New River Gorge National Park and Preserve ⓘ

The New River Gorge area is full of wonderful, dreadful, exciting, and unusual stories. The geology of the gorge tells a story that dates back millions of years. There are stories of disasters, both natural and man-made. Floods, droughts, blights, coal mine explosions, and fires have all been a part of its history, as has the story of the struggle of the people making a life in this rough and rugged land.

There are many positive stories too - the beauty of the area, the plants and animals that thrive in the gorge, and most of all the people who lived, worked and played here. From the Native Americans that hunted, fished and traveled the gorge to the children that visit the park today, people have made stories that they will remember and pass on.

New River Gorge National River protects not only the natural resources of the park, but also the stories. By collecting and saving oral histories, photographs, artifacts, and records, the park hopes to keep these stories alive and help people create their own New River Gorge stories.

If any one person has helped to improve this nation's civil rights and standard of living, it is Mary Harris Jones. Better known as "Mother Jones", she became a leader and symbol for unionization.

Mary Harris was born in 1830 in Cork, Ireland. While she was still a child, the Great Famine struck Ireland. Like many Irish families, the Harris' immigrated to America to find food and a new life. Although she received only a basic education, Mary began teaching in Michigan at age 23. She would spend most of her life as a teacher and dressmaker. In 1861, she married George E. Jones and they had four children together.

Mary's life began to change in 1867. While living in Memphis, the yellow fever epidemic took her husband and four children. After losing her family, Mary helped nurse plague sufferers until the epidemic ended. Soon after, she went back to dressmaking and moved to Chicago.

Once again "bad luck" darkened her door. The Great Chicago fire of 1871 claimed her establishment and everything she owned. Mary found herself again without a home. This is when she found the union as her home and the workers as her family. Mary Jones became a member of the Knights of Labor. Formed after the Civil War, the Knights of Labor worked to fight industrial slavery.

Mary Jones' father and husband were both hard working laborers. This likely influenced her decision to take an active part in the efforts of the working class. The Industrial Revolution of the 1880s brought many hardships to the working class. Workers suffered under poor working conditions, overcrowded cities, 17-hour workdays, and more. Yet with this exploitation also came the birth of one of America's greatest leaders -- Mother Jones.

Mother Jones travelled across the country to fight for the freedom of the working class. She wore outdated black dresses and called the male workers "her boys". Her journeys took her from mines in Colorado to mills in Georgia.

In West Virginia, she was the first walking delegate for the United Mine Workers of America. On foot she would travel from coal camp to coal camp inciting miners to risk their lives to form a union.

A strong and willful woman, Mother Jones spent her golden years as the most active time in her life. From the age of 50 to 99 years this "pistol packin' mamma" led union strikes in West Virginia. She suffered personal attacks, threats, and many hardship for her role in the strikes. She even spent time in jail in 1902 at age 71 and again in 1913 at age 82. Nothing would break her fiery spirit or stop her mission for unionization.

Mary Harris "Mother" Jones continued the fight for workers' rights until her death in 1930. She died at 99 years of age having seen much labor reform and the birth of unionization. Mother Jones was buried in the United Mine Workers Cemetery in Mount Olive, Illinois. Over 30,000 people attended her funeral.

Many organizations have chosen to honor Mother Jones and continue to recognize the value of her work. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1984. In 1992, the Department of Labor also inducted her into the Labor Hall of Fame. Most recently, in 2019, Mother Jones became the 248th inductee to the National Mining Hall of Fame.

In 1755, New River Gorge was the site of one of the great stories of survival and endurance in American history. During that time, the New River area was the far western frontier of English settlement. England and France were also at war for control of North America. This war would affect many settlers and Native Americans, including a woman named Mary Draper Ingles.

Mary Draper, the daughter of Scotch-Irish immigrants, was born in Philadelphia in 1731. In the 1740s, her family moved to the west side of the colony of Virginia. They settled near the present-day site of Virginia Tech University. There, her family and others founded a small settlement called Drapers Meadows. Several years later when she was a young adult, Mary married her neighbor, William Ingles. Together they built a homestead and began raising a family.

Like all wars, The French and Indian War brought horrors to the civilian peoples caught in its path. In July of 1755, Shawnee warriors, allies of France, attacked Drapers Meadows. They killed three men, one woman, and an infant child and took one man, two women, and two young boys captive. Among these captives were Mary Draper Ingles and her two sons, Tommy, four, and George, two. The captives began an intense forced march to the Shawnee's home villages near present-day Chillicothe, Ohio. To slow down or complain would have meant death for Mary and her children. On arrival at the Shawnee towns, the tribe took her two boys for adoption into the tribe. Mary was given into servitude to a French trader.

During her captivity, Mary met another captive known from history as the "old Dutch woman". The term "Dutch" at that time referred to German immigrants, but her actual origins are unknown. It is possible her name was Mrs. Stump. In October, the two captives planned an escape. With no supplies, the two women escaped into a vast, rugged wilderness. Winter was coming fast, but determination carried them forward. The only hope of survival was to follow the rivers eastward to English settlements. Starting with the Ohio River, the two made their way to the Kanawha River and the New River.

For forty days, Mary and the Dutch woman struggled along riverbanks and deep rocky gorges. They scavenged for food and shelter, living off the land as best they could. The two separated after a hunger induced fight leaving Mary to continue the final days alone. Finally, after walking for 500 miles, Mary arrived at the snow-covered remains of her home in Draper Meadows. Neighbors found her, took her in, and nursed her back to health. A few days later, the Dutch woman arrived at a nearby town having survived the ordeal as well.

Mary reunited with her husband and the two moved to a new home on the New River near Radford, Virginia. There they built a new house, began operating a ferry service, and had five more children. Of their two captured boys, only one reunited with his family. After negotiations with the Shawnee people, now seventeen-year-old Tommy returned home. Mary lived for many more years passing away in 1815 at age 83. Her son, John, recorded the events of her escape in his work The Story of Mary Draper Ingles and Son Thomas Ingles. This work would inspire other authors to write books and movies about Mary's story.

Throughout history the New River Gorge has been a transportation corridor. Mary was not the first or the last person to follow the river. Over a century later, the C & O Railroad would follow the river connecting the region to the rest of the country. Today, visitors can still follow the river along parts of Mary's path both by road and some trails.

The discovery of coal in New River Gorge brought change to the region as many people sought to buy and run mines in the coalfields of the New River. The first person to ship coal from the new coalfields was a man named Joseph Beury.

Joseph Beury was born in 1842 to a coal operator in Pennsylvania. During his childhood, he learned the trade of mining in his father's anthracite coal mines. Before he had finished his basic school education, the Civil War began. Beury enlisted in the United States Army as a member of the Pennsylvania Regiment. His service as a private for the Union led to his promotion to captaincy and the military title of Colonel.

After the Civil War ended, Beury moved to West Virginia along Laurel Creek. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad in New River Gorge was almost finished and Beury wanted to be ready. In 1872, he established the town of Quinnimont and opened the New River Coal Company mine. When the railroad opened in 1873, Quinnimont already had coal ready for shipping. That same year, Beury became the first coal owner to ship "New River Smokeless Coal" to the world.

Colonel Beury's mine at Quinnimont thrived. As business boomed, he expanded his business with several more mines in the New River Gorge. Over time, Beury's expansion reached into the Pocahontas coal fields. With this expansion, he became one of the largest coal company operators in West Virginia.

Following his successes, Colonel Beury chose to live in the New River Gorge. He built his home in the mining town of Beury, named for him, near the railroad town of Thurmond. This "mansion" had twenty-three rooms with a greenhouse, swimming pool, and stables. Beury continued to live in his mansion until he passed away in 1903 at the age of sixty-one.

In the 1920s, Colonel Beury's coal operator associates wanted to honor him and the influence he had on mining in New River Gorge. They erected a twenty-five foot tall granite monument at Quinnimont, his first mine. The inscription on the monument reads:

The first New River smokeless coal was mined and shipped from Fire creek Seam at Quinnimont by Joseph Lawton Beury in 1873. This memorial erected by his coal associates in New River District.

Although it is not well known, the monument still stands as a testament to one of the great men of the coal mining era. Visitors today can visit the Quinnimont monument to remember the first coal operator in New River Gorge.

