Trails: Hibbs Cemetery and Nature Trails
Hike Location: North Bend State Park
Geographic Location: east of Parkersburg, WV (39.22497, -81.10469)
Length: 3.7 miles
Difficulty: 8/10 (Moderate/Difficult)
Date Hiked: October 2023
Overview: A loop hike over hills and along the North Fork of the Hughes River.
Park Information:
https://wvstateparks.com/park/north-bend-state-park/
Hike Route Map:
https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=949744Photo Highlight:
Directions to the trailhead: In northern West Virginia, take I-77 to US 50 (exit 179). Exit and go east on US 50. Drive US 50 east 18 miles to SR 31 and turn right on SR 31. Drive SR 31 south 5 miles, passing through the town of Cairo along the way, to Low Gap Road. Turn left on Low Gap Rd. Low Gap Rd. deadends at a 4-way stop at the park entrance in 3.3 miles. Continue straight to enter the park, then drive the main park road 1.2 miles downhill to the River View Campground, where this hike begins.
The hike: Most state parks located on shores of man-made reservoirs were built at the same time as their lakes, but such is not the case with North Bend State Park. The park dates to 1951, when the West Virginia State Legislature authorized the purchase of 1405 acres of depleted oil and natural gas fields. The park opened a few years later, but North Bend Lake was not built until 2002. The plain-looking concrete dam that forms the lake can be seen in the eastern end of the park today.
In addition to aquatic activities on the lake, the park offers a cozy 29-room lodge, a 49-site developed campground, a swimming pool, a picnic area, and access to the North Bend Rail Trail, a 74-mile bike trail built atop an abandoned railroad grade. The park also offers several miles of hiking and mountain bike trails in a part of West Virginia with few quality hiking options. Most people view the park's Nature Trail as its best trail, and this hike combines the Nature Trail with one of its spurs to form a challenging and primitive 3.7 mile loop. Be warned that many parts of this trail are hard to discern on the ground, so do not attempt this hike without a park trail map and good route-finding skills.  |
| Start of Hibbs Cemetery Trail |
This hike starts on the Hibbs Cemetery Trail, which begins at a small wooden sign behind the River View Campground check-in building. The Hibbs Cemetery Trail is marked with blue plastic diamonds, and it begins climbing a narrow finger ridge on a moderate to steep grade. This finger ridge separates the developed and primitive parts of the River View Campground, so camping areas exist downhill on both sides of this ridge.
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| Boulders along Hibbs Cemetery Trail |
The trail stays near the top of the ridge as it passes some large boulders and rock outcrops. The trail map indicates that Hibbs Cemetery sits in this area, but I either could not find it or walked past it unawares. At 0.5 miles, you reach a trail intersection as the park's lodge comes into sight on the right. The Hibbs Cemetery Trail ends here. To continue this hike, turn left and cross over a small hill to reach the 4-way stop road intersection at the park entrance; you drove through this intersection on the way in. Walk diagonally across the intersection to pick up the Nature Trail, which you will follow for the rest of this hike.
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| Joining the Nature Trail |
Marked with orange plastic diamonds, the Nature Trail heads into a narrow strip of woods with park roads above you to the left and below you to the right. When I hiked here, the Nature Trail as shown in the park map was overgrown and practically impassible, so I ended up hiking an unmarked and unofficial trail that stays well below the top of the ridge. This choice reduced the length and elevation gain of this hike, but I rejoined the Nature Trail at 1.2 miles into my hike. I have learned over the years that trail maintenance can be an issue in West Virginia's state parks, and this is one place where that issue comes to the forefront.
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| Hiking the Nature Trail |
A moderate to steep downgrade brings you to a park road crossing at 1.4 miles. Next comes a surprisingly flat section of trail that treads through nice forest as you partially circle a low knob on the left. Beech and maple are the most common trees in this forest, and this section of trail is really quite pleasant.
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| Grassy area along river |
Just shy of 2 miles into the hike, the flat section ends as you begin a steep switchbacking descent to the North Fork Hughes River. This section of trail has recently been rerouted, and orange plastic diamonds seem to be everywhere here. You cross a tiny stream without the aid of a bridge before finally making it to the river bank at 2.4 miles. The riverside area has a thick grassy groundcover, and you will have to rely on the orange plastic diamonds to stay on the trail: it is indistinguishable from the surrounding forest in this area.
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| North Fork Hughes River |
The scenic riverside area lasts only a few hundred feet before you begin the steep climb away from the river. Ignore the Tanker Run Spur Trail, which exits right, and keep following the orange plastic diamonds to remain on the Nature Trail. At 2.65 miles, you reach picnic shelter #1 at the top of the ridge. Restrooms are available here, and this shelter makes a nice place to rest and enjoy a trail snack before beginning the final leg of the hike.
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| Picnic Shelter #1 |
Next the trail passes through a steep and narrow ravine to reach picnic shelter #2. Another steep descent on narrow trail drops you below the rock cliffs and returns you to the river at 3 miles. Some Canada geese greeted me along this section of the river. |
| Hiking along the river |
The balance of the hike uses narrow trail that treads sometimes near the river and sometimes along the bluff high above the river. A couple parts of this trail cling perilously to the hillside. A final switchback brings you down to the primitive campground, where a left turn on the park road will bring you back to the campground check-in station to complete the hike.
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