April 8, 2026

The Collaboration Powering Outdoor Recreation In Pocahontas County

Pocahontas County, West Virginia, is home to iconic attractions and unparalleled adventure, with hundreds of miles of sprawling trail systems and public lands that cover more than half of the county. Recreationists flock to Nature’s Mountain Playground to immerse themselves in the scenic beauty and serenity of our great outdoors, but what many don’t know is that adventure in Pocahontas County doesn’t happen by accident. From backcountry trails to family-friendly paths, the outdoor experience is a part of something even bigger and fueled by a collective group of individuals dedicated to enhancing our countywide recreation.

The Snowshoe Highlands Area Recreation Collaborative, better known as SHARC, is composed of partners, organizations, agencies and stakeholders who manage a variety of assets and services throughout the Snowshoe Highlands region, spanning beyond Pocahontas County lines into neighboring Randolph, Nicholas and Webster counties. SHARC works to support outdoor recreation management, development and stewardship through thoughtful and organic collaboration. SHARC is focused on sustainable maintenance and development that spans across public and private land and impacts countless communities.

SHARC employs a full-time trail crew, consisting of Charles Evans, Backcountry Coordinator, CJ Peterson, Trail Crew Lead and Digital Media & Marketing Director, and Zen Clements, Trail Crew Lead and Races & Events Director, as well as full-time seasonal trails technicians working April through October. Outside of SHARC’s trail crew, the collaborative partners through formal agreements and shared operational standards with stakeholders that include:

SHARC, in partnership with the Pocahontas County CVB and the US Forest Service from the Greenbrier and Marlinton districts of the Monongahela National Forest, manages and maintains more than 450 miles of trails. The Snowshoe Highlands Ride Center encompasses the Snowshoe Bike Park and surrounding trails within a 50-mile radius, including the popular Tea Creek, Mower Tract and Monday Lick trail systems. As the only designated International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Ride Center in West Virginia, SHARC’s commitment to enhancing and developing trail systems within the Snowshoe Highlands Ride Center continues to bolster Pocahontas County as a popular mountain biking destination. In April of 2026, the town of Marlinton was announced as one of 28 nationwide IMBA Trail Towns, currently making it the only designated Trail Town in West Virginia.

SHARC efforts highlight the power of partnerships, looking at rural collaboration as the true model for success. Their approach to strengthening the region’s growing outdoor recreation economy through trail connectivity, access, conservation and collaboration is what truly makes Nature’s Mountain Playground a flourishing outdoor destination. With a three-pillar system to backcountry management, SHARC focuses on recreational infrastructure management of our trail systems, safety, stewardship, workforce development through wildland fire response and rapid backcountry rescue and medical support to our local EMS and fire departments. The collaborative’s work creates better trail experiences, easier access to outdoor recreation, economic growth, community engagement and pride in the place our visitors and residents so eagerly continue to explore.

SHARC continues to create momentum and growth within our outdoor recreation industry, with a commitment to the region that will impact generations for years to come.

The next time you explore Pocahontas County through our trails, or take in those breathtaking mountain views, know there’s a story behind it, built on partnership, passion and a shared love for Nature’s Mountain Playground.

If you would like to learn more about SHARC, visit SHARCTrails.com.

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