Top
The Official Website of the State of West Virginia

New River Gorge Ghost Towns - Remains of the Coal Industry Makea New Home in a National Park

10/31/2022

In 2021, the New River Gorge was transformed into a National Park, placing West Virginia’s glorious gem into the necklace of America’s most celebrated scenic areas. The river and valley’s majestic beauty have long been famous, but park visitors are also discovering something unexpected:  The remains of coal and timber towns which once reigned over the economy of the region. Some pieces in ruins, others well preserved, West Virginia’s industrial story is being told by fragments of its past scattered around its trademark beauteous wilderness.

Watch the History Project video: