Breathtaking scenery, unforgettable rafting, and spectacular hiking will fill postcards from the Trail. The cultural diversity and history of the Trail make letters and e-mail home absolute keepers as a current explanation of our American heritage.
When you’ve done this Trail you’ll pound your chest and say, ”I understand what made this country great!” The Midland Trail Has All Six Intrinsic Qualities Right On The BywayI Scenic n
Wooded mountains, farmland in broad valleys, t
waterfalls, and the New River Gorge. r Cultural i
Appalachian music, arts, crafts, and drama; African- n American history and heritage; coal-camp mining; s and an authentic sternwheeler. Includes WV Cultural
Center at Capitol Complex, Carnegie Hall, Mountain i c Stage Musical Productions, and the WV State Fair.
Historic Inns, the world-renowned Greenbrier Hotel, old Q churches, historic music and arts hall, Hawks Nest
Tunnel, Veterans Memorial, a Cold War-Era u government personnel nuclear bunker, and the State a Capitol. Museums for African-American heritage,
railroads, Greenbrier County, war history, and Fayette l County history and a one-room schoolhouse. i t Recreational i
Whitewater rafting, hiking, biking, rock-climbing, e camping, fishing, canoeing, hunting, kayaking, and s Ansted’s Annual Street Luge Competition. Three championship golf courses at Greenbrier and oldest golf course in U.S. (plays with 19th-Century rules and equipment). Several parks and forests. 77-mile Greenbrier Bike Trail. Natural Eight rivers, rock formations, waterfalls, West Virginia hills, Archaeology Paleo-Indian Period, Archaic Period, Woodland Period, and late pre-European contact Period. Hunting tools such as projectile points. Burial mounds and earthworks. Petroglyphs.
4.5 Intrinsic Quality Sites List 1 of 2 MTSHA has identified several intrinsic qualities found along the 200-mile Midland Trail / US Route 60 State and National Scenic Byway. The Trail’s intrinsic qualities identification is necessary to successfully complete our Corridor Management and Signage Plans. These qualities fall under six categories (R)ecreational, (S)cenic, (N)atural, (H)istorcal, (C)ultural and (A)rcheological. We are seeking public input regarding these qualities. Please review our intrinsic qualities list
and let us know if you have any suggestions on the comment form below. I n WAYNE COUNTY PUTNAM COUNTY RS Coonskin Park
RS Shawnee Park t Kenova: Hurricane: RS Cato Park RSH Dreamland Pool R Valley Wave Pool RS Kanawha River r
RS Virginia Point Park HC Main Street Gallery RS Haddad Riverfront Park i
HC Kenova Museum HC Museum in the Community RS Coonskin Park n H The Pumpkin House HC Caboose Museum HC Clay Center
Ceredo: C Quilts by Phyllis HC WV Cultural Center s HC Ceredo Historical Society Museum SHCA History Row Native American RHC Vandalia Gathering HC Ceredo-Kenova Railroad Museum Petroglyph C Mountain Stage i H Ramsdell House H Plantation Corner SHC WV State Capitol c HC Re-enactment of the Battle of Scary SH Veteran’s Memorial
CABELL COUNTY Creek & the Skirmish of Hurricane H Holly Grove Mansion Q Creek Bridge HC Craik-Patton House Huntington: Winfield: HC Ruffner Log Cabin RSH Camden Park RHC Mary Ingles Encampment H S Spring Hill Cemetery RS Harris Riverfront Park Belle: u RS Beech Fork State Park KANAWHA COUNTY HC Old Stone House a RS Ritter Park and Rose Garden HC Reynolds House C Dupont Chemical Plant HC Huntington Museum of Art St. Albans: l
HC Museum of Radio Technology RS St. Albans Roadside Park Port Amherst: i
HC Heritage Farm Museum RSHC Historic Sidewalk Tours C Railroad Yards t HC Old Central City Antiques SHC Morgan’s Plantation Kitchen Malden: HC Marshall University HC St. Mark’s Episcopal Church HC African Zion Baptist Church i HC Classic Cars Automotive Museum HCA Native American Archeological Site HC Malden Salt Village e C Inco Alloys Plant H Turner-Callihan House HC Cabin Creeks Quilts s Barboursville: Dunbar: HC Malden Antiques
RS Barboursville Community Park HC Wine Cellars HC Booker T. Washington’s Cabin
HC Toll House South Charleston: HC John Hale House R RSHC Historical Tour of 30 Buildings RS Little Creek Park HC Norton-Patton House Milton: R Ice Skating HC Richard E. Putney House e C The Cedar House B&B RH Rock Lake HC Kanawha Salines Presbyterian
C Morris Convalescent Home RSC SC Community Center H Ruffner Cemetery c HC Yesterday’s Memories RSHCA SC Mound C Dickinson’s Salt-Works
HC Blenko Glass HCA SC Library Museum Cedar Grove: a SH Restored Covered Bridge C Dow Chemical HC Virginia’s Chapel
HC Union Baptist Church Charleston: HC William Tomkins House p RS Daniel Boone Park Cannelton: RCH Sternwheel Regatta C Coal Tipple and Storage The Midland Trail Intrinsic Qualities Page 2 of 2 R Blue Smoke Salsa RSHC WV State Fair Glasgow: HC Hawks Nest Tunnel and Hydro-electric HC North House Museum R City Park Power Facility HC Old Stone Church and Cemetery R Roadside Park H Springdale Cemetery RSHC Andrew Lewis Park RS Boat Launch HC Battle of Lewisburg Re-enactment I H Memorial Gardens HC Great Oak Bed and Breakfast n London: RSN Lost World Caverns
Fayetteville – Gateway U.S.19 South: t RS Kanawha Falls RSN New River Rafting C Greenbrier Valley Theatre RS Public Park RSN The New River Gorge r
C London S New River Gorge Bridge i
H Memorial Gardens RS New River Gorge National River n Visitors Center Caldwell area:
FAYETTE COUNTY C Court Street Gallery RS Trailhead for Greenbrier River Trail s HC Morris Harvey House R Roadside park w/ picnic Boomer: RSN Greenbrier River i HC Coal Camp Town Eastern Fayette County: RS Greenbrier River Bike Trail c Alloy: RSH Babcock State Park RS Canoeing and River Access C Elkem Metals RSHC George Washington Carver Park White Sulphur Springs Area: Glen Ferris: SH Lee’s Tavern- Peak of Sewell Mountain RH Oakhurst Golf Course Q SRN Kanawha Falls Clifftop: RSHC The Greenbrier Resort RSH Glen Ferris Inn RSHC String Band Festival HC The Bunker at the Greenbrier Gauley Bridge: RSHC Babcock State Park RS Greenbrier State Forest u RSC Elkem’s Hydroelectric Dam Facility Lookout: R Federal Fish Hatchery RS Gauley Bridge HC Lookout Baptist Church HC Battle of Dry Creek 1862 Re-enactment a RSN Cathedral Falls H Jeannette Cemetery SHR Monongahela National Forest RSN Kanawha Falls HC James Wylie House l
Winona: i HC Gauley Bridge Historical Society HC Garvey House HC Lillian’s Bed & Breakfast t Museum RS Gauley Bridge Teepees GREENBRIER COUNTY Nearby: i HC Hawks Nest Tunnel Ronceverte : e HC Hawks Nest Museum Rainelle: RSN Organ Cave SR New River Campground RS Meadow Bridge Roadside Camp HC Organ Cave Civil War Day s
Ansted: R Greenbrier Hills Golf
RSNH Ansted-Hawks Nest Rail Trail Rupert: Summersville - Gateway U.S.19 North: R RSNH Hawks Nest State Park R Picnicking RSN Gauley River Rafting, Mountain Biking, RS Fishing, Tram, Golf Western Greenbrier County: Hiking, Camping, Fishing, Hunting, SN Hawks Nest Overlook SN Sewell Mountain western slope’s vista Rock Climbing, Llama Trekking e R Annual Street Luge RSC Summersville Dam c SH Hern’s Mill Covered Bridge RSH Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park
HC African-American Heritage Family Sam Black Church: HC Historic Brock House B&B a Tree Museum HC Sam Black Methodist Church
RS The Mystery Hole Lewisburg: p HC Contentment House Historical HRC Downtown Historic District Complex HC General Lewis Historic Inn HC Halfway House HC Carnegie Hall
Archaeological
Wayne A 1. Ceredo: Petroglyph 4.5 Putnam County r 2. Hurricane: History Row Native American Petroglyph c
Kanawha County h 3. St. Albans: Native American Site
4. South Charleston: Adena Indian Mound a e o l o g i c a l
PUTNAM KANAWHA 1 2 CABELL 3 4 WAYNE
FAYETTE GREENBRIER ArchaeologyAlong The Midland Trail 4.6A
Listen closely, and you will hear the echoes of the past. The footfalls of hooves. The creaks r of wagon wheels. Feet marching in cadence to the drumbeat of war. Steam whistles and chugs c of locomotives.