Carter G. Woodson was born in 1875 to freed slaves from Virginia. His family, like many African-Americans of that time, sought a new life in West Virginia. The railroad and coal mines in New River Gorge promised opportunity and a better life to many. Woodson's family purchased a farm and he grew up helping his father in the fields. He desired to attend high school and when he was older, he joined the mining workforce to pay for his education. While working, he self-taught himself basic reading and mathematics.

Over the years, Woodson worked in several mines including both Kaymoor and Nuttallburg mines. His fellow miners, especially Black miners, told him stories of their everyday lives. Their stories inspired Woodson to teach others about the contributions of African-American people. After six long years of mining, he saved up enough money to enroll in high school at age 20. He attended Douglass High School in Huntington, West Virginia, one of only a few black high schools in the area.

In 1897, after only 2 years, Woodson graduated with his high school diploma. For 3 years, he taught at the school in Winona, West Virginia before studying at Berea College in Kentucky. He received his bachelor's degree in literature in 1903.

Woodson’s career in education, both as a teacher and student, led him around the world. He taught in the Philippines and traveled in Europe and Asia. In 1912, he became the first person of enslaved parents to receive a doctorate from Harvard University. Woodson served as dean of both West Virginia State University and Howard University.

Throughout his career, Woodson had not forgotten his desire to share the stories he had heard in the mines. He wrote several books on African-American history and started the Journal of Negro History . Woodson sought to bypass the prejudice of the historical associations of the day. Many refused to include African-Americans in history. He realized he would need to start his own association if there was to be any study of the "neglected aspects of Negro life and history." In 1915, he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History for this purpose.

Perhaps the most recognized contribution of Carter G. Woodson is Black History Month. In 1926, he started the celebration of Negro History Week in February. He selected this week because it was at the same time as Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln's birthdays. Over time, this week long celebration would expand to the entire month of February.

After decades of work and study, Carter G. Woodson passed away suddenly in 1950 at the age of 74. From humble, working man roots in the coal mines of New River Gorge, he had risen to be known as the “Father of Black History”. He wrote for the world the full story of the United States and a peoples' proud history. Today, the National Park Service preserves his legacy at Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site in Wasington D.C.

Born in England in 1817, John Nuttall started working in the mines at age eleven to help support his family. While he enjoyed mining work, at age 17 he vowed that he would save money to emigrate to America. Two decades later, Nuttall finally set sail for America in 1849 to seek new opportunities. His wife's siblings, the Crabtrees, owned a silk mill in New York where John worked. After one year, he saved enough money to bring his wife and children to America.

He continued to work in the silk industry, but always watched for the chance to open a mine and return to the job he loved. Seven years after he came to America, Nuttall had the chance to open a mine at last. With help from his two brother-in-laws, John Nuttall purchased land in western Pennsylvania. Using his mining knowledge, Nuttall created and managed several successful mines.

In 1870, John Nuttall learned about the construction of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad near the rich coal fields of West Virginia. Sensing opportunity, Nuttall rushed to the area leaving his Pennsylvania mines in the care of his son-in-laws. In the New River Gorge, Nuttall purchased as much land as he could after seeing the high grade of New River coal. He was 53 years old when he began his newest venture in West Virginia. His first mine opened even before the the completion of the C & O Railroad in 1873. When the tracks opened, his town was already ready to ship coal. The town built around the mines was named Nuttallburg after its founder.

Over the course of his life, John Nuttall married three times. He had four children, a son and three daughters, with his first wife Elizabeth. While they were living in New York, Elizabeth tragically died from an unknown disease. John later married his distant cousin's widow, Ann. Their relationship was a poor fit and a few years later the two parted ways amicably. His final marriage was to Martha, the daughter of a business associate from West Virginia.

Nuttall's daughters all married and their husbands ran the family mines. Lawrence's true passion was plants, not mining. He became a highly regarded botanist discovering new species in New River Gorge including Fraser's sedge.

The Nuttall family prospered in West Virginia. They operated several profitable coal mines and owned thousands of acres of land. Nuttallburg became a home to hundreds of families providing jobs and livelihood. John Nuttall continued to mange his mines until his death in 1897. His fortunes and property were left to his four children to share alike.

During the first two decades of the 1900s, Thurmond was a classic boomtown. Huge amounts of coal flowed into Thurmond from the area mines. This made Thurmond the largest revenue generator on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. Having many coal barons among its patrons, Thurmond's banks were the richest in the state. Fifteen passenger trains a day came through town. The depot served as many as 75,000 passengers a year. With so many visitors, the hotels and boarding houses were always overflowing. The town's stores and saloons did remarkable business. But with the switch to diesel locomotives and the closing of local mines, the town began a steady decline. The many businesses closed down, and most residents moved on.

Today, the town of Thurmond remains untouched by modern development. It is a link to our past, and a town with many stories to tell. Part of the mission of the National Park Service is to preserve our nation's heritage. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve invites visitors to explore Thurmond. Through it, we can experience the impact of the industrial revolution.

To reach Thurmond, take U.S. Route 19 to the Glen Jean exit, north of Beckley. Follow the signs to Thurmond, seven miles down WV-25 / Thurmond Road.

Travel Advisory : Thurmond Road is winding and narrow at times. Large vehicles over 25 feet in length and trailers are not recommended.

The year 1873 marked the completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway mainline. That same year, William Dabney Thurmond acquired 73 acres along the railroad. He already owned a large amount of land on the other side of the river that was leased to coal companies. Land on the same side as the C&O Railway made good business sense.

Thurmond was the heart of the New River Gorge. It carried shipments of coal from the surrounding coal fields. The town of Thurmond grew as the coal and timber industries expanded in the gorge. The railroad expanded the rail yard to meet the railroad’s needs.

By 1910, Thurmond was the chief railroad center on the C & O Railway mainline. In 1910, the C & O operation at Thurmond was first in revenue receipts. It produced more freight tonnage than Cincinnati, Ohio, and Richmond, Virginia, combined. Freight was not the only key to this town’s success. Seventy-five thousand passengers passed through Thurmond in 1910. Some visited as tourists, while others came for business or new job opportunities.

At its peak, Thurmond had two hotels and two banks. The downtown area had restaurants, clothing stores, a jewelry store, and dry-good stores. The town even had a movie theater. There were many business offices for the telephone company, lawyers, and more. The town continued to thrive through the early decades of the 20th century.

With the onset of the Great Depression, several businesses closed. This included the National Bank of Thurmond started by W.D. Thurmond himself. The town’s continued to wane after two large fires wiped out several major businesses.

By the mid 1930s there were other indications that Thurmond’s heyday was ending. The American public had begun its love affair with the automobile, and good roads made travel by car easy. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway changed from steam to diesel locomotives in the 1950s. Thurmond was a steam town. Its rail yard and crews specialized steam locomotive service. Steam locomotives needed frequent stops to refill water and coal. They also needed regular maintenance work. Diesel locomotives didn't need these services. The switch to diesels left many of the rail yard structures and jobs obsolete.

Although the businesses are gone, there are still memories made here in the 21st century. The town is still incorporated and hosts an annual reunion for former residents. The mayor and city council still meet to pass ordinances and make decisions about the future of the town.

The National Park Service restored the Thurmond Depot as a visitor center in 1995. There are over twenty other park-owned structures in Thurmond. The National Park Service began a stabilization program in 2003. That included repairs, removal of vegetation, drainage improvement, and exterior restoration work. To prevent damage, the park installed metal panel roofs and gutters. The addition of windows louvers helped provide proper ventilation in older buildings. Hazardous porches and additions were also removed. Historic upkeep continues at the depot to maintain its vintage 1900s appearance.

The park has no current plans to renovate the interiors of the Commercial Row buildings into exhibits or museums. However, park staff performs regular upkeep and maintenance repairs. Restoration work both inside and outside helps preserve structural integrity of the buildings. Through this work, the park protects Thurmond for future generations to enjoy.

In May 2023, the National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center began work at the Thurmond Depot. HPTC staff worked to restore the depot's windows, doors, and wooden siding. Park maintenance staff also received training on the fundamentals of historic preservation. Maintenance staff will continue restoration work at the depot through Fall of 2023. Learn more about the restoration work at Thurmond Depot

Thurmond, West Virginia, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is in the heart of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The Thurmond Depot now operates as a summer visitor center. The visitor center is open daily Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The depot is open on weekends in September and October.

The state maintained road to Nuttallburg (Keeneys Creek Road) is narrow, winding, and steep. Some places are paved while some places are gravel.

Much of the road is one lane, meaning that drivers will need to pull off the side of the road to allow for passing vehicles.

