The developing Industrial Heartland Trails Network is a collection of nearly three dozen pathways featuring scenic wilderness, dramatic railroad tunnels and trestles, welcoming trail towns and historical sites from the birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution.

Winding under lush tree canopies and through rocky cuts in the hillsides of the Appalachian region, the North Bend Rail Trail exemplifies “Wild and Wonderful” West Virginia.

As narrowing down the unique experiences on February’s designee—West Virginia’s Mon River Trails—was especially challenging, we’re presenting you with a bonus top 10 list of great attractions (in no particular order) that you will find along this spectacular trail system spanning nearly 50 miles around Morgantown.

Both the Caperton and the pair of Mon River Trails on either side of Morgantown follow a branch of the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad, which primarily carried coal, coke, sand and limestone between the mines of Fairmont and the industrial city of Pittsburgh.

In anticipation of RTC’s West Virginia Sojourn in June 2016—the “Wild and Wonderful North Bend Trail”—we’re pleased to feature this great pathway as our December Trail of the Month.