McDowell County: Mountain Views, Trails, and Mining History

McDowell County combines scenic mountain roads, extensive off-road routes, forest roads, and an impressive history of coal mining. The scenic half-day Head of the Dragon tour highlights mountain views and small towns. At the same time, the 89.6-mile route follows Roads 52, 161, 16, 83, and 80. When choosing your vacation rental, it is therefore worth first deciding on your preferred travel focus: Are you looking for varied driving routes, nature experiences, or historic sites?

Head of the Dragon and Indian Ridge

Head of the Dragon passes connections to the Indian Ridge Trail System in Ashland, Northfork, and Keystone. Indian Ridge is connected to the three Hatfield-McCoy trail systems—Pinnacle Creek, Warrior, and Pocahontas—making longer off-road tours possible. The Indian Ridge Trail System offers routes with varying levels of difficulty. When planning your trip, you can therefore choose between a scenic drive and a more active day on the trails without having to force both experiences into a single itinerary.

Practical orientation at the Indian Ridge Trailhead is also straightforward: There is a parking lot of more than two acres and restrooms on-site. Permits and supplies for Indian Ridge can be purchased at Ashland Resort. The Ashland Company Store was built by the Ashland Coal Company in 1907 and now serves as a well-equipped store and outfitter, especially for visitors to Ashland Resort and users of the nearby Indian Ridge Trailhead of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails. The Coal Camp Café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Forest Roads and Nature at Panther State Forest

Panther State Forest is the southernmost state forest in West Virginia and is located near Iaeger in McDowell County. Hikers will find miles of interconnected trails and roads there; all closed roads are open to foot traffic. Plants growing in the forest include mayapple, fire pink, touch-me-nots, jack-in-the-pulpit, bishop’s cap, and bloodroot. This variety of plants adds a quieter side of the landscape to the more active trail experiences.

In spring, a four-mile section of Panther Creek is stocked with trout. Wilmore Dam is a popular photo stop for ATV riders exploring the mountains of McDowell County. If your travel group has different interests, driving routes, forest roads, and individual nature observations can be considered as separate focal points.

Mining History and Special Memorial Sites

McDowell County can also be explored through its industrial and commemorative history. The interpretive stop in Ashland is part of the National Coal Heritage Trail; informational panels explain mining and the living conditions of miners. The historic character of the region is also evident in the Welch Commercial Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The Merci Boxcar of Welch is a French railway car given as a thank-you for the relief efforts provided by the United States.

The McDowell County Coal Miner’s Memorial honors generations of miners. Their names are engraved on granite slabs that surround the memorial and lie beneath its feet. Visitors can walk among the granite slabs and read the names. In Bartley, a memorial erected by the United Mine Workers of America commemorates the miners who died in 1940. The explosion at the Pond Creek Number 1 mine in Bartley on January 10, 1940, claimed the lives of 91 miners.

The Kimball World War I Memorial also has an unusual history. It was designed in the classical Greek style by Hassell T. Hicks and dedicated on February 11, 1928. It was the first monument built in the United States honoring African American World War I veterans and is now the only surviving monument of its kind. Decay, abandonment, and a fire in 1991 reduced it to a ruin; only the outer shell remains.

Near the community of Premier, a troop transport aircraft crashed on July 1, 1942. All 21 members of the U.S. Army Air Corps aboard were killed; a memorial honoring the victims was erected near the crash site. In Coalwood, the book “Rocket Boys” recalls the decline of coal mining in the town. The Twin Branch Tunnel, also called Davy Tunnel, was originally built for a railroad that transported coal from the Twin Branch area. The former railway tunnel was later converted for use as a road and was reportedly dug through a sandstone mountain using simple, rudimentary methods.

Choose a Vacation Rental Based on Your Preferred Travel Theme

For a trip focused on driving routes and off-road experiences, Head of the Dragon and Indian Ridge offer many specific points of interest. Those who prefer hiking and exploring the landscape at a slower pace can make Panther State Forest and Panther Creek the focus of their trip. For days centered on cultural history, options include memorials, historic districts, the National Coal Heritage Trail, and distinctive reminders of the mining era. When searching for a vacation rental, therefore, consider whether you primarily want to include mountain views, trails, nature, or history in your travel plans.

As your next destination within the broader area, you can discover Bradshaw. Other destinations in the same broader area include Nicholas County, Ohio, Monongalia, Mingo County, Putnam County, Wetzel County, and Hardy County.

To the broader travel overview: West Virginia.