Often there is not enough room to pull off and pass and drivers may need to reverse on the steep road.

Nuttallburg was one of almost fifty towns that sprang up along the New River in response to a growing nation's need for coal In 1870, England-born entrepreneur John Nuttall saw opportunity in the coal rich New River gorge and began buying land and building infrastructure along the Keeneys Creek drainage. When the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway was completed through the gorge in 1873, the town was ready for its arrival. Nuttallburg became the second mining town in the New River gorge to ship the "smokeless" coal, processed from a mineral seam hundreds of feet above the river corridor and shipped to industrial cities hundreds of miles away. Nuttallburg was a bustling mining community by the turn of the century, continuing to thrive after Nuttall's death in 1897 under the direction of his heirs. The town became the focus of national attention in the 1920's when, in an effort known as "vertical integration" to gain control of all aspects of production, automobile industrialist Henry Ford leased the town's mines to provide coal for his company steel mills. The Fordson Coal Company made many improvements to the mine and town during the eight year tenure, but Ford's plan for "vertical integration" failed when it became evident he could neither control, nor afford to buy, the railroad that was responsible for transportation of the coal his mines produced. He sold interests in the Nuttallburg mines in 1928. The mines of Nuttallburg passed through three owners after Henry Ford, with production limited to primarily local use in later years as the market for New River coal declined. Production ceased in 1958 and Nuttallburg became like so many other riverside communities that rose and fell due to changes in the industry. A collection of empty buildings and structure-less foundations, concealed beneath trees and vines, is all that remains.

In 1998 the Nuttall family transferred ownership of Nuttallburg to the National Park Service. The site was inventoried, documented, and in 2005, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2011 the National Park Service completed a multi-year project that involved clearing vegetation and stabilizing structures. Today it is considered one of the most intact examples of a coal mining complex in West Virginia and one of the most complete coal related industrial sites in the United States. Nuttallburg is a nationally significant, protected historic site. Please help us preserve it. Do not remove or deface any artifacts and report any acts of vandalism to a park ranger or local authorities at 304-465-0508.

Use caution when driving to Nuttallburg. The road to Nuttallburg (Keeneys Creek Road) is narrow, winding, and steep. Some places are paved while some places are gravel. Much of the road is one lane, meaning that drivers will need to pull off the side of the road to allow for passing vehicles. Large vehicles and trailers are not recommended.

From Canyon Rim Visitor Center, go north on US 19 0.3 miles to the next intersection, and turn right onto Lansing-Edmond Road (County Route 5/82). Follow Lansing-Edmond Road (becomes CR 82) 6.0 miles to Winona. Turn right onto Keeneys Creek Road (CR 85/2), continue past the houses (do not cross the creek) and the road turns to gravel. Travel 4.1 miles to the main Nuttallburg parking area and restroom. Accessible parking is located an additional 0.1 miles beyond the main parking area, closer to the tipple.

Winona can also be reached from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center by traveling north on US 19 to Hico 5.0 miles. Go east on US 60 (Midland Trail) 4.4 miles to Lookout, turn right onto Lansing-Edmond Road (CR 82) and go 2.1 miles to Winona, then follow the directions above for Keeneys Creek Road (CR 85/2).

You will be passing through what was once Nuttallburg's African American community before you reach the main parking area. Exhibit panels located at pull-offs along the road interpret this and other features. Stop on the drive in or walk the short distance back from the main parking area to get a better picture of what life was like in the historic community.

The easiest way to the headhouse area of Nuttallburg is located off Beauty Mountain Road near Lansing. From U.S. 19, take Lansing-Edmond Road (CR 5 becomes CR 82) 2.5 miles and turn right onto Beauty Mountain Road (CR 85/5). Travel 0.13 miles, then turn right into the Short Creek Trailhead parking. A short set of steps from the top end of the lot leads left to a gate that is the start of the Headhouse Trail. Hike down the trail (an old administrative road) 0.75 miles to the headhouse area of Nuttallburg. Caution: this hike is steep and strenuous.

The piers of the abandoned Glade Creek Railroad Bridge mark the site of a former lumber mill and the remains of the company logging towns of Glade and Hamlet. This site once vividly illustrated the cycle of commercial logging in the southern Appalachians. The railroad had opened up a seemingly endless old growth deciduous forest. Narrow gauge branch lines further penetrated the wilderness, as loggers with hand saws, axes and teams of draft horses cut and dragged the trees from the mountains. Sawmills and mill towns soon followed.

The demand for lumber grew steadily and Hamlet and Glade rode the boom, but the logging practices of the time brought both the forests and the towns to doom. Amazingly, from the 1880s to the 1930s, the old-growth forests of West Virginia were completely cut down. With no more timber to be harvested, logging operations shut down, the mills closed, and the towns and narrow gauge rail-line were abandoned. The metal section of the bridge that once connected Glade to Hamlet was recycled for use during WW II.

The cutting of the ancient forests of the southern Appalachians obviously did not destroy them. Natural re-growth has once again covered the ridges, slopes and valleys with trees. A mature hardwood forest of the size and quality logged at the around the turn of the last century takes a hundred years to grow. With our nation's present plans for housing and commercial land development, and our needs for wood products, the majestic old growth forests and the unique ecosystems that they produced may never have the chance to return except in our nation's protected national and state parks.

Visiting Glade Creek and Hamlet Glade Creek today is a popular place for hiking, camping, fishing, and boating. A primitive campground with five drive-in sites and several walk in sites is located here, as well as a river access for starting or ending a river trip. A small footbridge crosses Glade Creek at the campground and trailhead for the Glade Creek Trail. Across this bridge it is a ½ mile off-trail walk to the remains of Hamlet. Please remember when visiting any historic site in the park that all historic objects are protected and should remain where they are found.

To reach Glade Creek, follow WV 41 to the Prince area. Turn onto Glade Creek Road on the south end of the WV 41 bridge that crosses New River. Travel 6.0 miles to the trailhead parking area, next to the primitive campground at Glade Creek.

Camp Prince, or Army Camp as it was known locally, lies in the middle of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and is located on the tip of the sharpest meander within the park. Along this section of the river, the New flows west, north, and east, all within a half mile. This area, being relatively flat, was first used as farmland, and around 1950 the U.S. Army established a training and testing ground for the quick assembly of floating bridges, operated by the 1428th Engineer Float Bridge Company. These bridges were used for stream crossings of military equipment and personnel. There were usually between 100 to 150 soldiers stationed here at any one time. Each training session in the assembly of these bridges took approximately six to eight weeks to complete. The temporary bridge building came to an end in 1957, and the camp closed for good in the early 1960s.

In recent years, the land was turned over to the National Park Service and included in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Today, this site is used as a campground as well as a day use area. Along the riverbank, the only remains of Army Camp are the foundations and concrete floors of the eleven buildings and a concrete water tank that were utilized by the soldiers.

By the 1880's, coal mining was becoming a booming industry and it was only getting bigger. The New River Gorge was growing fast with the start of the coal industry. Local farmers, freed slaves from the South, and immigrants were flocking to the area. Towns formed all over thanks to the railroads, the coal industry, and the logging industry.

With this growth came needs including medical needs. Thousands of people were working dangerous jobs that caused injuries and illness. But there were no places for the treatment and recovery of injured workers in New River Gorge. In February of 1899, West Virginia legislature created three hospitals for state miners. Miner's Hospital No.1 would be in the Flat Top coal region near Pocahontas County. Miner's Hospital No. 3 would be in the Fairmont region of Marion County. Miners Hospital No. 2 would become McKendree Hospital.

McKendree was a small community with a population of 44 residents in the 1880. It was almost completely isolated from all the other communities in the New River Gorge. This sleepy community drew the notice of the influential coal operator, Joseph Beury. Beury wanted the hospital in that location. Of the sites proposed, McKendree was the closest site to Quinnimont, the location of his mine. Beury offered both the land and a free five year supply of coal to help heat the facility. In 1901, Miners Hospital No. 2, or McKendree Hospital, opened its doors for business. They built the hospital near the train tracks that connected all the New River coal towns.

In the first year of operation there were 171 patients. The main purpose of the hospital was to treat miners that were victims of mining accidents. The hospital also treated local farmers, laborers, carpenters, and other nearby residents. In its first year of operation, the hospital treated 30 people with gunshot wounds. As the New River Gorge coal mining area expanded, so did the need for the expansion of McKendree Hospital.

