A WV VTRAIL meeting participant shares thoughts. Photo by Justin Litton, Lost Trail Film & Photo.
West Virginia’s first and only statewide trail plan was published nearly 25 years ago. In a state where the average adult reports feeling physically and mentally unhealthy more often than the average American, access to trails and greenways – and state level planning for these spaces – is critical. WV TRAIL, a nonprofit organization dedicated to non-motorized trails in West Virginia, began advocating for a statewide trail plan in 2023. When funding was secured, WV TRAIL hired Cycle Forward to help develop a strategic framework for a renewed statewide trails plan.
Dates: June 2025-February 2026
Client: WV TRAIL (returning client)
Location: West Virginia
Outdoor Assets: Non-Motorized Trails in West Virginia
Project Type: Research, Plan Development
Collaborator: Frank Maguire, Small Mountain Trails LLC
Project Background
The intent of the project was to hear from West Virginians about present day trail needs and how a statewide plan can help address them. This required a thorough public engagement process, one that would jumpstart statewide trail planning and advocacy. Cycle Forward helped to plan and facilitate various public forums, advisory committee meetings, digital surveys, interviews, and more to identify the needs to be addressed within a renewed statewide trail plan.
The end result would be a strategic framework, a document that came to be known among the project team as “a plan for the plan.” The framework is a 46-page document that provides details on the process, key findings, and 11 actionable recommendations for a future statewide trail plan.
Approach
WV TRAIL Executive Director Sam England assembled a 13-person advisory committee, which met five times throughout the project. With the committee’s input, Cycle Forward helped to create opportunities for public engagement. Amy kickstarted a series of 10 public meetings – Sam would go on to log nearly 2,000 miles across the state, gathering input from West Virginians. Cycle Forward also led a virtual public meeting, a digital survey with hundreds of responses, and stakeholder interviews. This public input was analyzed and summarized in the final framework document.
Deliverables
- 2026 West Virginia Statewide Trail Plan Framework
- 2026 West Virginia Statewide Trail Plan Framework Executive Summary
Impact
Between the public meetings, the digital survey, and the interviews, the research process yielded thousands of insights. Cycle Forward helped distill this information for WV TRAIL to consider. WV TRAIL is now equipped with these preliminary findings to advocate for funding and the cooperation of West Virginia’s leadership to pursue a long overdue statewide trails plan.
From WV TRAIL’s February 2026 newsletter announcing the completion of the framework document: “With the framework now complete, we’re excited to share it broadly and begin building the support needed to update West Virginia’s 25‑year‑old statewide trails plan. This is a major step forward for our trail community.”
WV TRAIL meeting participants chat with Shae Strait, professional urban planner and trail advocate in West Virginia. Photo by Justin Litton, Lost Trail Film & Photo.
