We were in the area of the New River Gorge National Park for our weeklong vacation.  We wanted to see everything that the area had to offer.  We had a list of things that we definitely wanted to see.  But we also had a list of places that would be ‘nice’ to see if we were able to work it into our week. The Sandstone Waterfalls were one of the items on the it would be nice to visit list. 
Sandstone Falls
Sandstone Falls is the largest waterfall in the New River Gorge National Park.  It has a drop of about 15-20 feet.  This waterfall spans the width of the New River, a width of 1500 feet and is divided by some islands.  Located in the southern region of the New River Gorge National Park, Sandstone Falls would be easily to overlook.  Many people associate the New River Gorge National Park with the New River Gorge Bridge and that would be an apt description.  However, this National park offers so much more.  There is hiking, abandoned towns, history and multiple waterfalls.  The park is spread out over quite a few miles making some of the points of interest quite a distance away.  The drive from the New River Gorge Bridge to Sandstone Falls took about an hour.  It was a drive through gorgeous mountains and the last portion of the drive will take you along the edge of the New River.  There are some places to pull off and take in the view of the river. We did this and as always the power of the New River blew our minds.  One could just sit on the edge of the river and let the rumbling sounds of the rushing water soothe all worries.  

The parking lot at Sandstone Falls is adequate and we had no difficulty finding a parking spot.   We could hear the rumble of the falls and we were ready to get our first glimpse of natures glory.  So we headed off to the trailhead.  This trail is actually a boardwalk that will carry you across channels and over islands to various overlooks.   It is a super easy hike and just what we needed after the awesome but intense hike down and back up Kaymoor Miners Trail to the abandoned coal mine. The boardwalk is handicap accessible and is only a quarter of a mile long, making it something that can be completed and enjoyed by anyone with any skill level. The level boardwalk was recently redone and was awesome!    Periodically along the boardwalk path there were larger areas that offered vantage points where we could stop and see various areas of the Sandstone Waterfalls.  We stopped at each area and took in the beauty.  It is awe inspiring and we allowed the nature to wash over us at each overlook.  

​Along the boardwalk there are steps down onto the islands so that a visitor can actually access the waters edge.  Of course we went to the rivers edge.  We did not get into the water, but there have been multiple accidents here at the falls over the years, so use precaution.   One of the areas that allow you to step off of the boardwalk is the Island Loop Trail.  

Island Loop Trail
I would highly recommend this trail if you are in the area.  This trail will take you on journey around one of the island at the Sandstone Falls.  This one half mile  trail is level,  there will be little to no inclines.  There will be some rocky areas, but they are easily navigable.  What you will get in return is close up view of the river and a walk through an island that once had a grist mill and was farmed.  Sadly, we could see no evidence of that history and instead you can see how nature is reclaiming the island.  It was still an amazing hike because of that abundant nature.   The beavers were doing their job quite well as we saw quite a bit of evidence of their hard work and we could even spy a beaver dam in on of the channels between islands.  

​A drive to Sandstone Falls might be a bit longer than you are planning but if you are visiting New River Gorge, the trip is well worth it!   For us, it was the perfect recovery day after a few intense days of hiking. The easy boardwalk made it an enjoyable retreat to a powerful piece of nature.  

In June of 2020, we visited the area near Summersville, West Virginia and Fayetteville, West Virginia to see the New River Gorge Bridge.  The three days in the area were not enough, we saw a lot of the sites, but there were so many more places to explore.  I had lists of places that I wanted to see but we ran out of time.  The Carnifex Ferry Battlefield was one of those places.   In less than four months, we were back to see some of what we missed on our first visit.

The civil war battle in 1861 that took place near the Carnifex Ferry was a mystery to me. I had never heard of this battle and I wanted to learn more.   Nestled in the Appalachian hills of West Virginia, this battleground is often overlooked as people chose to visit the larger more well known Civil War historical locations.  However, this battlefield is a great historical stop for the person that is in the area enjoying the kayaking, hiking and gorgeous mountain top views that the New River and Gauley River areas offer. 