It was hard to find qualified nurses who would work in such an isolated community for low wages. As a result, McKendree Hospital suffered severe staffing problems. McKendree Hospital established a nurse's training facility on March 1st, 1910. Instead of looking for nurses to move to the area, locals could receive training and work at the hospital. These local recruits initially received $10 a month as well as food and housing. In return, they gave a two year commitment and trained by working at the hospital. By 1915, the program was so successful that McKendree Hospital had to expand. By October 1917, the facility had a nurses' home building, containing 17 rooms and a fenced in tennis court.

The hospital itself was 3 stories high. The first floor of the building served as general hospital wards. Segregation was a reality in New River Gorge and hospitals were no exception. White wards were on the east side of the build and the west side had colored wards. The hospital's second floor consisted of offices and residences for nurses and surgeons. The third floor served as the operating room with a sterilization room. Several small rooms were also used by white female patients.

McKendree Hospital served the people of New River Gorge for 40 years. Near the end of its years of service, the hospital began to decline for several reasons. The staff of McKendree tried to have a water well installed on the facility, but they did not succeed. The water pump from the New River was not enough for the hospital's needs causing water shortages. During the 1930's, the American people fell in love with cars. As roads became more common in the area, so did hospitals in easier to access locations. Finally, as the coal camps and towns closed, there was no longer a need for McKendree Hospital.

In 1941, the state of West Virginia came to the conclusion to close the hospital. McKendree Hospital, or Miners Hospital No. 2, was open from December 1, 1901 to September 13, 1941. The hospital became the West Virginia Home for Aged and Infirm Colored Men and Women, in October 1941. In 1954, the Supreme Court Case "Brown versus Board of Education" made segregation illegal in state run facilities. The home closed its doors in 1955 and the building would never open again.

Today, the buildings that were McKendree Hospital no longer exist. Local residents stripped the building of materials. By 1969, the building was completely gone. Homes throughout Fayette County have bricks from the buildings. Only the foundation and steps remain surrounded by the forests of New River Gorge.

“Just before you hit the bridge, you don’t realize there’s a town up there of 25 or 30 houses, coal company, big nice store, a theater and pool room. That was a nice little town, Royal.”

Now nearly totally reclaimed by the surrounding forest, with only stone foundations and walls visible in the undergrowth, the area at the beginning of the Glade Creek Road just below Turkey Spur was once the site of one of New River Gorge's small mining communities. In 1891 James Kay and his brother-in-law James Laing opened and developed the Royal Coal and Coke Company on this south side of the New River. This was the first mining company in Raleigh County.

The first buildings constructed on site were the necessary company buildings and until accommodations were available, some workers commuted from Prince or nearby farms on the Royal side of the river. Eventually 75 houses were built for the miners and each home rented for $5.99 per month, plus an additional charge of $1.00 for coal. The 80 men who began digging on the Fire Creek coal seam were paid 45 cents a ton for the coal that they mined and loaded with a pick and shovel.

The town included a school, church, theater, and pool room. And there was, of course, the ubiquitous company store, managed for many years by T. E. Bibb. The town also had its own physician, a rarity for many coal towns. Only a railroad bridge spanned New River at Royal, and the Woods family operated a ferry boat to transport people, horses, wagons, and supplies across the river.

Each day the Royal Coal and Coke Company mined about 300 tons of coal. The coal was transported from the tops of the mountain to cars on the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railway by means of a lofty cable anchored on the Prince side of the river near Stretchers Neck Tunnel. Thirty-two buckets were spaced along this 2,800 foot aerial tramway. The half-ton weight of loaded buckets going down the slope pulled the empties up the mountain. The miners also rode these buckets to and from work, precipitously swinging high above the tree tops and the New River gorge.

Royal was the first mine in West Virginia to use an aerial tramway to transfer coal. This system, invented by a European engineer, was known as the Bleichert system. Since the Trenton Iron Company manufactured the system and necessary wire cables for the Royal tramway, it became known as the Trenton Bleichert tramway and its output capacity was rated at 80 tons of coal per hour, though it never reached that rate of production. At the coal tipple at Royal screens separated the coal into "lump", "nut" and "slack" sizes.

Royal produced Fire Creek coal continuously from its opening in 1891 until 1928. The mine closed from 1928 to 1936, and operations resumed until the mine closed permanently in 1940.

Mining coal is hard and hazardous work and in 1902 Royal miners participated in the national United Mine Workers of America-sponsored strike. When non-union workers were brought in to replace union miners, snipers from across the New River at Prince fired upon them. In 1903, 142 strikers passed through Royal as they marched from Quinnimont, up Piney Creek, to Atkinsville, near Beckley. Then at Stanaford City, the strikers were drawn into a gun battle in which seven were killed. This battle ended efforts by the United Mine Workers of America to organize the New River field for ten years.

Sandstone Visitor Center was constructed in 2003 to provide knowledge and information, inspiring a personal connection for visitors to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and to our National Park System. The site of the visitor center is an important aspect of its green design. By building on a previously developed site, undeveloped park lands remain as natural areas. In recycling the land for the Sandstone Visitor Center we were also recycling the educational tradition established by the Sandstone School which once stood on this site.

Sandstone School first opened in 1925, teaching students in grades one through nine. From 1928 through 1971 grades ten through twelve were also taught with the first class from Green Sulphur District High School, (the official name for the school) graduating ten students in 1929. Through 1971, over 900 students began their first grade education and graduated high school on this site. From 1971, until its consolidation and closure in 1994, the school returned to teaching elementary education classes.

Sandstone School included a Vocational-Agriculture building annex for vocational education training, a gymnasium for physical education and basketball, and a football field.

Sandstone school alumni, (The Hornets) have a strong loyalty to their old school and regularly hold reunions attended by all classes of former students.

The tradition of learning at Sandstone is just a small part of the diverse cultural history preserved within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

The town Quinnimont received its name from the five mountains surrounding it. Jacob Smith settled the land in 1827 making it the oldest European settled town in the New River Gorge. The fertile land along the New River at the bottom gorge made it excellent for small farming. Over the years, the town grew into a community of subsistence farming living off the land.

Big changes came to the sleepy farming town in 1870. Industry entered the New River Gorge as people discovered the coal mining opportunities. In Quinnimont, industrialization began with the Charter Oak and Iron Company's iron furnace. In 1872, Joseph Beury arrived in Quinnimont and opened his first coal mine in New River Gorge. Only a few years later in 1873, the main line of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad opened. Quinnimont's mine shipped the first load of coal from the New River Gorge in the fall of 1873. Throughout the mining years, Quinnimont remained a major coal shipping town.

At its peak, Quinnimont had a population of over 500 residents. The town had a railroad station with two daily passenger trains. These trains offered commutes to the town of Beckley and the town of Layland near Laurel Creek. Like many towns, Quinnimont had a general store, post office, and hotel. There was also a baseball field for local mining teams, a jail, and railroad boarding houses. In the later years, the town built a roadside park along with a service station and diner. The mine also added a coal loading facility and coal tipple to help with mining operations.

Segregation was an unfortunate reality in the New River Gorge communities. Mining companies used this practice to prevent unionization efforts. They segregated houses between racial and ethnic groups. Welsh and English from Irish, Italians from Polish, and Blacks from Whites. Quinnimont also practiced segregation and had two churches and two schools. White residents used one church and school and black residents used the others. Despite these attempts at segregation in the towns, the mines were not segregated. Miners depended on each other for safety no matter the skin color or background. Breakthroughs against segregation and for unionization were happening in the mines. As one miner said, “We are all black at the end of the day when we come out of that hell hole.”

During the peak of the coal mining industry, there was a coal town every half mile along the gorge. But by the 1950s, most of the mines closed and the people living in the mine towns left. These abandoned towns fell into decay and disappeared into the forest. But Quinninmont lives on as an active community because of its connection to the road and rails.

Today, visitors to Quinnimont will see active CSX railroad switching and holding yards. Remnants of the old town are visible by driving WV-41 through the park. The two segregated churches, now abandoned, still stand on a side road from the main road. The black church is part of the African American Heritage Driving Tour. Also remaining are the ruins of the iron furnace that brought industry to Quinnimont. A tall granite monument stands in a field to commemorate Colonel Joseph Beury.

