Fayetteville Trail

Distance: 3.96 miles from end to end (out-and-back = 7.92 miles)
Difficulty Rating: Strenuous

Fayetteville Trail is one of those trails with one end at the top of the rim and the other end down near the river. With one side starting at Kaymoor Top (1950 ft.) and the other dumping into Fayette Station Road (1125 ft.), the net change in elevation is about 825 feet. Steep hills and varying plant communities keep it an engaging workout, both physically and visually. Fayetteville Trail intersects New River Bridge Trail, Park Loop Trail, Timber Ridge Trail, and Long Point Trail.





I've often run a small section of Fayetteville Trail as part of a favorite track of mine, starting from Long Point Trail and running down Fayetteville Trail to Kaymoor Top and back to Long Point Trail via Butcher Branch Trail. However, I'd never run it in its entirety, partly because I never really think about doing it. One of my personal reasons for writing this blog was so that I would force myself to diversify my familiarity with the trails out here at the New River Gorge, so I did recently run it end to end. It's only a little less than four miles, unless you run it out-and-back, although you can add a little extra without going to far by taking Park Loop on the way (if you don't get confused by all the intersections that I can't find on my map).

Starting from Kaymoor Top, Fayetteville Trail is right next to Butcher Branch Trail. You'll want your first few steps on the trail to be well placed, since it immediately begins as a fairly rooty single-track. It quickly dips down into a wider, more even trail with a gradual decline. This wideness and gradual slope is also short-lived; the trail becomes extremely narrow and sharper of a decline before you cross a small bridge over Butcher's Branch. One of my favorite parts about this portion of the trail is just watching and noticing how different the plants are from Kaymoor Top to Butcher's Branch--only a quarter mile of running. Everything was so green this day, too, and the weather was gorgeous.

If you've normally seen it from the waterfall at Butchers Branch Trail or below, it's hard to believe that this is Butchers Branch. It was pretty wet this time--sometimes I hardly even realize there's a creek here.

Right after the little bridge, the trail ascends steeply and gets a little shadier as the evergreens get thicker. The trail is narrow; watch out for soft edges that could cause you to slip down the hill. This steep hill is not very long, and after a hard switchback, you'll be near the top where your legs can rest a little better (if you're out of shape like me, you'll be glad for it). Although the trail trends downward from Kaymoor Top to Fayette Station Rd., the short, steep inclines and declines like this one are pretty common. You'll cross Long Point Trail here; keep going straight to stay on Fayetteville Trail.

Don't be deceived; you didn't just run your fastest 2 mile split ever. Keep reading.

Looking back at these pictures, I noticed something peculiar: This sign makes you think you just ran two miles, since there are, supposedly, only two miles from here to Kaymoor Top. I checked my map a few times to make sure, and Kaymoor Top is, at best, half a mile from this crossing. This will be even more evident later in this post when I show the sign that tells how far Kaymoor Top is from the connection to Timber Ridge Trail. I know; it's disappointing.

From here, the trail does some rolling up and down, but it's not too technical. You'll start descending more quickly to the connection of this trail and Timber Ridge Trail. Take a right (north-westish) to continue on Fayetteville Trail. Notice my excellent photo editing skills.

So, if Kaymoor Top was 2 miles away when I crossed Long Point Trail, how is it only 1.6 miles away, now that I've run further? This sign is the more accurate one.

Have fun going down the hill until you cross the bridge over Wolf Creek. You should be able to see Wolf Creek on the eastern side of the bridge (the right side if you're coming from Kaymoor Top), and if you're looking at the water straight out on the other side, you're probably looking at House Branch. Wolf Creek actually comes in from the South right here, and House Branch comes in from the West.

House Branch from the bridge over Wolf Creek

Having crossed the bridge, the trail shoots to the right (NE), but a few steps left will give you another cool little view of Wolf Creek.

I can't remember if I took this picture from the bridge or the other spot, but it still would be the same part of the creek.

Now the trail gets a lot steeper (uphill now) and a little more technical (roots and rocks). The big switchback will tell you that you're approaching the leveling off at Park Loop Trail.

Once you hit a wooden triangular median thing and the backside of the sign in the middle of it, you've entered the part of the trail connected to Park Loop Trail. Now, to be honest here: I've only been in this area a couple times, and both times it has confused me. There are all these little side trails and intersections that aren't on the map I have. I'll try to figure them out by picking a few directions and running down them, and I never end up exactly where I plan to end up. As far as I can gather by my pictures of the signs, taking a right at the sign pictured below will keep you on what is officially Fayetteville Trail, and taking a left there will send you...somewhere around the "loop," and maybe or maybe not back to Fayetteville Trail.

Hang a right to stay on Fayetteville Trail.

A readable view of the sign.

One rabbit trail in the Park Loop section led me here.

So, I think it's safe to say that, if you just want to stay on Fayetteville Trail from the time you see this sign, just keep turning right when the trail splits (keep in mind that these directions are assuming that you've started at Kaymoor Top and are headed toward Fayette Station Rd.). Even exiting the Park Loop area will be a right, and then you'll go up a steep hill to a sign where you turn right again.

Now, if you've been going the way I've been describing, it's literally all downhill from here. The trail kinda goes back and forth with both its narrowness and amount/size of rocks, but the footing is generally very easy as far as I can remember. Make sure you take the right at the Bridge Trail connection and go down the stairs.

The rest of the trail should fly by, since you'll probably be going pretty fast down the side of the Gorge until you get dumped out onto Fayette Station Road.

Looking back up the trail from Fayette Station Rd.

Just a little walk/jog down the road will take you to the Wolf Creek Trailhead, where you can access the beginning of Kaymoor Trail. You can also park there and run the trail the opposite direction I've described, which would be more of a challenge (you'll be going more uphill than downhill). Personally, if I were to do this trail as an out-and-back, I'd want to start here and run up to Kaymoor Top first; that way, I'd be finishing fast and easy on the descent coming back. It always feels good to finish a run while effortlessly flying down a hill. Whichever way you do it, it's a cool little trail with some good hills to build your legs on.