09/07/2026
Oak Hill will profit greatly from the Rend Trail upgrades. It was a good day to break ground for such a long awaited project.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve last week began an approximately $11.8 million project—funded by the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund—to repair the Rend Trail and bridges. Partners from Friends of New River Gorge and National Park Foundation joined the National Park Service for a ceremonial groundbreaking to mark the start of construction.
“Rend Trail offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience the history, communities and landscapes that shaped New River Gorge,” said Acting Superintendent Eric LaPrice. “Thanks to funding from the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund, this project will improve safety and access and ensure visitors can enjoy this remarkable trail for generations to come.”
The Rend Trail, formerly the Thurmond-Minden Trail, stretches 3.2 miles along the New River and Dunloup Creek with views of the historic downtown and community of Thurmond. Built in 1906 as a railroad line to haul coal, today’s recreational trail offers scenic views and crosses five historic railroad trestles, or bridges. Structural risks from aging infrastructure have led to partial closures along the trail, including one of the main bridges, and steep terrain prevents hikers and bikers from accessing the path continuously.
In addition to rehabilitating the multi-beam bridges, the project will repair key retaining walls, resurface the trail, reroute the path around Big Rock and rehabilitate the Thurmond and Minden/Oak Hill trailheads. Together, these investments will address public safety hazards, strengthen a major recreation route and reconnect the park to communities across Fayette County.
