Silver Run Tunnel.  At 2.9 miles, you reach the tunnel's east portal.  This long tunnel has a curve, so you can't see the other end of the tunnel from here.  Thus, a flashlight is highly recommended if you want to enter the tunnel.

East portal of Silver Run Tunnel

            Once you enter the tunnel, the cool subterranean air causes the warmer moister air from outside the tunnel to condense, forming fog.  Also, the brick walls cause sound to reverberate in odd ways.  Thus, I found the tunnel rather eerie even though I did not see anything paranormal while walking through the tunnel.  The rail trail continues another 23 miles to the west, but the tunnel is a good place to turn around.  Retracing your steps back to Cairo completes the hike.