(Photo by Art Smith) Fall begins to color the outside of the Silver Run Tunnel in Ritchie County on Thursday.

CAIRO — Tucked into the rolling hills of North Bend State Park, the Silver Run Tunnel is one of the most talked-about features along the 72-mile North Bend Rail Trail — not only for its engineering and scenery, but for a legend that refuses to fade.

The North Bend Rail Trail, part of the 5,500-mile American Discovery Trail stretching coast to coast, runs parallel to U.S. 50 from Wolf Summit near Clarksburg to Interstate 77 near Parkersburg.

According to the Ritchie County Tourism and Visitors Bureau, the trail was designed for hiking, biking and horseback riding, but also attracts bird watchers, history buffs and ghost seekers. The trail includes 13 tunnels – 10 still passable – and 36 bridges, with access points along its entire route.

Along with its historic features, the trail passes through a variety of landscapes and small towns such as Cairo, Pennsboro and Salem. The West Virginia Rails-to-Trails Council describes the trail as “a scenic experience with splendid railroad elements and welcoming trail towns,” noting that it was originally constructed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad between 1853 and 1857.

Locals and visitors alike know Tunnel No. 19 – better known as the Silver Run Tunnel – for the ghostly tales that linger in its dark stone walls.

(Photo by Art Smith) The Silver Run Tunnel shows the number 19 on the western portal face of the tunnel. The Silver Run Tunnel was the 19th tunnel in the Baltimore and Ohio rail line.

“There’s been stories about the lady in white for as long as anyone can remember,” said Betty Jackson, a retired schoolteacher and fan of the trails. “They say she still waits there, near the mouth of the tunnel, for that train even though there hasn’t been a train there for a long while.”

According to local legend, in 1910 a young B&O engineer was making a midnight westbound run from Grafton to Parkersburg when he spotted a woman in a pale gown walking the tracks near the Silver Run Tunnel. He threw the brakes into emergency, but the train couldn’t stop in time. When he and his fireman jumped down, the woman had vanished.

Rumors of the encounter spread quickly through railyards. Weeks later, another engineer named O’Flannery dismissed the story, boasting that if he saw her, he wouldn’t brake. On a misty night, he kept his word, but telegraphers along the line later reported seeing a ghostly figure clinging to the cowcatcher of his locomotive as it rolled into Parkersburg.

Jennings said the story has many versions but shares a common ending.

“The legend says she was a young bride waiting at the Silver Run station for her fiance. When he never arrived, she either fell or stepped in front of a train,” Jackson said. “After the fact, when engineers saw her, it was always too late to stop — and she’d be gone just before they strike her.”

(Photo by Art Smith) The train tracks have long since disappeared from the interior of the Silver Run Tunnel on the North Bend Rail Trail.

According to the Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Silver Run Tunnel remains one of the region’s most “unsettling stretches” of the North Bend Rail Trail, often drawing visitors intrigued by tales of a spectral woman in white.

While the legend lends an eerie charm, the Silver Run Tunnel also stands as a monument to West Virginia’s railroading past.

The tunnel, located west of Ellenboro, stretches 337 feet and is one of several “raw” tunnels bored directly through solid rock. Hikers and cyclists are advised to bring flashlights or headlamps, as several of the tunnels are completely dark inside, according to the West Virginia Rails-to-Trails Council.

The council also highlights the trail’s blend of natural beauty and community connection, with wildlife such as deer, beavers, grouse and black bears often spotted along the route. Many small towns have developed eateries and shops to serve hikers and cyclists.

For many travelers, the Silver Run Tunnel is both a scenic stop and a step into local folklore, where nature, history and mystery intersect.

(Photo by Art Smith) Along the walls of the Silver Run Tunnel, the last indicators of the railway are alcoves used to stand out of the way of oncoming trains.

“It’s one of those places where you can feel the past breathing down your neck,” Jackson said. “Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it’s pretty darn spooky.”

(Photo by Art Smith) An alleged ghost in white haunts the Silver Run Tunnel in North Bend State Park.