ELKINS, W.Va. — Visitors to two small mountain towns in eastern West Virginia will soon find it easier to step from historic downtown streets into one of the largest public forests in the eastern United States.
The Mon Forest Towns Partnership has received a $442,000 grant from the newly established Expedia Trails Fund to build two new trail systems linking the communities of Franklin in Pendleton County and Durbin in Pocahontas County to the surrounding Monongahela National Forest.
The award, administered by The Conservation Fund, will fund construction of Franklin’s three-mile Peters Mountain Trail System and Durbin’s 0.8-mile Connector Trail, creating new access to forests, streams and mountain scenery that have long surrounded the towns but have been difficult to reach on foot.
For travelers unfamiliar with West Virginia, both communities lie in the Allegheny Highlands, a rugged landscape of forested mountains, clear rivers and high ridges in the eastern part of the state. The Monongahela National Forest encompasses nearly one million acres across the region and is considered one of the premier outdoor recreation destinations in the Appalachian Mountains, drawing hikers, anglers, campers, cyclists and leaf-peepers from across the country.
Bringing the national forest closer to town
Josh Nease, executive director of the Mon Forest Towns Partnership, said the funding marks the culmination of years of planning by local communities and the U.S. Forest Service.
“We are profoundly grateful to the Expedia Trails Fund and The Conservation Fund for this vital implementation funding,” Nease said. “Our early investments in community and infrastructure planning are paying off, allowing us to break ground on projects that connect our towns to the surrounding national forest.”
Mon Forest Towns, named for a local term for the national forest at the Monongahela River, was created to help gateway communities strengthen their connections to the national forest and expand opportunities for outdoor recreation and heritage tourism.
Through the Appalachian Regional Commission, the partnership works with the U.S. Forest Service. Participating towns have identified projects that make public lands more accessible, support local businesses, and improve residents’ quality of life.
Franklin residents wanted easier access to the forest
In Franklin, organizers say the idea for the Peters Mountain Trail System came directly from local residents.
Although the town is surrounded by public land, community members repeatedly said they lacked convenient places to begin hiking close to home.
“Through the community coaching process and engagement meetings, we heard from more than 50 people, and the resounding theme was that although Franklin is surrounded by public land, people felt they had limited access to the forest due to a lack of backyard trails,” said Michelle Connor, Franklin’s representative with the partnership.
The new trail system, located about 10 minutes from downtown Franklin, has already begun taking shape. Construction is underway with assistance from U.S. Forest Service crews and community volunteers and is expected to continue through 2027.
Durbin looks to connect recreation and downtown
Farther south in Pocahontas County, the Durbin Connector Trail is designed to do more than lead visitors into the forest.
The project will create a protected route linking downtown businesses, restaurants, parks and the community garden while improving connections to the Allegheny Trail and West Fork Rail Trail.
“Support from the Expedia Trails Fund for the Durbin Connector Trail is evidence that our community’s investment in collaboration is paying off,” said Nicolle Flood-Sawczyszyn, Durbin’s representative.
She said the project also lays the groundwork for an even larger vision.
“It sets the stage for the north and south zones of the Mon to finally be connected by a single trail,” she said.
Engineering and design work is currently underway, with construction expected to begin in early 2027.
A national investment in outdoor travel
The West Virginia projects are among the first selected through Expedia Group’s new Expedia Trails Fund, part of the company’s effort to support the outdoor destinations that attract millions of travelers each year.
“At Expedia Group, we believe travel depends on the health of the places that inspire people to explore,” said Aditi Mohapatra, vice president of global social impact and sustainability at Expedia Group. “We are proud that the Expedia Trails Fund, in partnership with The Conservation Fund, is helping the Mon Forest Towns Partnership expand safe, meaningful access to the Monongahela National Forest in Durbin and Franklin.”
Mohapatra said investments in trail infrastructure help strengthen local economies while giving more residents and visitors opportunities to enjoy public lands.
Through its first 11 grants, the Expedia Trails Fund has committed $4.3 million to projects expected to improve access for more than one million outdoor visits annually while leveraging more than $13 million in additional conservation and recreation investments.
Investing in West Virginia’s outdoor future
Local leaders say building new trails is only part of the effort to strengthen recreation across the Allegheny Highlands.
Maintaining existing trails throughout the Monongahela National Forest remains equally important, and the Mon Forest Towns Partnership hopes to establish a North Zone Trail Crew in 2027 to help care for the growing network of public trails.
For visitors, however, the newest projects promise something simpler: the chance to leave a small Appalachian downtown on foot and, within minutes, find themselves immersed in nearly one million acres of protected mountain wilderness.
As West Virginia continues to invest in outdoor recreation, communities like Franklin and Durbin hope those connections will encourage travelers not only to explore the forest but also to discover the people, history, and small-town hospitality waiting at its edge.