The West Virginia State Park: Carnifex Ferry Battlefield

The Carnifex Ferry Battlefield is a small State Park near Summersville, West Virginia.  The area draws tourists who vacation on the Summersville Reservoir, boat the Gauley and nearby New Rivers, come to see the mighty New River Gorge Bridge or visit the multiple parks (national and state) in this area.  An area that is a playground for the nature lover and outdoorsman. 

The grounds of this park have been preserved in memory of a civil war battle that took place in September of 1861.   To fully understand the battle however, we need to back track a few days in time before the battle.
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The Battle of Carnifex Ferry
In August of 1861, a contingent of the Confederate Army encamped in the area near the Carnifex Ferry Battlefield.    The roughly 1,800 men settled onto the land near the Patterson Farmhouse.  In early September, the union army arrived with nearly 7,000 troops.  In the afternoon of September 10th, the Union army advanced upon the heavily entrenched confederate army.  Both sides fought valiantly and it was the Union army that retreated at the end of the day. 

When the union general was pushed back he must have realized his error.  You see, he had only advanced a small portion of his available men to attack this confederate camp.  When he retreated, he knew it was only for the night and that in the morning that he would be attacking with his full force of me.

Riding high on his troops ability to push back the Union army on the first day of fighting, the confederate general knew that he was seriously outnumbered.  He assessed the risks and the benefits and that night in the cover of darkness he withdrew his troops and retreated.

The Union army claimed victory for this battle.  They held the ground that they had fought for and the Confederate Army had retreated.  However, the Confederate Army did not see it that way.  They claimed that they rightfully held the victory due to the fact that they sustained far fewer casualties and absolutely no fatalities during this battle.  A claim that could not be made by the Union Army.

Near the Patterson House on the Carnifex Ferry Battlefield is a single grave. This grave is a stark reminders that risk of being a troop in the Civil War was not confined to times of battle.  Sickness in the encampments was a very real problem and this grave is testament to that.   On September 7th, only three days before the battle a young soldier died of sickness within that encampment.  Granville Blevins had been in the army for less than 3 months when he passed away.  His brother and friends gave him a proper burial on the Patterson land.  While many men died of sickness while encamped here, this is the only known gravesite.  

Other activities at the Carnifex Ferry Battlefield

This state park also offers a few other neat tidbits of interest.  The Carnifex Ferry Battlefield can boast of a fabulous overlook that gives visitors a breathtaking view of the river far below.   This battlefield offers a 2 mile trail that circles that battlefield and will take a visitor near all points of interest within the battlefield.  The multiple picnic shelters and the softball field round out the variety of activities that this park offers.  

A trip to the Gauley River and the New River would not be complete without at least a quick stop to see the hallowed ground of this battlefield.  During the summer months, the gift shop and museum is open for visitors (weekends and holidays).  If you enjoy watching reenactments, you can visit in early September during an even numbered year and take in the thunder of guns as this battle for control of the valley takes place.   During our visit we split our day at Carnifex Ferry Battlefield with a trip to the Babcock State Park to see the gorgeous Glade Creek  Grist mill!   Thanks for the great visit West Virginia State Parks!

Babcock State Park resides in the Appalachian Mountains near the New River Gorge.   This state park is a multi faceted park with a variety of opportunities for fun.  However, the main attraction at this state park is the Glade Creek Grist Mill.

The Glade Creek Grist mill is frequently touted as one of the most picturesque locations in West Virginia.  Many  go as far as to say that it is the most commonly photographed spot in the state.  I can attest to it's beauty and how photogenic this building really is.

The Glade Creek Grist Mill may look old, but this building is relatively new with the construction being completed in 1976.  What makes this mill look old and vintage?  This mill was built from the parts of three other West Virginia Mills.

The actual building structure is from the remains of the Stoney Creek Grist mill.  That mill dated back to the 1890's and was located in Campbelltown, which is in Pocahontas County.  
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The overshot waterwheel is from the Spring Run Grist Mill that was located near Petersburg, WV.   The waterwheel was the only thing that was salvageable after a fire decimated the mill that was located in Grant County.