Pre-Euro-American Contact h Long before the coming of Euro-Americans to the order to adapt to the changing environment, native
area now known as West Virginia, native people people began to hunt smaller game such as the a traveled the route today called the Midland Trail. white-tailed deer. They still lived in mobile bands, They traveled to trade with other nations and make hunting and gathering to survive. war. Sometimes groups of native people migrated e along the trail to find a new home. One of the oldest stratified archaeological sites in
eastern North America is located along the o The route stretched from central Virginia in the Midland Trail at St. Albans. The site was used by East, to the Ohio River where it met other trails hunter-gatherer groups from what archaeologists leading to the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River, call the Archaic Period, approximately 8000 to 6000 l and the Northeast. Artifacts from these distant o regions have been found at archaeological sites along the Midland Trail. The Trail has also been g called the Kanawha or Buffalo Trail. At Lewisburg, the Midland Trail crossed the north-south running
Seneca Trail. This trail is now U.S. 219. y Archaeologists know that these trails were used by native people as early as 1000 B.C.
The Paleo-Indian Period (10,500 B.C. to 8000 B.C.) Native people have traveled and lived in West Virginia for over 10,000 years. The earliest known inhabitants were the Paleo-Indians. Paleo-Indians were mobile hunter-gatherer people who followed big game animals like the wooly mammoth and mastodon. They hunted their prey with fluted projectile points on the end of long spears. Several fluted points made by Paleo-Indians have been found along the Midland Trail.
The Archaic Period (8000 B.C. to 1000 B.C.) Around 8000 B.C. the climate in North America changed and most of the large animals that native people depended upon for food became extinct. In B.C. Each occupation was later flooded, sealing it Virginia Archaeological Society. They were able to until the next occupation. As a result, the date the remains of a log tomb at the base of the archaeological deposits left by these early hunter- mound at 175 B.C. This date indicates that the gatherers were separated by sterile zones of river mound was built after the high point of Adena 4.7 sand, allowing each occupation to be dated and culture in the Ohio Valley. Most of the mounds from building a chronological sequence for the Archaic the complex had both typical Adena and Hopewell Period in the Kanawha Valley. Several new types of items and projectile points. In the Ohio Valley, the projectile points from the Early Archaic Period were Hopewell culture followed the Adena in time. This named for the St Albans site. The Kessell Side suggests that the mound complex was built and Notched point was named for Sam Kessell, who used over several hundred years. discovered the St. Albans site.
The Woodland Period (1000 B.C. to A.D. 1000) Sometime after 1000 B.C., the Kanawha Valley was home to Woodland peoples who buried their dead in earthen mounds. These people are sometimes known as the Moundbuilders and also as Adena and Hopewell. Between South Charleston and Institute, the Kanawha Valley was covered by a large complex of up to fifty earthen burial mounds, earthworks, and enclosures. The mound complex was called “The Ancient City of Kanawha” by Cyrus Thomas, who directed excavations of hundreds of mounds and earthworks in the Ohio Valley. The excavations were conducted by the Smithsonian’s Bureau of Ethnology in the 1880s and were published in Report on the Mound Explorations of the Bureau of Ethnology in 1894. The map below shows the locations of the mounds and earthworks that were still intact in the 1880s. Unfortunately, only a handful of the mounds and none of the earthworks remain today.
The Creel Mound in South Charleston and the Shawnee Reservation Mound in Institute are two of the mounds excavated by the Smithsonian that remain from the complex that once covered several miles on both sides of the Kanawha River. Artifacts from the mounds are at the Smithsonian Museum Support Center in Suitland, Maryland.
One of the mounds excavated by the Smithsonian was later excavated by members of the West Late Pre-Contact History (A.D. 1000 to 1650) Around A.D. 1000 the native people living along Because the villages in the Kanawha Valley were the Midland Trail began to grow corn, beans, and not occupied when the first settlers arrived, no one 4.8 squash and to construct circular villages along the has been able to identify the native people who Kanawha River. Several village sites have been lived there. found from this time that allow us to know how these people lived. Along the Midland Trail villages Several Eastern Indian tribes had a presence in the were located at Mt. Carbon, in Fayette County and Kanawha Valley. The Cherokee at one time claimed Marmet in Kanawha County. the land south of the Kanawha River as part of their territory. The Shawnee traveled the Midland Trail In the Cabell County town of Salt Rock, and established a village at the mouth of the approximately 10 miles south of the Midland Trail, Kanawha River in the 1700s. Siouan speaking a group of Native Americans lived in a village at a people such as the Tutelo, Saponi, and Monacans site called Gue Farm. A short distance from the migrated from the Ohio Valley into Virginia some village are two large stones with engravings called time before A.D. 1600. However, to this day, no one petroglyphs. The Salt Rock petroglyphs are some has been able to establish a link between these of the best preserved examples of rock art in West Indian nations and the villages on the Midland Trail. Virginia. The engravings on the stones are of animals and people. One engraving shows a full- length human figure with a “Weeping Eye” mask. A marine shell mask with the “Weeping Eye’ design was also found at Gue Farm, which allows archaeologists to be certain that the stones are associated with the nearby village. The village is thought to have been occupied sometime between A.D. 1550 and 1650.
Native Americans lived along the Midland Trail until some time after European contact, which is around A.D. 1540 in the Southeast. European trade items such as glass beads and copper and brass ornaments have been found at Marmet, in Kanawha County, that were traded into the area from the Southeast. However, when the first Europeans arrived in the Kanawha Valley, the villages had been abandoned. No one knows exactly why, but there were probably several factors. The Iroquois Nations had raided villages on the Ohio River and into Virginia. Pressures from the Iroquois as well as encroaching European settlement in Virginia might have forced the native people to leave the valley. Other factors might have been disease and depletion of local resources.
