TENNERTON — Upshur County residents now have an official “Mountaineer Mile” trail following a ribbon-cutting this week at Upshur County Trails in the county Recreation Park.
Upshur County commissioners, local residents, trail volunteers and officials with the West Virginia Department of Health on Tuesday celebrated the launch and marking of an official Mountaineer Mile trail on a portion of the Upshur County Trails system. The mile-long route starts at the entrance adjacent to the West Virginia State Police barracks at the Upshur County Recreation Park in Tennerton.
When Gov. Patrick Morrisey launched the Mountaineer Mile to encourage West Virginians to walk at least one mile daily, state officials decided parks were the perfect place to start. Morrisey has since designated an official Mountaineer Mile trail in 44 state parks. Check out the participating parks and trails here on the West Virginia State Parks website to find official Mountaineer Mile trails near you. Runners and walkers can also partake in West Virginia’s Mountaineer Mile Challenge through the commonly used hiking app AllTrails, which is partnering with the state parks division.
Gailyn Markham, director of communications for the West Virginia Department of Health, said Mountaineer Mile trails have been marked off in state and county parks across the state.
“Governor Morrisey started this initiative, and he’s been keeping up with his ‘Mountaineer Miles’ every day and encouraging West Virginians to do the same. As the Department of Health, we’re following the governor’s pillars of health, and one of them is ‘move your body, change your life.’ That’s really what the Mountaineer Mile is about,” Markham said. “So, we’ve been going across the state, encouraging communities — whether it’s county commissions, Chambers of Commerce, schools with students — to get up and get active. We’re doing this just to show that daily habits, no matter how small, when they compound, they can lead to lasting changes.”
Markham said West Virginia residents shouldn’t have to look far for scenic trails.
“We have such great trail systems here, and West Virginia is known for its nature, so we want people to get outside when they can and get their Mountaineer Mile in however they can,” she said. “When it’s a beautiful day like today, enjoy the weather and get out with your community and get onto these trails.”
“Again, we just think that this is an amazing initiative, not only just for physical health, but getting out with your friends or getting out with your animals can go a long way to [improving your life],” Markham said.