The other inner workings for the mill came from the Onego Grist Mill that was located near Seneca Rocks in Pendleton County.  

The Glade Creek Grist Mill was built near the sight of the former Coopers Mill which was destroyed in 1920.  This mill is fully operational and is open on the weekends.  You can even buy some cornmeal that is ground on the premises. 

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Babcock State Park is not just for the Grist Mill.  There is a campground and the most charming cabins that are for rent.  They have multiple trails that are good for trail running, hiking and mountain biking.  They even have a mountain top lake for those hot summer days.  

Babcock State Park and the Glade Creek Grist Mill are definitely something that we are happy that we took the time to visit.  We are already making plans to return to this state park and stay in one of the cabins and explore more of the trails that this park has to offer. 

I was quite nervous about hiking the Kaymoor Miners Trail.  OK, I was absolutely petrified!   We had visited the area a few months earlier and we had heard fabulous things about the Kaymoor Miners Trail.  It was supposed to have anything that someone could ask for.  Waterfalls, gorgeous views and abandoned ruins of a coal mine, it had it all.  It sounded like something we would love   We had known that it was a must do hike.  So on that visit, we made our way to the trail head to hike this trail.   We even started down the trail anxious to see what this trail was all about.  It didn't bother us that the trail was marked as strenuous.  We had been on difficult trails before!  We had this!

We did not have that!  On that hike, we got to the waterfall and the steep rock scramble and I totally wimped out!  I became frightened and worried about my balance and stability and we turned around and did not complete that hike.  I regretted it almost immediately and began to try to come up with ideas to allow me to traverse that rock scramble safely.  I came up with the idea to start hiking with trekking poles.  Best decision ever!

I had been hiking with my trekking poles for a few months between our first visit to the New River Gorge and the Kaymoor Miners Trail and the second visit. The time had come, we were back at the New River Gorge for our vacation.  It was time to put those trekking poles to use and hike the Kaymoor Miners Trail.  I was so excited to experience this trail that we decided to hike this trail on our very first day of our vacation.  

We started out on the trail and we were loving the trail.  It was easy, deceptively so; but I knew what was ahead of me.  We got to that rock scramble area and it didn't seem quite as difficult.  I paused for a few seconds and then moved forward.  I went carefully and slowly but it wasn't that bad and the rock scramble was relatively short. 

We kept hiking and before long we were at the intersection of the Kaymoor Trail.  The Kaymoor Trail in this area sits on a shelf on the side of the mountain.  This is the first visible evidence of the old mine.   You can see buildings and mine entrances at this level.  

After exploring this area, we took a deep breath and headed down the stairs.  The signage near the stairs makes it very clear that there are 821 steps that will take the brave person down the side of the mountain.  The signs also included a brief description of what we would see at the bottom of the steps.   There was no question in my mind!  We were going down those stairs! 

hThe stairs were tough.  Going down them was surprisingly rough on my muscles.  Climbing back up the steps?  That was difficult also!  I was breathing like a freight train!

But on my word!  The beauty at the bottom of those steps is incredible!  The ruins of the abandoned mine are all around you.  There are traces of the lives and work that took place here evident with every step we took!  It was worth every muscle ache and every gasp for breath as I climbed back up!

I was so afraid of this hike, and it turned out to be the best hike of our entire visit.  Was it difficult?  Absolutely!  Would I do it again?  In a heartbeat!  The Kaymoor Miners trail has it all.  It's a great workout.  It has fabulous scenery.  It has abandoned buildings.  It has amazing history.  It has the peace that nature brings.  This trail is top notch!
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Where do you want to go, we asked each other.  We couldn't decide what in the world to do with our long weekend.  We pondered and we talked about options.  Undecided, we knew we had to make a decision and we had to make it soon.  It wasn't until the simple comment was made, "There is so much I want to see in this world" that we knew.  Immediately, we knew what the plans were going to be.  We were going to visit two locations in western West Virginia.  Places that we had each longed to visit.  I was going to finally visit the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV and Jason was going to be able to see the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, WV.  We couldn't be happier with our plans.