Historical Wayne 18. Ansted: African-American Heritage Family Tree Museum, Contentment H 1. Kenova: Dreamland Pool, Kenova Historical Commission Museum, House Historical Complex, and Halfway House and Pumpkin House 19. Lookout: Lookout Baptist Church and Camp George Washington Carver 4.9 2. Ceredo: Ceredo Historical Society Museum, Ceredo-Kenova Winona: Garvey House Railroad Museum, The Ramsdell House, and Camden Park 20.Lee’s Tavern and Peak of Sewell Mountain i Amusement Park s Greenbrier County Cabell 21. Western Greenbrier County: Hern’s Mill Covered Bridge and Sam Black t 3. Huntington: Museum of Radio Technology, Heritage Farm Methodist Church o Museum and Village, Old Central City, Marshall University, and 22. Lewisburg: North House Museum, Old Stone Presbyterian Church and Classic Cars Automotive Museum Cemetery, Andrew Lewis Park, The General Lewis, Battle of Lewisburg
4. Barboursville: Toll House and Historical Walking Tour of Thirty Reenactment, Historic Walking Tour of Sixty-plus 18th and19th Century r Buildings buildings, and 1785 Tavern 5. Milton: Morris Convalescent Nursing Home and Restored 23. Caldwell: Old Stone Manse Bed and Breakfast i Covered Bridge Nearby: Ronceverte: Organ Cave Civil War Day c 6. Union Baptist Church 24. White Sulphur Springs: Oakhurst Golf, The Greenbrier Resort and Bunker, Battle of Dry Creek Reenactment, James Wylie House and Lillian’s a Putnam Bed and Breakfast
7. Hurricane: History Row Caboose Museum, Plantation Corner and l Murals depicting Civil War and Railroad History, Reenactment of the Battle of Scary Creek, and Skirmish of Hurricane Creek Bridge 8.Nearby: Winfield: Mary Ingles Encampment
Kanawha 9. St. Albans: Historic Walking Tour, Morgan’s Plantation Kitchen, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and Turner-Callihan House, and Navigating the Kanawha Through History 10. South Charleston: South Charleston Museum LaBelle Theater 11. Dunbar- Institute Loop: WV State University, Booker T. Washington Institute at WV State University, and East Hall at WV State University, Wine Cellar Park 12. Charleston: Downtown Buildings, East End Historical District, PUTNAM Shrewsbury Street and African-American Historical Sites, WV State 4 6 Capitol Complex, Holly Grove Mansion, Craik-Patton House and 1 2 3 5 8 KANAWHA CABELL 7 Ruffner Log Cabin 9 10 11 13. Malden, Belle: Malden Historic District: African Zion Baptist WAYNE 12 14 Church, Malden Salt Village, Malden Antiques, Booker T. 13 15 Washington’s Cabin, John Hale House, Norton-Patton House, 16 Richard E. Putney House, and Kanawha Salines Presbyterian Church, 17 18 and Old Stone House and Reynolds House 19 14. Cedar Grove: Virginia’s Chapel and William Tompkins House FAYETTE 20 21 GREENBRIER Fayette County 22 15. Glen Ferris: Glen Ferris Inn 23 16. Gauley Bridge: Gauley Bridge Historical Society Museum 24 17. Ansted: Hawks Nest Museum H Along The Midland Trail 4.10 Historical Qualities
“Twenty-one Centuries of exploration, conquest, American industrial history.” i s Listen closely, and you will hear the echoes of the past. The footfalls of hooves. The
creaks of wagon wheels. Feet marching in cadence to the drumbeat of war. Steam t whistles and chugs of locomotives.
Remnants of the Underground Railroad can be o discovered in Ceredo, which is situated on the western edge of the Midland Trail. Massachusetts
Congressman Eli Thayer traveled through r southern states for the sole purpose of choosing land for a new city, one in which he and other i
abolitionists would live, work, become leaders, c and join nearby northern states in the fight against slavery. In 1857, he chose a tract of land in the fertile Ohio River Valley and named the new town a Ceredo, after Ceres, Goddess of Grain and Harvest. l
The stately red brick, Ramsdell House (circa 1857), believed to be a part of the Underground Railroad, has been restored by the Ceredo Historical Landmark Commission and is now on the National Historic Register.
Eight miles east, in nearby Barboursville, a historical walking tour of over thirty buildings along Main and Central Avenues allows visitors to get a feeling for the “old.” One building, Toll House (circa 1837) is a log cabin now on Main Street, but originally located near the junction of the Mud and Guyandotte Rivers, the point where a ferryman collected tolls.
History Row, in the center of Hurricane, provides a glimpse of the past, and includes the “Caboose Museum,” which exhibits railroad memorabilia and other historical artifacts. 4.11 ee tt uu oo RR
dd nn aa LL -- dd ii MM George Washington’s George originally George Washington along what is surveyed the area the Midland now known as He envisioned a Mid- Trail. the Route crossing Land He that day. America of secured funding for it in the Virginia Assembly in 1785. vision came to Washington’s pass and the road was completed to Cedar Grove in 60 Route U.S. 1790. Today, reaches across the nation from Hampton, Virginia to Los Angeles, California.
George Washington Oversees The Surveying of The Midland Trail several buildings. The William Putney House (circa Heading east on the Trail, the next stop of historic 1836) is now a private law office. Hale House (circa interest is St. Albans. Morgan’s Plantation Kitchen, 1848), once the home of located on the scenic riverfront, is a good example physician/entrepreneur/politician John Hale, 4.12 of a detached kitchen typical of the 1840s. houses Cabin Creek Quilts Cooperative. Norton Originally part of Morgan’s Plantation, near the House (circa 1840) is the oldest frame house in present John Amos Power Plant, Union soldiers Malden. During the Civil War, soldiers for the were served meals in the Kitchen during the Battle North and South slept here. Kanawha Salines of Scary Creek, the area’s first significant battle of Presbyterian Church (circa 1840) was organized in the Civil War. 1819 by the Ruffner family. The Ruffner Family Private Cemetery is just west of Malden. In town, the St. Albans Main Street Historic District, dates back to 1816 and is listed on the National Malden is also an important site for African- Register. The tour begins with St. Marks Episcopal American history. Malden was the boyhood home Church (circa 1847), occupied by Federal troops of educator Booker T. Washington. After college, and their horses during the Civil War, and ends with he returned to Malden and traveled the new state the Turner/Callihan House (circa 1832), a one-and- of West Virginia to advocate moving the capital a-half story Gothic Revival. from Wheeling to Charleston. The African Zion Baptist Church (circa 1872, formed 1850s), where Further down the Trail, in WV’s capitol city of Charleston, the gold-domed West Virginia State Capitol (completed 1932) is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful capitol buildings in the Union. The majestic Italianate Rotunda contains marble from Vermont, Tennessee, and Italy; and a 2-ton chandelier crafted with Czechoslovakian crystal. Eminent master architect Cass Gilbert, designed this stone and marble wonder, as well as Washington, DC’s Treasury and Supreme Court Buildings.
At nearby Daniel Boone Park, James Craik, whose grandfather was George Washington’s friend and personal physician, built Craik-Patton House in 1834. Colonel George Patton, grandfather of the famous WWII general, later owned it. A replica of the early home of an earlier Ruffner, salt-maker David Ruffner, is also located on the property.
A few miles from Daniel Boone Park is the historic town of Malden. Early salt-makers made the Malden-Belle area home. Several historic homes still stand, including Samuel Shrewsbury’s Old Stone House (circa 1810) in Belle. The Malden Historic District has been successful in preserving Washington taught Sunday school, is West Virginia’s oldest African-American Baptist church. In neighboring Ansted, historical landmarks A salt village prototype was constructed behind the include Halfway House, a former tavern on the African Zion Baptist Church in 1998 and includes a Kanawha Turnpike and headquarters of the replica of Booker T. Washington’s boyhood cabin. Chicago Dragoons during the Civil War; the African 4.13 -American Heritage Family-Tree Museum, which Other towns, such as nearby Cedar Grove, are also helps Afro-Americans trace their roots; and of historical significance. The oldest settled Contentment Historical Complex, an 1830 home community in the Kanawha Valley, Cedar Grove that houses a museum and the headquarters of the played a significant role in the development of the Fayette County Historical Society. Midland Trail. The town’s first resident, Walter Kelly settled here in 1773, but sent his family to In an absolute engineering feat, more than three Lewisburg for protection against Native raids; the thousand men drilled through Gauley Mountain in Natives killed Kelly after his family departed. The the 1930s. They diverted part of the New River next year, William Morris built Fort Morris, the through a conduit into four turbines that currently Valley’s first settlement. As the Trail evolved, Cedar generates 25 megawatts of electricity to power the Grove became a terminus for land travel and a Elkem Metals facility at Alloy. beginning point for water traffic. Morris’ descendants amassed a fortune building flatboats However, it was also one of the worst industrial for westward-moving pioneers and for Malden’s disasters in the United States. The salt trade downriver. The Boat Yards, as the town project claimed the lives of more than 476 workers, was first known, also constructed the dugouts for many of them migrant African- Americans from the Lewis and Clark’s historic expedition. Famous South who died from the lung disease silicosis. resident William Tompkins was the first man in America to use natural gas for industrial purposes, Several additional sites are of historic interest. but is best known for his two brick beauties. On the Near the western slope peak of Big Sewell Trail is Virginia’s Chapel, the Little Brick Church Mountain is the 1824 Old Stone House (or Tyree which he built in 1853 as a graduation gift for his Tavern) and on the eastern slope is Lee’s Tree daughter. A small graveyard is also located on the where General Lee camped during the Battle of Big property. The chapel is on the National Register of Sewell and met his beloved warhorse, Traveller. Historic Places. At the mouth of Kelly’s Creek is Tompkins’ palatial brick house, built in 1844. Western Greenbrier’s historical sites include Sam Black Methodist Church and Hern’s Mill Covered Glen Ferris is located at the scenic Kanawha Falls, Bridge. Reverend Sam Black (1813-1899) was a and is home to the Glenn Ferris Inn, which has a Methodist circuit rider for nearly fifty years. The tradition of hospitality since Aaron Stockton first church, built in 1901, was dedicated to Black. The opened its doors to stagecoach travelers in 1839. community also bears his name. Stockton, the grandson of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was a salt entrepreneur and gentlemen farmer who built flatboats that carried those traveling west on the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers and beyond. The Inn served as a Union quartermaster’s depot during the Civil War and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Lewisburg’s area and its people also played a part Chartered in 1782 by the Virginia Assembly, in the Revolutionary War. Colonel Andrew Lewis Lewisburg is one of the oldest towns in West was directed by Virginia’s Governor Dunmore to Virginia. The town’s old section is a National gather forces to fight Native Americans Register Historic District. whom had been raiding settlements. 4.14 1490 men mustered in the Lewisburg A walking tour shows many structures listed on the area before traveling to Point Pleasant to National Register of Historic Places. Lewis Spring battle Chief Cornstalk’s Shawnees. What House, in what is now Andrew Lewis Park, is a became known as the Battle of Point limestone structure that covers the spring that Pleasant is thought by many historians to supplied water to the early settlement. be the first battle of the Revolutionary War. Old Stone Presbyterian Church, (circa 1796) is the oldest church in continuous use west of the Alleghenies. John A. North House (circa 1820) is now a museum and home of the Greenbrier Historical Society.
White Sulphur Springs is home to the world famous four-star Greenbrier Resort. The Greenbrier has also served our country, first as an army hospital during the 1940s. In 1960, a top- secret relocation center was built under the hotel for members of the United States Congress, in the event of a nuclear strike on Washington, DC. The location of the 12,000-square foot “Greenbrier Bunker” was made public in 1992 and is now available for public tours.
C The Midland Trail (U.S. Route 60) follows, nearly 4.15 Civilidentically, a routeWar used bySites the opposing armies in 3. Putnam County: The last weekend in March the Civil War. It became strategically important as annually, over 300 reenactors commemorate the i an east-west gateway into Ohio and Virginia when, Skirmish at Hurricane Bridge and the Battle of v during four years of bloody conflict, North and Scary Creek, with everything from battle South sought dominance in the region. maneuvers to a Civil War Ball. i 4. St. Albans: St. Mark’s Episcopal Church -Used l In 1861 this area was strongly Confederate in by Union Troops during the Civil War. Morgan’s sympathy. In the spring of 1861, recruitment and Plantation Kitchen, also located on W training camps were established at present-day St. the scenic riverfront, is a good Albans, Charleston, and Gauley Bridge. This example of a detached kitchen a Southern military activity brought an “invasion” of typical of the 1840s. Originally part the Kanawha Valley by Union troops in July 1861. of Morgan’s Plantation, near the present John Amos Power Plant, r
Approximately 3500 troops in the Kanawha Valley Union soldiers were served meals
withdrew in advance of the Union Army, in the Kitchen during the Battle of S establishing camps near Lewisburg and White Scary Creek, the area’s first Sulphur Springs. During their retreat, the significant battle of the Civil War. Confederates set fire to the span at Gauley Bridge. 5. Charleston: Craik-Patton House- i An original stone pier from the bridge stands today Built in 1834 and later purchased by t
as a silent reminder of those four long years when George S. Patton, a prominent e America divided against itself. Charleston lawyer and colonel in
the Confederate Army. George S. s Traveling West to East on the Trail Patton III, his grandson, was a famous World War II general. 1. Huntington: During the first weekend of 6. Cedar Grove - Virginia’s Chapel November the Reenactment of the Battle of and Slave Cemetery, the historic Guyandotte takes place. “Little Brick Church,” built in 1853, 2. Milton: Union Baptist Church - Located at 1295 served as a Confederate hospital James River and Kanawha Turnpike in Milton. and a stable for Union Cavalry. During the Civil War, the church was occupied by After the war, the federal Union Troops, the 7th West Virginia Calvary who used the facility as a garrison to protect the one lane covered bridge that crossed the Mud River, just below the church. This covered bridge was a vital link in the James River and Kanawha Turnpike. By the war’s end, the troops had completely gutted the church. As the nation healed, so did the congregation. By 1867 the sanctuary had been restored and regular services were resumed. A Historical Marker acknowledges the role of the Union Church in West Virginia’s colorful history. government paid $700 for war damages. The used by General Lee as his headquarters during the 4.16 slave cemetery is behind the church. Sewell Mountain campaign. It was added to the 7. Glen Ferris: The Glen Ferris Inn - Constructed in National Register of Historic Places in 1992. 1815, the inn was used as a Union Army 14. Lewisburg: The Visitor Center, in the heart of headquarters and supply depot in 1861. It was town, offers information about the many points of added to the National Register of Historic Places in interest closely associated with the Civil War, as 1991. well as Appalachian history from pioneer days to 8. Camp Tompkins: Many well-known people, the present. including future presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley of the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, served at this large Union army campsite from 1861-1864. 9. Chimney Corner – This sharp and sudden switchback in the road was known as “Devil’s Elbow” and was the scene of fighting on September 3, 1861. 10. Ansted: Numerous military skirmishes took place at Hawks Nest in 1861 and 1862. 11. Ansted: The main structure of the Contentment Historic Complex was built in 1830 and was the post-war home of Confederate Colonel George W. Imboden, commander of the 18th Virginia Cavalry. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is open for tours daily June through September. 12. Ansted: The mother of “Stonewall” Jackson, the legendary Confederate general who was a native of West Virginia, is buried at West Lake Cemetery. 13. Sewell Mountain Area: General Lee camped at Lee’s Tree, on the eastern slope, during the Sewell Mountain campaign in September and October of 1861; here he first saw his famous horse, Traveller. At the eastern foot of the mountain, the gently rolling plains held a number of military encampments, and several skirmishes occurred in the area. 13. Lee’s Headquarters – Known in decades past as “Grandview,” this house, constructed in 1840, was
Scenic
Wayne S 1. Kenova: Virginia Point Park and Juncture of Big Sandy and 4.17 Ohio Rivers c Cabell
2. Huntington: Harris Riverfront Park, Guyandotte Riverfront e Park, and View of Ohio River along Byway n
Kanawha 3. St. Albans: Views of Kanawha River from Roadside Parks i c 4. Views of Kanawha River at the Capitol and along Kanawha Boulevard 5. Views of Kanawha River and Mountains at pull-offs in Upper Kanawha Valley
Fayette 6. View of nine-plus roadside waterfalls at Kanawha Falls, Glen Ferris and Gauley Bridge 7. Merging of New and Gauley Rivers 8. Scenic Overlook on Gauley Mountain into the New River Gorge 9. Hawks Nest Overlook and New River Gorge 10. Big Sewell Mountain Overlook Greenbrier 11. Big Sewell Mountain Eastern Slope PUTNAM 12. Greenbrier Valley-Big Levels KANAWHA 13. Greenbrier River at U.S. 60 and Camp Shaw-Mi-Del-Eca 1 2 CABELL 3 4 (direct access to Greenbrier Bike Trail and River) WAYNE 5 6 7 9 8 FAYETTE 10 11 GREENBRIER 12 13 Along The Midland Trail 4.18 Scenic Qualities “Twenty-one Centuries of exploration, conquest, American industrial history.”