"Since the previous evening the temperature has dropped. You can feel in it your bones, not to mention the goose pimples scattered throughout your arms and legs. As you heave yourself out of bed your feet hit the cold wooden floor, adding insult to your injury. Your breath creates a frozen vapor as you walk over to the furnace. You realize that you didn't put enough wood in the stove, as you open the furnace and only see the dying red embers. Slowly you put on your boots, jacket, mittens, and walk out into the eerily white darkness of a February West Virginia morning. It's been a long winter. The fruits and vegetables your family canned during autumn have sustained everyone to this point, but how much longer can they last? Deer meat was frequent in November and December, but it's been too cold lately to see any deer. Too much snow; the deer aren't able to forage like they usually do. The firewood pile keeps getting smaller too. At the beginning of the month, you'd figured you had enough to last at least until March. But alas, February is cruel, and a family has to stay warm. You'll fell a couple of locust trees today, and spend the day chopping wood. That is of course after you feed the animals and inspect for any signs of game."

Many people have never experienced the harsh realities of subsistence farming. When the land is harsh and rugged, traditional farming is difficult or impossible. Those that lived on subsistence farming carved out a hard life from rough land.

Early European settlers that came to America often settled on good land near the coasts. Flat or forested land was easier to farm. Only rugged explorers and a few brave settlers travelled to West Virginia. The mountainous terrain was difficult to cross and not suitable for building settlements. After the creation of the United States, its new citizens began moving west. Throughout Westward Expansion, these immigrants and pioneers passed by West Virginia. Its rugged mountains could not compete with the flat crop fields in modern day states like Ohio and Iowa.

The few people who chose to settle in West Virginia became mountaineers. These tough durable people lived off the land using subsistence farming. They grew crops to sustain only themselves on the small amount of farmable land. Farmers also hunted wild animals and gathered local plants. These subsistence farmers never thrived. They lived through droughts, harsh winter, and starvation periods. Some died as victims to the inhospitable land. Those that persevered created farms, towns, and eventually the State of West Virginia.

At New River Gorge National Park and Preserve you have a chance to visit one of these special homesteads. The preserved Trump-Lilly Farm takes visitors back to the days of subsistence farming.

The property title of this building goes back to the early 18th century. Samuel L. Hopkins and Alexander Stuart were probably the earliest land owners of the land. Both of these men were recipients of huge land grants given out during the infancy of the United States. The roots of settlement of the Trump-Lilly Farm began with Peter Davis. Davis bought the land from Alexander Stuart and settled down on the New River between 1810 and 1815. In 1850, Davis sold 150 acres to man named William Richmond.

William Richmond was the patriarch of the Richmond family. Under his leadership the Richmond family began building the town of Richmond Falls. They built a grist mill, established a post office, and opened a general store. The town is now known as Sandstone Falls. In 1888, Richmond gave the tract of land which became the Trump-Lilly Farm to his daughter. Mary E. Richmond married Richard Trump becoming Mary E. Trump. The couple most likely built the first homestead on the farm. Their name is the source of the first part of the farm's name. However, they did not live on the farm for long. In 1905, the Trumps sold the farm.

Between 1905 and 1912, the farm changed hands several times. Finally, in 1912, Aden J. Lilly purchased the property from the New River Land Company. The Lilly family owned the property into the modern era and it is their home and farm that the park preserves.

One county away in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, there were many large farms. Their owners grew enough for their own subsistence and to sell as cash crop. Aden Lilly did not have the luxury of creating a cash crop. Everything grown was for the family's subsistence, for food or for trade. The family harvested timber from the forest to create new crop fields. They used the timber to build structures and heat their homes. They planted apple orchards and rows of vegetables in their garden.

Aden Lilly kept many animals as livestock. The farm raised Poland China hogs, chickens, sheep, and three to four milk cows. The hogs provided pork which the family salted to preserve it for winter. Sheep were invaluable to the family. Selling lambs in the fall provided income for taxes and school supplies. Wool from the rest of the sheep provided clothes for the family and money to buy supplies for the winter. If they couldn't make something they needed, they would travel to the town of Hinton. In Hinton, they traded any excess harvest for sugar, salt, and farm equipment.

Daily life looked very different from life today. Each morning, before breakfast, they would feed the livestock. There was no electricity or refrigeration until the 1940s. Instead of electric heat, a wood burning stove heated the house. Instead of a refrigerator, the family stored store their food in root cellars. The Lilly children entertained themselves with spelling and arithmetic drills. For entertainment, the family owned a Croby battery radio and an organ case piano. The Lilly's also attended regular church devotions.

Although they lived off the land, the Lilly family was not isolated. Their farm was one of many farms around the area. These farmers helped each other when needed. They shared facilities like the cane mill where they made molasses. When it came time to harvest, they helped each other with their harvests.

For over 50 years, the Lilly family operated their subsistence farm. But by the 1960s, life began to change. When Aden Lilly sold the farm to his son Oba in 1963, Oba did not live at the farm. He planted crops, but did not regularly visit the farm. Oba later sold the farm to David Rosenberger who used the property as a vacation rental. In 1989, Rosenberger sold the farm to the National Park Service.

The Trump-Lilly farm is not what it once was. Nature has taken back some of the fields. The house and other structures have weathered over time. The wide open fields of crops no longer remain. The only thing that remains is a glimpse into what the Trump-Lilly Farm was. But that glimpse is an eye opening experience. It peaks into the strife and struggle of the Appalachian subsistence farmers. It reminds us of the farms that once flourished on the early 20th century Sewell Mountain.

To reach Trump Lilly farm, take WV-26/River Road north from just outside Hinton. Continue north approximately fifty yards from the intersection with State Route 20. Take the first left after crossing Madam's Creek Bridge (marked Freezeland Mountain) onto the gravel road. There is a small parking lot at the farm.The rugged unpaved road to the farm will ascend through second growth forest. There are many sharp turns, steep grades, and panoramic views of Hinton and the New River along the road. There are currently no signs for the farm. Visitors should stop by the Sandstone Visitor Center before visiting the Trump-Lilly Farm. Rangers will provide directions and up-to-date road conditions. Please note that the road to Trump Lilly Farm is unpaved, narrow, and steep.Though normally accessible in most vehicles, during wet conditions or after heavy rainfalls it may be only accessable by high clearance or four wheel drive vehicles.

The upstream section of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is a different landscape from the more iconic lower gorge. This is the transition zone of the New from a broad river bordered by wide, flat bottomlands, to a narrow mountain river roaring through its deep, boulder strewn gorge. This section offered early peoples more than a transportation corridor and exposed coal seams; these flat river bottoms provided rich farmlands. American Indian archeological sites are common throughout this area, but it is the heritage of European and African settlers, specifically the Richmond family which lends the name to these lands. This side of the river has traditionally been known as “Richmond’s Bottom” and many direct descendants still live on these lands. This site offers a glimpse into the traditional lifestyle of early settlers in the New River Gorge area before the coming of the railroad, a life of self-sufficiency.

To get to Richmond Hamilton Farm, exit I-64 at exit 139. Take Route 20 south towards Hinton. Follow Route 20 for 10 miles south to Hinton. After reaching a traffic light, turn right on Route 20 and cross the New River. At the other side of the river turn right onto River Road. Richmond Hamilton Farm is located about two miles down River Road on your left. Watch for a break in a stone wall. There is a parking lot and vault toilet at the entrance. You can walk from there to visit two barns, an outbuilding, and the farmhouse.

In 1872, the Prince family opened the Prince Brothers General Store. Also known as the Prince Store, it sold a wide variety of goods to nearby residents. It was one of only a few independent stores to operate in the New River Gorge at that time. When it opened, newspapers said the Prince Store was in a "nearly perfect location". It was close to several coal towns and the C&O Railway main line passed by the store. This access to the railroad let the Prince Store offer fast, efficient supply of goods.

In the nearby coal towns of New River Gorge, the company owned everything. Houses, churches, schools, and even stores belonged to the coal operators. Company stores faced little or no competition and were able to charge premium prices. Miners and their families could only buy a limited stock of goods for steep prices. To make sure miners shopped at the company store, the companies paid miners in "scrip". Scrip was paper or coin vouchers tradable for goods only at the company store. Isolated families paid only in scrip had almost no choice but to shop at the company store.

As an independent store, the Prince Store gave miners a shopping alternative. If they could travel to Prince, these families could buy better quality goods. People from Raleigh, Wyoming, Mercer, and Logan counties all shopped at the store. Food, clothes, furniture, and a large variety of other necessities were available. Many company stores actually ordered goods from the Prince Store. The selection of goods and speedy delivery was too good to pass up. In 1901, the railroad bridge at Prince connected both sides of the river. This brought even more business to the Prince Store. Business was booming as people from all over came to shop and the store prospered.

