The Warrior Trail is a path that was used used for 5,000 years by Native Americans, and is now used by hiking and backpacking enthusiasts. The original route was used as a commerce trail going from the Monongahela River to Flint Ridge near present-day Zanesville, OH to acquire flint, to trade, and to conference. At Flint Ridge, the travelers would collect stones that they would later carve into arrowheads and tools.
The eastern portion of the trail starts at the Monongahela River at Greensboro, PA and reaches the mouth of Fish Creek at its confluence with the Ohio River just south of Moundsville. The total trail distance is 67 miles, with West Virginia boasting 22 miles while Pennsylvania captures most of the mileage with 45 miles. The trail crosses Greene County, PA and Marshall County, WV in an east-west direction about 6 miles north of the Mason-Dixon Line. The trail follows the ridgeline between the Whiteley and Dunkard Creeks in Pennsylvania and the ridges between Wheeling and Fish Creeks in West Virginia. Miraculously, the trail does not cross any body of water for its entire length by staying atop the ridges, taking advantage of the contours created by the watersheds.
Historical evidence of the path includes old maps, historical accounts, and a 2-foot-deep rut worn into the soil near Nettle Hill, PA. The trail provides excellent scenic vistas of the countryside and pastoral farmland. The trail’s landscape is unique to the region and more reminiscent of a European countryside path than an eastern American forest trail. The trail is predominantly on private property so if you hike it, please respect the rights of the landowners. Leave-no-trace ethics are encouraged, leaving only footprints.
Volunteers from the Warrior Trail Association have been working hard to maintain the cooperation between landowners and trail users. Along the trail in Pennsylvania there are three Adirondack shelters that provide some protection from the elements if necessary. These camping shelters can be found at mile marker 11.5, 24, and 35.5 and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Much of the trail in West Virginia is located alongside a roadway and dotted with yellow blazes marking the trail, as well as both sides of any road crossing.
For more information please call the Greater Moundsville CVB at (304) 810 -4435. To acquire a trail guide, contact Warrior Trail Association, P.O. Box 103, Waynesburg, PA 15370. The Warrior Trail Association has a meeting and covered-dish dinner at 6:30pm on the third Thursday of most months at its schoolhouse headquarters in Fordyce, near Waynesburg, PA. The group also holds regular trail maintenance outings.