We took our time and researched everything fully and settled on our plans.   We woke up early and drove to Weston, WV and arrived at the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum at 11:30.  The first tour was set to start at Noon.   I had already ascertained and decided on the tours that we would be doing,  so I quickly paid and we went out to wait for our tour to start.   Ohhh my word, this building and tour is everything I could have imagined.  This building is quite historic and is just teeming with stories and happenings. 

 This is located in a national park and unfortunately, due to the ongoing pandemic the visitor center was closed.  However all overlooks and trails were open.  We took every chance we could to see the bridge.

One of the highlights of this weekend was the visit to Thurmond, WV.  This is an abandoned town nestled in the bottom of the gorge.  Once a boom town, this town slowly faded to a collection of empty buildings as the coal mines shut down.  The buildings are intact and have been secured and maintained by the National Park Service.  The commerce area of the town is right on the edge of the railroad tracks while the residential area stood on the hill above the town.  Walking through this town was amazing.  It is hard to not think about the people that walked those roads many years before.  

  The trail system and scenery in this area are second to none.  There are trails that take you to overlooks, trails that take you to abandoned coal mines and trails that lead you to rivers edge.   It seemed as if we saw a waterfall at every turn, each one just as pretty as the one before.   We could have stayed for a week and still not seen and experienced everything that this area has to offer.   There are mountain bike trails, miles of hiking, ruins, kayaking and so much more.

On this trip, we even managed to squeeze in a quick visit to the Monster Museum in Sutton, WV!  The quirkiness of this little museum was a great stop along the drive home.

We have already decided that we will be returning to New River Gorge as soon as possible.  It's pretty and full of activities that will have you appreciating history and nature.  A weekend at New river Gorge National Park and visiting Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was a perfect getaway!  

Check out the in detail descriptions for the locations visited during this trip

Thurmond 
New River Gorge 
Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Museum of American Glass

A visit to The New River Gorge National Park would not be complete without a visit to the town of Thurmond, WV.   Before we visited the area, I did my due diligence and researched many of the attractions and trails in the area.  We only had a short time during that visit and I wanted to see as much as I could and to hit the most important locations.   As soon as I saw the words ‘abandoned town’, I was hooked!  Thurmond was one of the ‘musts’ for this trip!
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The town of Thurmond was once a bustling boom town.   The steady flow of money from the local coal mines and the railroad station in town fueled the economy.  Over the years the coal mines began to shut down which caused a decline in the financial wealth of this community.  Simultaneously, the rise in popularity of the automobile brought around a steep decrease in passenger train travel, which further hampered the economic prosperity of the town.   Slowly, people began to leave the town for more prosperous towns.  In the 2010 Census, the population of the town was listed as 5 and most of the buildings are now owned by the National Park Service.

​The first thing you will see as you drive into the town is the train station.  This station has been completely redone and serves as a visitor center for the National Park.   It is the focal point of the town.  This is still a flag stop for Amtrak service.  So if you want to begin and/or end your vacation in Thurmond, you can definitely arrive by train!

​To tour the business area of the this abandoned town you will be walking along the railroad tracks.   The commercial area of town is nestled between the side of the mountain and the railroad tracks.  These railroad tracks are still owned, operated and used by CSX, so please be careful.   It is fascinating to walk by the businesses and imagine how life was in this town during the heyday when it was a bustling center of activity that  while small was so prosperous that it was able to support two banks. 

There are still remnants of the bygone era of steam locomotives.  The coaling tower still stands tall and proud at the end of the commerce section of town.  Along with some of the outbuildings that supported the thriving railroad.  Proud of the history of this town, in recent years they have held a Thurmond Train day for rail fans.   

We walked through the commercial area of the town and walked by a few buildings that were obviously residential in nature before we came to a winding road that led up the side of the mountain.   It was a hot day when we were there, but we decided to walk up a bit of the hill to explore.  Oh my word!  I am so glad I did.  Abandoned house after abandoned house stood at the side of the road a testament to the lives that had been lived in this town.  The houses have been secured by the National Park service, so they are not readily available for entry.  However, it is possible to walk onto the porches and peer in some windows.  
 
