Bike rides with trailside breweries and playgrounds are a win for my family because it feels like there’s a little something for everyone. We really enjoyed an out and back ride on the Mon River Trail to Mountain State Brewing Co. in Morgantown, WV.

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Summary

  • Itinerary– park at Van Voorhis Trailhead, ride Mon River Trail, continue Caperton Trail, to Mountain State Brewery, play at the playground at Star City on way back
  • Distance – about 6 miles one way, 12 miles out and back
  • Trail – flat and easy, parts were crushed stone surface and other parts were paved
  • Ages – My kids were roughly 1 and 3 years old. My parents also joined us for a multigenerational day.
  • Child Transport – My husband took one child and I took the other on our Topeak bike seats.
  • Gear – Some gear worth mentioning that we used: Sunday Afternoons sun hats, Topeak bike seats, diaper bag (we use the REI Co-op Ruckpack 28 Daypack), Blackburn Water Bottle Holder, and insulated growler.

Parking

We parked at the Van Voorhis Trailhead on the Mon River Trail. Bathrooms are available along with a map of the Mon River Trails which can also be viewed online here.

The Ride

The ride was flat and easy ride like many rails to trails.

From the Van Voorhis Trailhead, we headed south on the Mon River Trail. This portion of the trail is often shaded with a compacted limestone surface and offered some views of the Monongahela River (The Mon).

The trail becomes the Caperton trail which is less shaded with an asphalt surface and offers views of Morgantown.

We rode about 6 miles one way, but you can easily make this a longer ride by parking along the Sheepskin Trail in Point Marion which merges into Mon River Trail.

The Wharf District

We rode directly to trailside Mountain State Brewing Co. (one of their multiple locations) in the Wharf District area of Morgantown where we enjoyed a delicious lunch on the patio which offers views of the trail and river.

We also took some beer home in our insulated growler. Our Blackburn water bottle holder makes biking with a growler a breeze.

The Wharf District area offers other restaurant options that I’d like to check out someday, but breweries simply make my husband very happy and they are often our first choice.

The Playground

After lunch, we returned the way we came and made a stop to reward the kids with some playground time at the Edith B Barill Riverfront Park in Star City.

I love the adorable wooden castle theme. And the core vocabulary communication board at the playground made my heart smile as a speech-language pathologist.

Nearby available restrooms also make my heart smile. Of note, the playground has a rubber surface that seems to retain heat. So on the hot day we visited, it was extra toasty.

After the playground we returned to the parking area, making for a roughly 12-mile round trip ride.

Othe Sights Along the Trail

We just had time for lunch and the playground, but there are other sights along the trail I’d like to visit. The Ruby Amphitheater is not far from the brewery and I’d love to check out a show at the Summer Concert Series.

I’d also to do some shopping at the historic Seneca Center. The Seneca Center houses Wamsley Cycles which offers bike rentals if you don’t own a bike.

WVU Core Arboretum is also located right along the trail and is another place I’d like to visit someday.

Nearby Attractions

Additional Bike Rides

You can look into some other bike rides my family has enjoyed.

Do you like similar bike rides that feature playgrounds and breweries? Here are a few others we have completed. I haven’t had a chance to create posts about all of them. These include:

  • Coal and Coke Trail in Mt Pleasant, PA (Helltown Brewery)
  • Greensburg, PA- Five Start Trail from Youngstown to Lynch Field Park (All Saints Brewery just beyond the park)
  • West Newton, PA- Great Allegheny Passage from Cedar Creek Park to West Newton – (Bloom Brewery and Crooked Creek Distillery)

As always, this is just what we ended up doing to serve as a reference point for your plans. This itinerary can be modified in many ways. Whatever you decide, I want to see or hear about your adventures biking around Morgantown. Leave a comment or tag me on Instagram (@adventureswkelly).