Listen closely, and you will hear the echoes of the past. The footfalls of hooves. The creaks of wagon wheels. Feet marching in cadence to the drumbeat of war. Steam whistles and chugs of locomotives. Scenic qualities involve the heightened visual experience derived from the view of natural and/or man made elements of the visual environment of the Byway corridor. The characteristics of the landscape are strikingly distinct and offer a pleasing and most memorable visual experience. All elements of the landscape ---- landform, water, vegetation, and man made development ---- may contribute to the quality of these corridor’s visual environment. Everything present is in harmony and shares in the intrinsic qualities.
We Have It All! - Scenic vistas, rolling pastures, mountain cliffs, waterfalls, fishing streams, idyllic forests and woods…. Beautiful Virginia Point Park in Kenova is situated at 4.19 the western-most point of the Midland Trail and is located at the confluence of the Big Sandy and Ohio Rivers. The park’s scenic qualities are enhanced by its recreational facilities; soccer fields, softball field, camping hook-ups, and gazebo/shelter.
Huntington is a beautifully designed city situated on the banks of the Ohio River. It began as the dream of railroad magnate, Collis P. Huntington during the industrial revolution. Huntington needed a town to serve as a terminus between the East Coast and Midwest rail lines and the city was born. Fabulous scenic views of the Ohio River can be found at Harris Riverfront Park.
Route 60 hugs the Kanawha River through St. Albans offering beautiful scenic views, especially at St. Albans Roadside Park, which offers a playground, picnic facilities, and a boat ramp.
Charleston, the western bookend of the National Scenic Byway portion of the Trail, began with thirteen houses and a fort, and became West Virginia’s largest city, its state capital, and a capital for arts, industry, shopping, and entertainment. The mountains close around the Kanawha River in 4.20 the Kanawha Valley, making for postcard-like scenery at the West Virginia State Capitol.
Route 60 continues to follow the scenic Kanawha River Valley through the small communities of eastern Kanawha County.
The heart of the Trail’s eye-popping scenic vistas begins in Fayette County. Numerous roadside falls dot the highway, including Kanawha Falls in Glen Ferris and Cathedral Falls, between Gauley Bridge and Ansted.
The New and Gauley Rivers merge at Gauley Bridge to create the Kanawha River, which flows to the State Capitol and eventually into the Ohio River.
The town of Ansted is perched in a fold atop Gauley Mountain. Hawks Nest State Park, which is inside the town limits, sprawls over the top of the mountain and down to the base of the New River Gorge. Visitors can experience waterfalls, moss- covered rocks and a peaceful forest setting on the spectacular Ansted-Hawks Nest Rail Trail, which follows the old coal train path between the bottom of the New River Gorge to the hilltop town of 4.21 Ansted. The Hawks Nest Overlook offers a breathtaking overlook of the “Grand Canyon of the East,” the New River Gorge.
East of Hico, the Midland Trail curves through some of the most beautiful scenery in our country as it crosses the highest point on the Trail – Big Sewell Mountain at 3170 feet. The road from Lookout to Winona now extends to the New River and travels through a beautiful, pristine forest. Babcock State Park in Clifftop is also remarkable for its scenic and natural qualities. Two varieties of rhododendron and other wildflowers provide a colorful display on the hillsides in spring through early summer.
Rugged mountains in the west and savannah-like farms in the east mark the dramatic topography of Greenbrier County. The town of Rainelle strides the two areas.
Scenic views are plentiful, as are opportunities to enjoy the natural qualities of the area. Creeks, such as Big and Little Clear Creeks, rolling pasture land, limestone topography, and flowing streams dictate the scenic qualities in this area.
Cultural Wayne Greenbrier 4.22C 1. Kenova Historical Commission Museum and Ceredo 11. Sam Black: Sam Black Methodist Church
Historical Society Museum 12. Lewisburg: Carnegie Hall, WV State Fair, Battle of Lewisburg Re- u enactment and Organ Cave Civil War Days, and American Heritage
Cabell Music Hall l 2. Huntington: Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center, 13. White Sulphur Springs: The Greenbrier Hotel and Bunker and t
Museum of Radio Technology, Marshall University, Heritage Battle of Dry Creek Reenactment u Farm Museum and Village, Classic Cars Automotive Museum,
Huntington Museum of Art, and Old Central City Antiques r
3. Milton: Blenko Glass a
Putnam l 4. Hurricane/Winfield: Quilts By Phyllis, Civil War Weekend (Reenactment of the Battle of Scary Creek and Skirmish of Hurricane Creek Bridge), and Mary Ingles Encampment
Kanawha 5. South Charleston: Rock Lake Pool and South Charleston Museum 6. Charleston: Clay Center for the Arts and Science WV, WV Cultural Center, Vandalia Gathering, Mountain Stage, Craik- Patton House, and Ruffner Log Cabin 7. Malden: Malden Historic District and Cabin Creek Quilts 8. Belle: Old Stone House PUTNAM 3 2 KANAWHA 1 4 Fayette CABELL 5 6 WAYNE 7 9. Ansted: African-American Family Tree Museum, 8 Contentment House Historical Complex, and Halfway House 9 10 10. Clifftop: Midland Trail Gallery, Camp George Washington FAYETTE Carver, and the West Virginia String Band Festival. 11 GREENBRIER Nearby: Court Street Gallery and Tamarack 12 13 Along The Midland Trail 4.23 Cultural Qualities “ Twenty-One Centuries of exploration, conquest, American industrial history.”
Listen closely, and you will hear the echoes of the past. The footfalls of hooves. The creaks of wagon wheels. Feet marching in cadence to the drumbeat of war. Steam whistles and chugs of locomotives. Cultural qualities include evidence and expressions of customs or traditions of a distinct group of people; cultural features including, but not limited to, crafts, music, dance, rituals, festivals, speech, food, special events, vernacular architecture, etc., that are currently practiced. The cultural qualities of the corridor could highlight one or more significant communities and/or ethnic traditions.
The Kenova Historical Museum Commission houses an extensive collection by native companies Pilgrim and Kemple. A large railroad steam engine outside the Museum acknowledges the town’s rich railroad history.
History and culture are also important to Huntington. The Museum of Radio and Technology is the largest radio museum in the United States and also exhibits hundreds of telegraph items, early televisions, and computers. The Heritage Farm Museum and Village recreates and preserves Appalachian heritage and culture with its more than seventeen restored buildings.