Remnants of lives once happily lived are evidenced in the flowers that were once carefully planted but now grow wild.  As we wound up the hill and back down, we came across the town church standing proud on the side of the mountain.  Oh, if walls could talk!

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Thurmond, WV quickly became the absolute favorite part of our visit to this area.  It is not often you get to walk through an abandoned ghost town that is still almost fully intact.  The history and vibe of the area was something to behold!   We explored that town as fully as we could!  We have both on many different occasions since we have been home have made the remark that we will go back to that town to explore more!

For more about this area,  check out The New River Gorge Bridge.

I have heard so much about the New River Gorge Bridge! Jason had always wanted to see the the bridge and I had grown interested through hearing about him talk about this bridge.   We were in Western West Virginia to visit the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum and realized that the New River Gorge was only an hour away.  We had to go!  Completed in 1977, The New River Gorge Bridge opened as the worlds longest single span arch bridge. It held that record for 26 years. Even now, it remains the fourth largest single span bridge. The bridge was built as a means of traveling from one side of the gorge to the other. Before the completion of this bridge traversing from one side to the other required a 40 minute trip down to the bottom of the gorge and back up the other side. The new bridge reduced the travel time to roughly one minute.

National Park Service Visitor Center
​We arrived at the new river gorge around lunch time. We couldn’t wait to lay our eyes on this bridge that we had heard so much about! We immediately headed to the National Park Service Visitor Center parking. I knew that the actual visitor center was closed due to the pandemic, but the website had indicated that the boardwalks and overlooks were open. While it would have been nice to be able to see and learn more about the bridge , I was grateful that I would still be able to visit the overlooks. After all, that was what I came for! We parked in the parking lot at the National Park visitors center. We were ready to get our first taste of the New River Gorge Bridge!
 
There were signs that indicated the direction to the overlook. The path quickly turns into a wooden boardwalk. The walk is easy and in just a few short moments you will come to the first overlook. We could see the bridge and we stood in awe for a bit. 

A​This boardwalk trail was not over though. There are a series of steps that head down to a second overlook. We didn’t have to ponder long. Although as we headed down there was a bit of trepidation about the return climb up the steps. Halfway down the steps there is a nice area that includes some benches if you need a break. We reached the bottom and the view was spectacular. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized exactly how deep this gorge is and how utterly mammoth this bridge really is.

The hike back up isn’t too bad. We were out of breath but it only took a few minutes. We decided to walk a bit around the visitor center area and we came to a second overlook. This on also had some neat displays showing information about the bridge.
 
After we had explored all we could see we headed out. It wasn’t until the next day that we explored the bridge more fully.

​Fayette station road

The road that up until 1977 had been the primary means to get from one side of the gorge to the other is called the Fayette Station Road. It is still open and the visitor center offers audio tours of this road. I knew from my pre-trip research that we could stream the audio tour in lieu of going into the visitor center (which was closed). Perfect!  We happily headed on this tour. The audio tour is well done. It gives the history and background of this road that winds down and then back up the mountain utilizing switchbacks while carrying you by sheer rock walls and waterfalls.
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​Along the way there are ample opportunities to stop to view the New River Gorge Bridge. Each different view and angle only reinforces the mammoth proportions of this bridge. At the bottom of the gorge there is camp/day use area with plenty of parking. This allowed us the chance to view up close the river that runs through the gorge. We saw kayakers drop into the water, fisherman fishing and swimmers enjoying the cool temperature of the water on a hot day. We took the opportunity to walk back to the bridge that spans the water at the bottom of the gorge. It was here that we were given a full view of the bridge.

  andThe Fayette Station Road has a few pull offs that are at trailheads. We hiked one of the trails for a bit, enjoying the flowing water of streams and the gushing waterfalls that the trail took us too.
 
The overlooks located at the visitor center and the views of the new River Gorge bridge from the Fayette Station were spectacular and made the bridge experience a most amazing part of this trip! The new River Gorge is definitely a must see location!

For More West Virginia travel, visit the Museum of American Glass in Weston, WV  and Thurmond and abandoned town in the New River Gorge Area.