Other businesses opened around the store. The local post office that served the area for over a hundred years was within the store. When Camp Prince opened, the post office moved to an adjacent building to handle the large amount of mail. After the camp closed, the post office moved back into the store.

The Prince family operated the store until 1937. Its geographical location allowed it to outlast the coal company stores. In 1944, a local named Herman Monk purchased the Prince Store. Herman Monk lived in Thurmond and Beckley before moving to Prince. After taking over ownership of the store, people began calling it "Monk's Store". Monk offered local delivery of products as far away as Backus Mountain. The store continued to prosper into the early 1950s. Monk ran the store until 1975 after which he rented it to other operators. Edna Mae Berry, a local resident, was the last operator of the store.

Over 100 years after it opened, the Prince Store closed its doors for good in 1984. In 1986, the National Park Service added the Prince Brothers General Store to the National Register of Historical Places. Today, the store remains under the management of the National Park Service. While the building is not open to visitors, those that visit Prince can still see the store next to WV-41.

In 1870, in the heart of the New River Gorge, two brothers, William and James Prince, purchased 300 acres of land. This land bought from General Alfred Beckley would become the town of Prince. The Prince brothers arrived in the gorge before the building of the railroad in 1873. They earliest business were the Prince Bothers General Store and a ferry crossing. As the construction of the railroad began, their businesses flourished. The Stretcher's Neck tunnel construction and nearby bridge construction especially provided good business.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad passed through the Prince brothers' land. During its construction, the brothers sold the C&O a right-of-way agreement. This agreement allowed the C&O to pass through their land so long as every train stopped in Prince. The number of trains stopping in Prince brought a wide variety of goods and passengers to the town.

Prince was never a mining town, one of only a few in New River Gorge. No coal company ever owned the town. The Prince family owned all the buildings in town and rented them out to businesses. Prince prospered from its ideal location near the center of the gorge. This made it a prime supplier to mining towns for both people and goods. The Prince Store offered a wide variety of goods to both local residents and mining town stores. People from Fayette and Raleigh counties, including Beckley and Layland, shopped in Prince. More about the Prince Brothers Store

In 1880, the first passenger train depot in New River Gorge opened in Prince. Thousands of passengers used the depot, so many that it required an enlargement in 1891. Whether for business or mining, people were pouring into Prince. The first depot burned down in 1917 but was rebuilt the very same year. A new depot replaced the old one in 1946.

At its height, Prince had a population of 250 residents. It had both an elementary and high school along with a post office, train depot, hotel, and tavern. The town also had two churches. The Prince brothers built their home at the junction of the Piney Creek line and the main line. More about the Prince Depot

Like many towns in New River Gorge, Prince began to decline with the loss of the coal industry. The town is not gone like many mining towns. Today, about 17 people still call Prince home. Amtrak uses the Prince depot as a stop three days a week with over 1,000 passengers a year. Although the Prince Store closed its doors in 1984, visitors can still see the store building along WV-41. Both the railroad bridge and Stretcher's Neck tunnel are still in use by freight and passenger trains every week.

The opening of Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad mainline in 1873 also opened up New River Gorge to the world. Freight trains began carrying coal out of the gorge to cities across the United States. But there was a need for passenger service. Whether for business, new opportunities, or visits, people began to flock to the area. There were few roads and river travel in most of the gorge was dangerous. The only practical way in or out was by train.

The town of Prince was an ideal place to build a passenger depot. Its location near many coal mining towns made it the perfect spot. In 1880, the first passenger depot in New River Gorge opened. The depot was very strategic and efficient for both Fayette and Raleigh counties. Soon other passenger depots opened in Quinnimont and Thurmond. Passenger service was booming with thousands arriving in the gorge. In 1891, the C&O enlarged the depot to manage the large volume of passengers and freight. In 1917, the original Prince depot burned down. It was rebuilt the very same year to continue service in the gorge. As the coal industry began to decline, so did the demand for passenger trains. Prince remained an active station despite the decline. In 1946, the C&O Railway built a new brick station at Prince for $200,000. The unique Art Deco style was unlike many other stations featuring large window walls. On June 26, 1946, the grand opening of the new station had 2,000 people in attendance. A marching band, speeches, and refreshments completed the ceremony.

The Art Deco depot still stands today as an active train station for Amtrak. About 1,200 passengers use the station every year. The Cardinal Line runs every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. Passengers can board at Prince and take a train to Chicago or New York City with many stops between. Although travelers cannot buy tickets at the station anymore, the waiting area is still used.

Lucky visitors that visit when the waiting area is open may spot Chessie in the floor tiles. Created in 1933, Chessie is the kitten mascot of the C&O Railway. She first appeared in a C&O passenger service ad with the slogan "Sleep Like a Kitten". Chessie became the darling of millions of people and is still loved today.

Opened by the Electro Metallurgical Company (EMCO), a division of the Union Carbide Corporation in July of 1947, Camp Brookside provided a residential summer camp to the children of the corporation’s Alloy, WV plant. Boys and girls from ages 5 to 15 attended two week camp sessions on this “Isle of Fun” in the southern section of the New River.

Life at Camp A typical camp day included reveille, calisthenics, raising the flag for the pledge of allegiance, athletic activities, nature study, and evening camp fires. Campers competed to earn patches for their accomplishments like this Honor Camper patch.

Traveling to Camp Many campers took the two hour train ride from Alloy to come to camp. The first railroad station that the town of Brooks ever had was built by the C&O for the Camp’s Inaugural Opening weekend. Summers County welcomed 2,000 EMCO employees and their families for this special event. Then Mayor of Hinton, Paul Carr stated in an interview with the Hinton Daily News on July 4, 1947, “We were extremely gratified when we first learned of the site of the children’s haven, and we are doubly pleased today to note that 2,000 of this company’s employees and their families have gathered here to celebrate the Fourth”.

Camp Culture Brookside is just one of such camps opened by Union Carbide Corporation during this time period. Children of all employees, regardless of rank or pay, were eligible to attend the camp at a cost of just $15 per child.

A letter dated December 29, 1950 from Mr. G. W. Sears, Assistant Superintendent of the South Charleston plant to Mr. John E. Goetz, Cliffside Camp Director states that, “In the industrial camp, the Superintendent’s son may become fast friends with the son of a janitor. This is a basic lesson in democracy and good citizenship.”

Camp Brookside Today The buildings of Camp Brookside have been renovated while maintaining the historic integrity of the old camp. Opened in May 2016, Camp Brookside Environmental Education Center serves today’s youth as a residential youth camp and educational center. For more info about programs and leasing, visit the Camp Brookside Environmental Education Center page.

Diverse populations of birds such as wood warblers, vireos, and thrushes spend part of their lives in the tropics but depend upon the unfragmented forests of the New River Gorge area for breeding. The region is a vital link in the north-south migratory flyway. Each year, thousands of hawks fly across the region during the fall migratory season. The National Park Service and West Virginia Department of Natural Resources have initiated a multi-year program to restore peregrine falcons to New River Gorge. Look for these majestic birds soaring and diving near the cliffs.

Every year many species of birds migrate to, and through, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in search of food and nesting sites. As part of a globally significant forest, New River Gorge offers the food, water, shelter, and space these neo-tropical migrants require for survival. The increasing challenges of habitat loss on their wintering grounds in the tropics, combined with the loss of summer feeding and nesting sites in this country, are causing serious declines in many of our most colorful and elusive species-the wood-warblers. These species depend on the habitat protected within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Check out our bird list and see how many species you can see in the park!

The primary thrust of the natural resource management activities at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is the protection of the water resources. The quality of the surface water resources of the New River has been studied in recent years by both the State of West Virginia and park Resource Management staff. Data from these studies suggest the presence of metals, organic contaminants and influx of raw sewage are common in many tributaries of the New River. Metals contamination, resulting from mining activities and or urban surface flows, are present in most tributaries, with four streams, Wolf Creek, Arbuckle Creek, Dunloup Creek and Piney Creek, showing pronounced values. Other sources of pollutants within park boundaries include unlined landfills, illegal dumps, pesticide sprayed directly into the New River, agricultural runoff, road salt runoff, direct discharge of residential sewage, inadequate municipal sewage treatment facilities, recreation waste streams, and industrial discharges.

