Maximizing Economic Benefits From a Rails-to-Trails Project in Southern Western Virginia: A Case Study of the GreenBrier River Trail

Trail User Survey Highlights:

• An overwhelming majority of trail users were highly educated, worked in white-collar professions, and enjoyed high income levels.
• Two-thirds of the trail users were from outside of West Virginia.
• Visitors who stayed in the area from one to four days accounted for approximately 93 percent of the visitations.
• Approximately 58 percent of visitors spent between $100 and $500 in the area.
• About 93 percent of the trail users indicated that they were highly likely to plan a return trip.
• More than 90 percent of the out-of-state visitors indicated that they were highly likely to plan a return trip to the area.
• About 60 percent of out-of-state visitors were first-time visitors.
• During the 17-day survey period, out-of-state visitors spent $82,315 (88 percent of the total amount of expenditures reported by all visitors).