Mary Willis

Mary moved to Pocahontas County, WV in 1983 to join her soon to be husband Gil in a partnership immersed in the outdoor beauty of the region. Together they have operated Elk River Touring Center, Inn and restaurant in Slatyfork in some form for over 37 years.They discovered the Greenbrier River Trail and provided bike rentals and shuttles to the new state trail. Mary and Gil were founding members of the Greenbrier River Trail Association, a citizens group created to support the trail.

After the flood of 1985, in an effort to cast a light on the importance of the trail, the Association hosted the ‘Great Greenbrier River Race’ in April of 1986. Mary and a team from the Association and other trail users established a successful event which is now an annual event and a major fundraiser for ongoing maintenance projects on the trail.