Pollution of rural streams by fecal coliform bacteria is a widespread issue. Since fecal coliform bacteria live in the gut of warm-blooded animals, fecal contamination of rural streams can come not only from humans, but also from livestock, pets, and wildlife (including birds). Several research efforts have been made to understand the role of these various potential sources of bacteria. One of these studies was conducted in New River Gorge by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service. The results indicate that human caused wastewater pollution is present in each of the four New River Gorge tributaries sampled. The report also found other sources of contamination in some streams, and noted the need for additional research to bolster the findings and refine the methods.

The gorge supports a wide variety of wildlife and wildlife habitats within its varied corridor. Baseline data on all species present, including rare species information, is being gathered through several cooperative ventures, by both state and university researchers. The critical need for wildlife information relates to the health or condition of wildlife populations. Present studies consist of baseline data inventories, and are not designed to determine more in-depth information, such as presence of disease, threats to habitat, etc. The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) has been reintroduced into the New River Gorge through cooperative efforts with the State of West Virginia and the Peregrine Fund. To date, there are no reproducing individuals. Another critical factor for park management is the lack of a West Virginia State Endangered Species Act. There are numerous state listed rare plants and animals. The park staff work closely with state officials to coordinate voluntary compliance, however, there is no requirement for private individuals or businesses to protect such species or their habitats.

Over time, the New River Gorge has provided a refuge for plants and animals as habitats have shifted with changing weather patterns. As global climate change progresses, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve will provide critical habitat for species displaced from warmer climates. To learn more about the effects of climate change in the park, visit the Effects of Climate Change at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve page.

Most of the original deciduous forest stands and understory species have been impacted by past and current activities associated with timbering, mining, agriculture, transportation, utilities, and the exclusion of fire. Internal developmentprojects, increasing recreational activities, and expanding commercial and residential influences on the boundary continue to put pressure on a highly fragmented base resource. Power lines and rights-of-way present additional problems. There is currently only limited information on all such areas throughout the park. Right-of-ways are routinely maintained with herbicides application or mechanically treated. There are currently no Special Use Permits in place to regulate this activity. Herbicides are managed through the IPM program.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is also an important issue related to wildlife management. The park lies directly in the path of the leading edge of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) infestation. Baseline data on the condition of resources, which would be the indicators of the effects of defoliation, does not exist. Critical documents, such as the Environmental Assessment for gypsy moth management, require detailed information and hard scientific data in order to justify management actions.

Another IPM issue is the spraying of the pesticide Bti in the park to control blackflies (Simulium jenningsi). A 1987 law directed the NPS to allow the state to conduct this spraying, which is a very controversial practice. Due to concerns that the removal of all the black fly larvae will negatively impact the overall function of the river ecosystem, the law also directed the NPS to study the effects of the spraying. In cooperation with researchers from Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University (VPI&SU), a Long-Term Ecological Monitoring System was developed. Preliminary results indicate no short term impacts to the river system. Due to substantial natural variation from year to year in aquatic insect populations of a large river, early results must be described as provisional at best. There are many exotic and pest species within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, Gauley River National Recreation Area and Bluestone National Scenic River including japanese knotweed, kudzu, poison ivy, yellowjackets, japanese honeysuckle, japanese beetles, etc., for which IPM Plans have been developed. These pest species require a variety of control methods and are treated when their numbers exceed a predetermined injury level.

Check out the invasive species pages on this website to learn more about the threats posed by non-native plant and animal species.

From its beginnings in North Carolina, the New River winds its way northward through southern West Virginia. For nearly 320 miles, the river traverses a land of diverse topography and spectacular scenery.

The New River's origins can be traced back to the birth of the Appalachian mountains and an ancient river called the Teays. Late in the Paleozoic Era, 500 million years ago, the North American and African plates collided, buckling and shattering the earth's crust and forcing the Appalachians up towards the sky. The Teays River, with headwaters near present-day Blowing Rock, NC, drained the slopes of the new mountain range. As the Teays River picked up speed and power it began cutting through the roots of the old mountains, all the while maintaining it northerly flow. This action continues today in the spectacular New River Gorge, where in some place the river has cut 1500 feet down through the old Appalachians to create a deep canyon.

Because the New River is so old, its habitats and wildlife have been able to achieve a form of stability. Millions of years of available passage have allowed many species of plants and animals to move in and persist in the area. Since the New River cuts from east to west across the Appalachians, we find species that are typically Atlantic coastal plain and piedmont, such as melic grass, living with northern mountain species. Because time has favored the new River Gorge, certain unique species have been able to carve their own niches here. Several species of fish have evolved that are endemic (found nowhere else) to this river.

Find out more about how the New River carved one of the longest and deepest gorges in the Appalachian Mountains.

Learn about a rare and endangered ecosystem found in only a few small places in the New River Gorge.

Approximately 65 species of mammals are known to occur in the New River Gorge area. Common mammals include groundhog, raccoon, opossum, gray and fox squirrel, chipmunk, and white-tailed deer. Beaver, mink, and an occasional river otter may sometimes be seen along the river. Black bears and bobcats are reclusive and mostly nocturnal. Coyotes and red and gray foxes may also be seen here. The diverse forest and river ecosystems protected at New River Gorge provide critical habitat for a number of threatened and endangered species. The park contains relatively stable and healthy populations of Allegheny woodrats, a species of special concern in West Virginia. The woodrat population in West Virginia may represent the core population for this species in the eastern United States. Due to this species' decline throughout the east, the woodrat populations at New River Gorge are critical from a conservation perspective. Ten species of bats have been documented in the park, including two federally endangered species (Virginia big-eared bat and Indiana bat) and one state rare species (eastern small-footed myotis). Abandoned mine portals throughout the park provide habitat for roosting and hibernating. Protecting these historic mines not only preserves our cultural history, it also protects the critical habitat that bats need to survive.

Map of the campgrounds of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve*. Not shown on the map is Gauley Tailwaters Campground, which is located north of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in Gauley River National Recreation Area. NPS Campgrounds New River Gorge National Park and Preserve offers 8 primitive campgrounds. The nearby Gauley River National Recreation Area also offers one primitive campground, Gauley Tailwaters. Campgrounds have different types of campsites including walk-in campsites for tents only and drive-in campsites for RVs, campers, car camping, and tents. Walk-in campsites require walking a short distance from the parking area to the tent-only campsite. Drive-in campsites have their own parking spot next to a camping pad that can accomodate varying sizes of RVs and campers. Picnic tables, fire rings, and grills are available at campsites.

Camping in a non-designated site or using a walk-in parking lot for RV, camper, or car camping is prohibited. All campgrounds are located on maintained gravel or dirt roads in somewhat remote locations within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Campgrounds will be several miles from gas stations, grocery stores, or other markets. Campers are recommended to bring plenty of drinking water, food, and any other necessities with them. All campgrounds except War Ridge are located on the New River. Easy access to the river for fishing and boating is available. Swimming is strongly discouraged as the New River has powerful currents, rocky banks and shoals, and sudden dropoffs. Anyone near the banks of the New River is recommended to wear an approved personal flotation device such as a life jacket. Stone Cliff Beach Army Camp Grandview Sandbar Glade Creek War Ridge/Backus Mountain Brooklyn Thayer Meadow Creek Gauley Tailwaters

Campground Regulations All designated sites are managed on a first-come, first-served basis . Reservations are not accepted. No more than 2 vehicles permitted per campsite. RVs do not count towards vehicle limits No more than 2 tents or 1 tent and 1 RV/Camper per campsite. RV, camper, and car camping only permitted at drive-in campsites. Tent camping permitted at all campsites. Camp only in designated campsites. Camping in any day use, river access, trailhead, or walk-in campsite parking lot is prohibited. No more than 8 people and 4 pets per campsite Camping limit of no more than a total of 14 days within a 28-day period within any park campground and camping area. Quiet hours are from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. Check-out time is 12:00 PM noon on the day the permit expires Pets must be kept on a leash. Use existing fire rings for campfires. Burn only dead wood found on the ground. Damaging or cutting live trees or branches for firewood is prohibited. Use the provided toilet facilities. Do not drive nails into trees or hang lanterns against trees. Public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and possession of alcohol by minors is prohibited. Alcohol is prohibited at Thayer campground. Littering is prohibited. Dispose of trash in a bear-proof trash can or dumpster. Pack out all trash if there is no available bear-proof trash can or dumpster. Broken glass is a hazard. Use plastic and aluminum containers when possible. Respect all other park visitors including hikers, river users, and other campers.

