Primeval Paths: Bison in West Virginia

Approximately 2600 km of bison and elk trails have been mapped in West Virginia using historical records, including county histories and travelers' accounts with published dates between 1876 and 1977. Most points of interest associated with these trails document European bison or elk hunting events. We explore some potential uses of the digital trails data and discuss the limitations of the data and need for further refinements. This map of major bison trails (available for download at https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2021-0055) is an important resource for telling a more complete story of the history of forests and woodlands of West Virginia.