Marshall University’s beautiful campus lies between 16th and 22nd Streets and Third and Fifth Avenues. More than 150-years old, the university’s twelve colleges and schools educate about 16,000 students. Marshall also hosts numerous art exhibits, concerts, lectures, and other cultural events. The Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center seats 530 people. Art lovers will appreciate the nationally acclaimed Americans and her later escape. In March, Valley 4.24 Huntington Museum of Art, which features 19th Park hosts the Civil War Reenactment Weekend. and 20th Century American and European art and Over 300 reenactors commemorate the Skirmish at artifacts. The complex includes ten exhibition Hurricane Creek Bridge and the Battle of Scary galleries and a sculpture garden. Creek with everything from battle maneuvers to a Civil War Ball. Central City (1839-1909) began as an independent manufacturing town, just west of Huntington, but In addition to history, Charleston celebrates the was annexed by Huntington in 1909. Its early present. The Clay Center for the Arts and industries included Heiner’s Bakery, today a leading Sciences of West Virginia opened in 2003. Its national bakery. Now known as Old Central City, 240,000 square feet houses the Maier Foundation the 14th Street West antique district, makes both Performance Hall, an 1883 seat theater; the Walker history and Appalachian culture available to the Theater, a 150-200 person black-box theater; the public. Avampto Discovery Museum; the Juliet Museum of Art; and the ElectricSky Theater, which contains Milton is also home of world-famous Blenko Glass. a Planetarium and a 70-mm large-format film William Blenko, the London-born founder, imported theater. The Center is also home to the West the European mouth blown process to Milton in Virginia Symphony 1921. Blenko Glass allows visitors to watch as Orchestra. skilled craftsmen transform molten glass into its final form using a 1000 year-old tradition of hand blowing. The Blenko Visitor Center offers an observation deck, beautiful museum exhibits of stained glass, and gift shop. Also, see Blenko stained glass windows throughout the sanctuary of Milton Baptist Church.
Murals depicting the community’s rich Civil War and railroading history are found on various downtown buildings. Hurricane’s restored homes house residences and shops, for example, Plantation Corner, which is housed in a Federal Style house built in 1885. Culture and history are alive in other ways. Quilts by Phyllis, offers quilting fabrics, services, and classes, which allows this important domestic skill to passed to a new generation
Individuals can take part in Living History by walking the Mary Ingles Trail near Winfield and by talking to actors portraying colonists from 1757 who tell the story of Mary Ingles’ capture by Native The West Virginia Cultural Center, opened in 1976, which helps Afro-Americans trace their roots; and houses the State Museum and State Archives. Contentment Historical Complex, an 1830 home 4.25 Located on the grounds of the Capitol Complex, it which houses a museum and the headquarters of also hosts fairs, festivals, and exhibits. The the Fayette County Historical Society. Vandalia Gathering, held each Memorial Day Weekend, is a three-day festival celebrating Like many other places on the Trail, Camp traditional arts and folk heritage. Multifest is Washington Carver is relevant to dual intrinsic another three-day festival held in early August to qualities, history and culture. Although the 4-H celebrate the music, food, and culture of the many movement was popular with youth in rural ethnic groups found in West Virginia. American in the late 1920s, there was no The Cultural Center is home to West Virginia Public camp for African Broadcasting’s Mountain Stage, a two-hour radio show featuring stylistically diverse national and international acts. Most shows are taped before a live audience in the Cultural Center Theater and then broadcast around the world.
Early salt-makers made the Malden-Belle area home. Several historic homes still stand, including Samuel Shrewsbury’s Old Stone House (circa 1810) in Belle. The Malden Historic District has been successful in preserving several buildings. The William Putney House (circa 1836) is now a private law office. Hale House (circa 1848), once the home of physician/entrepreneur/politician John Hale, houses Cabin Creek Quilts Cooperative. Norton House (circa 1840) is the oldest frame house in Malden. During the Civil War, soldiers for the North and South slept here. Recent renovations include murals painted by Remy Cabrera showing the history of the house and town. Kanawha Salines Presbyterian Church (circa 1840) was organized in 1819 by the Ruffner family. The Ruffner Family Private Cemetery is just west of Malden.
In the Ansted-Hawks Nest area, historical/cultural landmarks include Halfway House, a former tavern on the Kanawha Turnpike and headquarters of the Chicago Dragoons during the Civil War; the African-American Heritage Family-Tree Museum, Americans. Two black extension workers hired by Greenbrier County’s rich history blends with West Virginia University began lobbying for such a culture, for example the area’s Civil War 4.26 camp. The site was dedicated in 1942 and was Reenactments and the Greenbrier’s unique culture named for two prominent African Americans, of hospitality. Lewisburg’s galleries and live Booker T. Washington and George Washington theater helped to distinguish the town as one of the Carver. 100 best small art towns in America. Carnegie Hall, built in 1902 as a gift from Andrew Carnegie, In 1980, the camp was placed on the National is one such venue. Register of Historic Places and was rededicated as West Virginia’s mountain cultural arts center. It The West Virginia State Fairgrounds and American draws over 10,000 visitors annually to events such Heritage Music Hall are located in Fairlea. The as the five-day long West Virginia String Band West Virginia State Fair is held every year in Festival. August, but the grounds are also the site of additional festivals and activities. The American Western Greenbrier’s historical sites include Sam Heritage Music Hall promotes American heritage Black Methodist Church and Hern’s Mill Covered music with open jam sessions and live Bridge. Reverend Sam Black (1813-1899) was a entertainment. Methodist circuit rider for nearly fifty years. The church, built in 1901, was dedicated to Black. The community also bears his name.
West Virginian’s geographic position led to divided loyalties and unique battles during the Civil War. Greenbrier celebrates several living history events. The Battle of Lewisburg (May 1862) is commemorated in May with speakers, period music, and battle reenactments.
Greenbrier State Forest, near White Sulphur Springs, hosts a weekend reenactment of the Battle of Dry Creek (August 1863). The weekend includes maneuvers, an actual battle reenactment, and settlement camps.
Ronceverte’s Organ Cave celebrates its Civil War history in late July-early August. The large entrance room of the cave provided shelter for many Confederate soldiers. It was large enough to hold religious services for 1100 of General Robert E. Lee’s men. The cave also was an important source of saltpeter, a necessary ingredient in gunpowder. GREENBRIER 4.27 20 Recreational 21 19 18 FAYETTE 17 16 15 14 13 12 KANAWHA 11 10 8 9 7 PUTNAM 6 Organ Cave 5 4 Meadow River Park/Greenbrier Youth Camp and Youth River Park/Greenbrier Meadow CABELL Picnicking Picnicking 3 onceverte: 2 WAYNE White Sulphur Springs: Fish and Federal Greenbrier State Forest Rainelle: Rupert: Caverns World picnic and Lost with Park Roadside Lewisburg of Town and River Access near Canoeing, Trail, Greenbrier River Bike 1 21. Nearby: R Greenbrier 17. 18. 19. 20. Hatchery, Oakhurst, and The Greenbrier Resort and Bunker and The Greenbrier Resort Oakhurst, Hatchery, Greenbrier Hills Golf Greenbrier Caldwell ront Park, and ront Park, own of Ansted/Annual Street ark, Haddad River F ront Park, Ritter Park, Ritter Park, ront Park, ark , park naturalist and golf), Ansted- ublic P Rock Lake Putt-Putt Golf and Games, Little Golf and Games, Putt-Putt Rock Lake eepees and New River Campground Shawnee Park (golf and day use) and Wine (golf and day use) and Shawnee Park rail, Main Street T Daniel Boone P Harris River F St. Albans Roadside Park (playground, picnic, day (playground, St. Albans Roadside Park ondon P Valley Wave Pool and Skate Park and Skate Pool Wave Valley The Mystery Hole, Hawks Nest State Park Amenities Park The Mystery Hole, Hawks Nest State Babcock State Park, Fishing, Climbing, Whitewater Climbing, Fishing, Babcock State Park, L Virginia Point Park and Dreamland Park and Dreamland Park Virginia Point Whitewater Rafting, Canoeing, Kayaking, Mountain Kayaking, Canoeing, Whitewater Rafting, Coonskin Park and Cato Park Coonskin Park ark, South Charleston Community Center, and South ark, South Charleston Community Center, , Horseback Riding, Hiking, and Biking Hiking, , Horseback Riding,
ondon: Clifftop: Hico: Gauley Bridge T Ansted: Glasgow City Park/ Roadside Park and Boat Launch Roadside Park Glasgow City Park/ L Charleston: Huntington: Camden Park Camden Kenova:
Institute Loop: South Charleston: St. Albans: Hurricane: Barboursville Community Park and Main Street Park Park Barboursville Community utnam 16. Hawks Nest Rail T 15. Camping and Rock Climbing Biking, Rafting Fayette 13. 14. (jet boats, aerial tram, hiking Competition, and Blue Smoke Salsa Luge 11. 12. Creek P Charleston Memorial Ice Arena, Nearby: 10. 8. Cellar Park 9. Magic Island 5. Recreation Park Water Camping and 6. Foxfire Kanawha 7. use, and boat ramp) P and Rose Garden 4. 2. Cabell 3. Recreational Wayne 1.
