Trail in Southern WV

[brotheral]

Where is the closest access point, with parking, to The A/T from Beckley, WV. Directions would sure help too . I have a friend in Beckley that wants to take some visiting relatives for a walk on the trail....
Happy Trails....BrotherAL

[Swiss Roll]

Couple of options. My favorite is to go to Pearisburg and climb up to Angel's Rest. Take I-77 South to Princeton. East on 460 to Pearisburg. Park at the Rendezvous Motel (ask permission) and head south on the A.T.

Option #2. Bland/Bastian. Go south on I-77 through the tunnel. Take the Bastian exit. Go south on US 52 to the top of the mountain. From the south, the trail comes out on the road, goes along the road down the hill to I-77 where it crosses the interstate on a bridge and continues north.

The Bland option is a little closer to Beckley, but the view from Angel's Rest makes the tortuous climb out of Pearisburg worth it.

Another option to consider is the New River Gorge. If your friends aren't insistent on the A.T., take them down in the gorge to the Kaymoor Mine trail. The drive down in the gorge is breathtakingly beautiful, with sheer drops off one side of the road, the violent Kaymoor rapid at the bottom, and great views of 'the bridge.' The Kaymoor trail is very nice too, lots of creeks to cross and an old ghost mine at the end of the trail. After your trip, head to Pies and Pints in Fayetteville or Smokey's for some excellent food. Have fun!

[brotheral]

Thanks Swiss Roll for the excellent information. I passed your post on to my friends. I'm sure it'll be quite helpful.