Old Pond Trail

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

When you reach the namesake Old Pond beware there is a path that leads off to the west at the north side of the dam. Old Pond trail continues south atop the earthen dam which impounds the pond. When I rode, the proper trail atop the dam was overgrown and fainter than the incorrect path off towards the west.

Old Pond trail starts at the intersection of Twin Hollow Trail and the park road near the cabins in the park. It makes a loop with the more difficult Ridge Top Trail and/or an extended loop with the equally difficult Twin Hollow Trail. This was the most pleasant trail on the east side of Babcock State Park with nice singletrack and only a few short washboarded sections. Large portions of the trails on the east side of the park are washboarded with a periodicity, amplitude, and thickness consistent with decaying railroad ties, and while many of the trails in this part of West Virginia are former railbeds (some still with remnants of ties and/or rails), I do not believe this to be the case for these trails.

The sometimes steep nature (especially a wicked climb just after the pond when headed southbound) and frequent slope changes are definitely not consistent with an old rail bed.

There is an "Old Pond" a half mile into the trail but beware of taking a wrong turn at the north side of the dam.