Along The Midland Trail 4.28 Recreational Qualities “Twenty-One Centuries of exploration, conquest, American industrial history.”
Listen closely, and you will hear the echoes of the past. The footfalls of hooves. The creaks of wagon wheels. Feet marching in cadence to the drumbeat of war. Steam whistles and chugs of locomotives. The Midland Trail offers diverse recreational activities, many dependent upon the area’s natural elements. Others depend on cultural elements synonymous to the people of the Midland Trail. Past residents are typical of those in the Appalachians whose geographic isolation was the true mother of invention. The very elements of nature, which today brings visitors to the Midland Trail, kept earlier residents in the area. Even now, residents often choose to build in their own backyard, rather than travel to others, thus enhancing a non-resident’s visit to the Trail.
Also, recognizing the diversity of its visitors, the Trail includes opportunities for both active and passive recreational experiences; driving the road itself or visiting on a quiet bench in a town’s park may qualify as a pleasurable recreational experience.
Kenova’s Virginia Point Park, situated at the western-most point of West Virginia, is located at the confluence of the Big Sandy and Ohio Rivers. The park’s scenic qualities are enhanced by its recreational facilities; soccer fields, softball field, camping hook-ups, and gazebo/shelter.
Historic Dreamland Pool, built in 1927, provides additional recreational opportunities. While visitors can no longer enjoy the open-air dance pavilion, orchestras, and entertainers that attracted large crowds in the 1940s, the facility continues to afford a good time with its pool, tennis courts, and basketball courts. Camden Park (1903), West Virginia’s only Places. The park is enjoyable for picnics, family amusement park, is just west of Huntington. The gatherings, and fishing in its well-stocked 7-acre park offers 24 rides, including Kiddieland, old-time lake. wooden roller coasters, and a log flume. Although South Charleston is an active city of 4.29 Along with scenic views provided by the Ohio commerce and industry, its residents and visitors River, Huntington offers many recreational enjoy nature and recreation in a variety of settings. opportunities. Harris Riverfront Park, an ideal Trails such as the Trace Fork Canyon Trail in Little setting for family outings, picnics and walks, also Creek Park provide an island of wilderness in an offers festivals, carnivals, and concerts. urban environment. Birders can identify eight species of wood warblers. In winter, kinglets, pine On the south side of town, adults and children siskin, and other winter birds find shelter in the enjoy unwinding at the 70-acre Ritter Park with hemlocks. The trail boasts 240 species of plants, tennis courts, a fabulous playground, jogging trails, five species of salamanders, two species of toads, and room to play. In late spring, enjoy the parks and numerous mammals. Little Creek Park also accredited Rose Garden. Beech Fork State Park has West Virginia’s only lighted Soap Box Derby and Lake offers another nearby recreational Track, which hosts several races and events spring opportunity. through autumn.
The 536-acre Barboursville Community Park offers Always resourceful, West Virginians take many recreational activities including fishing, golf, advantage of opportunities to recycle. Rock Lake hiking, horseshoes, and tennis. The park hosts a Putt-Putt Golf and Games offers fun for the young July 4th celebration and the West Virginia Soccer and young at heart with three 18-hole courses, go- Tournament. A new amphitheater will be used for plays and concerts. Like parks in towns across America, Barboursville’s Main Street Park, provides a place for townspeople and visitors to relax and socialize.
In Putnam County, Waves of Fun Water Park in Hurricane’s Valley Park and a Skate Park in Hurricane City Park are evidence of recreational activities found in the county as a result of growth.
The first of public green spaces in Kanawha County is found at St. Albans Roadside Park, where Route 60 hugs the Kanawha River, offering a place to enjoy a scenic view, a playground, picnic facilities, and a boat ramp for activities on the Kanawha River.
Dunbar boasts several parks, including Wine Cellar Park, listed on the National Register of Historic cart racings, arcade games, and Laser Storm on the facilities, and fishing available. Other water site of the former Rock Lake Pool, which was activities, such as boating, skiing, and tubing are popular on this healthy river. converted from a rock quarry in the 1930s. 4.30 Since residents and visitors are unable to enjoy East of Charleston is Glasgow, a small residential outdoor activities year-round due to weather, the community of nearly 1000. It is primarily situated city of South Charleston built the South Charleston on the Midland Trail. The town provides residents Community Center, which houses a 25-meter and visitors a city park and pool for summer indoor swimming pool, two racquetball courts, recreation, as well as a boat dock and launch for basketball courts, tanning beds, and a health club. river activities. Similarly, the community of The gym has seating for 1500 and is open daily. London has a public park.
The City of Charleston also maintains several city Recognizing that many travelers along the Midland parks. Haddad Riverfront Park is located in Trail prefer the “great outdoors,” the New River downtown Charleston. The renovated levee has Campground in Gauley Bridge offers both full docking available, as well as a 2500-seat hookups or rustic sites. Gauley Bridge Teepees amphitheater. Nearby, at the confluence of the Elk allows guests the opportunity to camp in an and Kanawha Rivers, is Magic Island. Magic authentic handcrafted tepee. Island’s walking track, sand volleyball courts, and large grassy areas, are a quick walk from the The Ansted-Hawks Nest area boasts many downtown area. recreational opportunities. While not designated a natural orifice, The Mystery Hole is a renowned, Cato Park, on the city’s West Side, is Charleston’s fun, roadside attraction two miles west of Hawks largest city park. It maintains a 9-hole golf course, Nest. The Mystery Hole allegedly sits over a hole tennis courts, Olympic-size pool, and picnic areas. in the ground where the law of gravity does not apply. Coonskin Park is part of Kanawha County Parks and Recreation Commission. Located just 10- Hawks Nest State Park is one of West Virginia’s minutes north of downtown, its over 1000 acres are most popular state parks with its lodge, pool, golf, perfect for many activities. The outdoor hiking trails, park naturalist, aerial tram, and jet enthusiast will enjoy hiking or biking woodland boats. Fifteen-passenger jet boats leave its marina trails. Others may choose from a newly opened for a closer look at the Hawks Nest Dam and 7500 square foot skateboard park, miniature golf, Tunnel, and the New River Gorge Bridge 876 feet pedal boats, playground, Olympic-size pool, tennis above. The Park’s aerial tram inches down the courts, volleyball courts, and a handicapped Gorge to the Marina. accessible 18-hole par three golf course. Coonskin recently added the Schoenbaum Ansted’s recently created 2.5 mile Ansted-Hawks Amphitheater and the Schoenbaum Soccer Stadium.
