dawkins line rail trail

This would have been more enjoyable cycling or riding a horse but I hiked. My rating may not be totally fair because I only walked a portion of the trail on the east end. It was very level and small gravel and the trail has been kept up. It just wasn't near as pretty as what I expected. Thought it would be more rural but in this section you walk right past a number of homes and unfortunately there was a lot of trash in some areas. They have done a great job on the bridges but it would have been nice to have a few benches here and there. The lack of bathrooms could also become a problem. There was plenty of parking. They also need to do a better job of marking where to turn off of US 23 to get to the trail. If I'm hiking I want something more relaxing and beautiful so I'll stick with the National Parks.

An enjoyable day biking. The gravel trail was about one year old when we road on it and is in very good condition, except for a couple small patches with horse tracks. The trail is open to hikers, cyclists and horses. We started at the at the west end of the trail, at the Royalton Trailhead in Magoffin County, there was plenty of parking. The Swamp Branch Trailhead toward the middle of the trail is even bigger. Be sure to take plenty of water and snacks. The only store along the trail is a gas station about 100 yards off of the east end of the trail. I road a hybrid with 37mm tires, others in our group were on a mountain bike and a fixie. The large tunnel is a highlight of the ride. The tunnel is straight so you don't really need a headlight. The west half of the trail is slightly hillier than the east half and made for some challenging miles on the ride back.