Group camping is available by permit at Burnwood Campground NPS Group Camping The park a group camping area available for groups of 8 or more people. This site requires a Special Use Permit. For a permit for the group campsite, contact the permits office at 304-465-6531 . Permits require a minimum of 10 business days after the application has been received.

Burnwood Group Campsite Backcountry Camping Areas suitable for camping are located adjacent to trails such as Glade Creek, Brooklyn-Southside Junction, and Stone Cliff trails. Other sites are along the river, accessible by boat. Camping is prohibited within 100 feet of developed trails.For safety purpose, it is recommended to discuss your plans with a ranger before an overnight boating or backpacking trip. Trail maps and river maps are available at park visitor centers. Backcountry Regulations Reservations or permits are not required for backcountry camping Camping is prohibited at Grandview, Brookside Island, day-use areas, and within Bluestone National Scenic River Camping is prohibited within 100 feet of state roads, parking lots, trailheads, boat launch areas, visitor centers, park structures, top or bottom of cliffs, and historic areas. Camp above the high water line of any river, creek, or stream if possible. Use existing campsites and fire rings where provided. Dead, down wood may be used for campfires. Damaging or cutting live trees or branches for firewood is prohibited. Only use hand tools on collected firewood. Trespassing is prohibited on all CSX or RJ Corman property including railroad tracks and roads. Any person within 0.25 miles from a restroom or other toilet facility must dispose of human waste within that facility. Properly dispose of human waste in non-developed areas more than a 0.25 miles from restroom facilities. Human waste may be containerized in an appropriate receptical and carried out or it may be buried. All buried waste must be buried 6 inches deep in organic soil in a location that is not within 200 feet or in sight of any trail, road, parking lot, developed area, campsite, cliff or rock formation, climbing route, climbing area, water source, or high water mark, intermittent or otherwise, of any stream. Littering is prohibited. Pack out all trash and properly dispose of it in a bear-proof trash can or dumpster.

More Information General camping information (weekdays only) - 304-465-0508 Group camping permit application (weekdays only) - 304-465-6531 Camping Regulations - Superintendent's Compedium Nearby Developed Campgrounds - Visit Southern West Virginia , New River Gorge Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Camping is a favorite pasttime at national parks across the United States. Visitors to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve can enjoy primitive camping at one of our 8 primitive campgrounds. Primitive camping areas have no drinking water, no hookups, no electricity, and limited restroom facilities. There are no camping fees at park campgrounds. Reservations are not available; all sites are first-come, first-serve . In busy months, campgrounds fill quickly and it is recommended to have a back-up plan. There are no developed campgrounds in the park. Visitors that need or prefer a developed campgrounds can find options throughout the surrounding area at state parks and private campgrounds.

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve offers 8 primitive campgrounds. The nearby Gauley River National Recreation Area also offers one primitive campground, Gauley Tailwaters. Campgrounds have different types of campsites including walk-in campsites for tents only and drive-in campsites for RVs, campers, car camping, and tents. Walk-in campsites require walking a short distance from the parking area to the tent-only campsite. Drive-in campsites have their own parking spot next to a camping pad that can accomodate varying sizes of RVs and campers. Picnic tables, fire rings, and grills are available at campsites. Camping in a non-designated site or using a walk-in parking lot for RV, camper, or car camping is prohibited.

Information about reserving shelters and group campgrounds and about permits and commercial use authorizations for activities and events

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve provides a variety of different trails throughout the park. Peaceful forest trails, superb overlooks, and historic scenery are all found here. The trails available consist of park service trails that are marked and maintained, trails within lands administered by state parks, and undeveloped trails and abandoned roads. Trails range from 0.25 mile to 7 miles in length one-way. Several can be easily connected to make for longer excursions. Difficulty varies from flat, smooth walking to steep challenging terrain. Trail recommendations and maps are offered at Canyon Rim, Grandview, Sandstone, and Thurmond visitor centers. Much of the land within the national park and preserve authorized boundaries remains private property: please respect the owners' rights.

Use the map or links below to find out more details about the trails available in each hiking area. Hike with a Ranger When you plan your hike at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, consider joining a ranger for a guided hike. The park offers ranger led hikes between Memorial Day and Labor Day. These hikes are available on a variety of trails from the most popular to the hidden gems. Join a ranger to visit old growth forest, rail trails, abandoned mines, or other unique locations. Learn about natural resources, history of the area, how to identify plants and animals, park resource management, and more. For more information, check out the park's calendar of events or ask at a park visitor center.

Trail Etiquette At New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, we protect our park by practicing Leave No Trace . When hiking, please follow our trail etiquette to make the experience enjoyable for yourself and others and to protect your national park. Pack it in, Pack it out. Pocket all your trash, including cigarette butts and candy wrappers, and dispose of it properly. Wildflowers, wildlife, and historic objects all contribute to the beauty we came to see. Leave them undisturbed. Keep pets on a leash at all times. Bicycles are only permitted on designated bike trails. Within a distance of one-quarter of a mile from a restroom or pit toilet facility, human body waste must be appropriately disposed of in such facilities. In non-developed areas more than a quarter of a mile from restroom facilities, human body waste must either be containerized and carried out or it must be buried at a depth of 6 inches in organic soil and at a location not frequented by the public. Human waste may not be buried within 200 feet or in sight of any trail, road, parking lot, developed area, campsite, cliff or rock formation, climbing route or climbing area, water source or the high water mark of any stream, whether intermittent or not. Courtesy and common sense on the trail can help provide an enjoyable experience for all. Respect the rights of others.

Where to Hike With over 40 trails to choose from, it can be hard to pick a hike. Start here to learn which trails are best for what you want to see and do on your hike.

Closure Advisory : Some trails and areas may be unavailable due to closures. Check for updates on the website or at a visitor center before hiking.

Parking Advisory : Many trailhead parking lots are small. Parking lots for popular trails may fill up quickly. Always have a back-up hike just in case. Hikes to Overlooks and Views Endless Wall Trail (2.2 - 2.6 miles) Grandview Rim Trail (3.2 miles) Long Point Trail (3.2 miles) Hikes with Waterfalls Big Branch Trail (2.0 miles) Butcher Branch Trail (1.6 miles) Glade Creek Trail (2 miles to waterfall) Kates Falls Trail (0.4 miles, accessed via Glade Creek Trail ) Kaymoor Trail (0.2 miles to waterfall from Wolf Creek Trailhead) Hikes to Historic Sites and Ruins Brooklyn Mine Trail (5.4 miles) Headhouse Trail (1.4 miles) Kaymoor Trail (4.0 miles to mine site) Kaymoor Miner's Trail (2.0 miles) Rend Trail (6.8 miles) - access to Church Loop Trail (0.1 miles) Southside Trail (14 miles) Old Growth Forest Hikes Burnwood Trail (1.2 miles) Stone Cliff Trail (5.4 miles) Short Easy Hikes (1 - 2 Miles Roundtrip) Big Buck Trail (0.9 miles) Burnwood Trail (1.2 miles) Island Loop Trail (0.5 miles) Park Loop Trail (1.1 miles) Timber Ridge Trail (1.0 miles) Woodland Loop Trail (0.6 miles) Long Day Hikes (6+ Miles Roundtrip) Fayetteville Trail (8 miles) Glade Creek Trail (11.2 miles) Kaymoor Trail (17.2 miles) Southside Trail (14 miles)

Map of the hiking areas of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Click on the area name to find out more information about the trails of the that area.

Trails range from 0.25 mile to 7 miles in length one-way. Several can be easily connected to make for longer excursions. Difficulty varies from flat, smooth walking to steep challenging terrain. Trail recommendations and maps are offered at Canyon Rim, Grandview, Sandstone, and Thurmond visitor centers. Much of the land within the national park and preserve authorized boundaries remains private property: please respect the owners' rights. Use the map or links below to find out more details about the trails available in each hiking area.

There are several excellent trails in the south end of the park, just a short drive from Sandstone Visitor Center.

Trails in the Fayetteville area provide access to some of the most spectacular overlooks in the park.

There are several easy to moderate hiking trails, many utilizing old roads and railroad grades, in the Thurmond area.

Trails at Nuttallburg allow visitors to explore the remains of an old coal mining town.