Although the Kanawha River is one of the nation’s busiest commercial waterways, there are ample opportunities for public access for recreational use. Daniel Boone Park, just east of the Capitol Complex, has a public access boat launch, picnic Nest Rail Trail retraces the rail path used to convey the visitor spectacular vistas and recreational coal from the mines around the town of Ansted to opportunities. Recently designated the New River larger tracks at the bottom of the New River Gorge. Gorge National Park, the area is a mecca for rafting, The trail is unique in that hikers and bikers can rock climbing, biking, hiking, and camping. The access the bottom by using the Gorge Tram from New River is home to the best whitewater rafting 4.31 Hawks Nest Lodge. Bike racks are being installed on the East Coast, while whitewater rafters on the gondola to encourage round trips. Along consider the Gauley one of the best rafting rivers in the way, visitors see the entrance to Mill Creek the world. Colliery Mine, rebuilt bridges, and beautiful unspoiled foliage, cliffs, and streams. Babcock State Park is also located in Fayette County and although known for the picturesque Many ethnic groups have contributed to the Trail’s Glade Creek Grist Mill, it is a haven of rugged, culture. Food is, and was, important. Watching serene beauty for lovers of the outdoors. There nationally known Blue Smoke Salsa being made in are over twenty miles of hiking and climbing trails, its downtown manufacturing facility is a newly guided horseback rides, bike rentals, fishing, and a popular activity. Ansted’s Annual Street Luge park naturalist. Vacationers may choose between Competition takes advantage of the town’s unique cabins or camping topography and appeals to the more adventurous. Rolling pasture land, limestone topography, and Rugged mountains in the west and savannah-like flowing streams dictate the scenic, natural, and farms in the east mark the dramatic topography of recreational qualities of Greenbrier County. The Greenbrier County. Scenic views are plentiful, as Greenbrier River Trail, part of West Virginia’s Rails are recreational opportunities to enjoy the area’s to Trails program, is a 76-mile hiking and biking natural qualities. Creeks, such as Big and Little trail running along the Greenbrier River from Clear Creeks, and Meadow Creek are stocked for Caldwell to Cass. It provides access to the river for fishing. The Meadow River Wildlife Management fishing, canoeing, cross-country skiing, hiking, and Area consists of 2374 acres of primarily wetland biking. Roadside picnic areas, such as habitat with in-season hunting for waterfowl, Lewisburg’s Roadside Park, offer sites to relax. woodcock, deer, raccoon, turkey grouse, and squirrel. Spelunkers enjoy the below ground recreational activities at Ronceverte’s Organ Cave and The Meadow River Park/Greenbrier Youth Camp, a Lewisburg’s Lost World Caverns, both Registered renovation project of the MTSHA, is located Natural Landmarks. Organ Cave is the second between Rainelle and Rupert, and is open for public largest commercial cave on the East Coast, with camping. Greenbrier Hills Golf is a 9-hole public over 40 miles of mapped passageways. Lost course located on Route 60. Picnic sites can be World Caverns is a cave approximately 11⁄4 mile in found at various areas along the trail, for example length and reaches a depth of 235 feet below the in Rupert. natural entrance.
The recreational “mother lode” is found in Eastern Fayette County. South of Hico are the recreational offerings of the New River Gorge National River.
One of the oldest rivers in the world and one of the few one earth that flows north, the New River offers Greenbrier State Forest, near White Sulphur Springs, offers hiking, picnic facilities, rustic cabins, swimming, hunting, camping, and scenic overlooks on its 5130 acres. White Sulphur Springs is home 4.32 to a visitors center for the 800,000-acre Monongahela National Forest, as well as Sherwood Lake, a 164-acre lake offering boating, swimming, fishing, picnic facilities, and camping.
Visitors at the federal fish hatchery in White Sulphur Springs can take a self-guided tour of the facility which produces 10 million trout eggs annually for shipment to other hatcheries.
White Sulphur Springs also offers more refined recreational opportunities. One of the United States’ most famous resorts, The Greenbrier, offers more than fifty activities. They include golf, tennis, lawn games, horseback riding, falconry, hiking, biking, kayaking, rafting, gun sports, fishing, and swimming.
Oakhurst Links, established in 1884 by a Scottish family, was the first established golf club in the United States. Visitors today can golf the original course using replica equipment. Oakhurst Links is a fitting conclusion to the Midland Trail’s recreational activities, as it ties together the important natural and cultural aspects of recreational qualities. GREENBRIER 4.33 12 Natural 14 13 11 10 9 FAYETTE 8 7 6 5 4 KANAWHA 3 PUTNAM CABELL 2 WAYNE 1
Greenbrier River Greenbrier State Forest Organ Cave (nearby) Meadow Creek/Meadow River Wildlife Management Area Meadow Creek/Meadow River Wildlife Caverns World Lost Babcock State Park Roadside waterfalls and rock formations Roadside waterfalls Gauley Mountain Gauley Mountain Big Sewell Mountain Kanawha River Kanawha Ohio River Big Sandy and Ohio Rivers Big Sandy
. New River Gorge . New and Gauley Rivers merge to form Great Kanawha . New and Gauley 77 55 12. 13. 14. Greenbrier 10. 11. 6. 8. 9. Fayette 4. Kanawha 3. Cabell 2. Wayne 1. Natural
Along The Midland Trail 4.34 Natural Qualities “Twenty-One Centuries of exploration, conquest, American industrial history.”
Listen closely, and you will hear the echoes of the past. The footfalls of hooves. The creaks of wagon wheels. Feet marching in cadence to the drumbeat of war. Steam whistles and chugs of locomotives. The Midland Trail offers nature in an undisturbed state: geological and land formations; bodies of water; flora, fauna, and forests; and wildlife, all which predate human residents. Humans abound today, but the Trail’s natural features reveal minimal disturbances.
Major rivers and their tributaries are an integral aspect of the Midland Trail’s natural qualities. Wayne and Cabell Counties are blessed with the Ohio, Big Sandy, and Guyandotte Rivers.
The Kanawha River cuts through Kanawha County and divides/defines communities along its way: St. Albans, Nitro, Dunbar, South Charleston, Charleston, Malden/Belle, Cedar Grove, Glasgow, and London.
While the river is important, these communities are also blessed with additional natural qualities. Little Creek Park, in South Charleston, is comprised of over 300 acres of scenic, hilly woodlands and is home to abundant wildlife in its urban setting. Kanawha County’s Coonskin Park, borders the Elk River and is a similar oasis of nature, with over 1000 acres of woodlands.
Even in the highly industrialized area of Alloy, travelers encounter natural beauty. The Kanawha River’s headwaters cascade over Kanawha Falls. In the Glen Ferris and Gauley Bridge areas are at least seven waterfalls, the most well known of these being Cathedral Falls. 4.35 Further east is Fayette County. Gauley Mountain, Gauley River, and the New River and its famous Gorge are the anchors to this county. While the area is known as a naturalist’s delight, the New River Gorge is called 'the Grand Canyon of the East.” The Gorge is protected by nature’s design - steep, rugged mountains that act to ensure its beauty over the ages, but which can be appreciated from the overlook at Hawks Nest State Park.
Nearby, Babcock State Park is also a haven of rugged, serene beauty. Two varieties of rhododendron and other wildflowers provide a colorful display on the hillsides in spring through early summer.
Fayette County claims the western slope and summit of Big Sewell Mountain, while Greenbrier County begins near its eastern base. Early explorers followed buffalo trails through forests. The area’s prickly green briers gave way to the county’s name when early explored encountered them.
Rugged mountains in the west and savannah-like farms in the east mark the dramatic topography of Greenbrier County. The Trail’s western most county boasts many natural qualities, such as Big and Little Clear Creeks, and Meadow Creek. The Meadow River Wildlife Management Area consists 4.36 of 2374 acres of primarily wetland habitat, West Virginia’s second largest wetland.
The Greenbrier River Trail, part of West Virginia’s Rails to Trails program, is a 76-mile trail that runs parallel to the Greenbrier River.
Ronceverte’s Organ Cave and Lewisburg’s Lost World Caverns are both Registered Natural Landmarks. These natural underground caverns celebrate life underground in a way the State’s coalmines cannot. Organ Cave has over 40 miles of mapped passageways. Lost World Caverns is a cave approximately 11⁄4 mile in length and reaches a depth of 235 feet below its natural entrance.
Greenbrier State Forest, near White Sulphur Springs, offers visitors 5130 acres. White Sulphur Springs is home to a visitors center for the 800,000- acre Monongahela National Forest; fitting conclusions to the Midland Trail’s natural qualities.