County Blessed with Attractions

Wyoming County has been blessed with an abundance of rugged mountains and lush green valleys. It is rich in historic features and offers a variety of recreational activities no matter the season — from ATV trails to water sports.

From R. D. Bailey Lake to Twin Falls Resort State Park, the rural countryside is a testament to the enduring splendor of the area, the traditional values of its people, the powerful faith that permeates from the religious community, and the vast heritage in which residents hold a fierce pride.

Coal, timber, and railroads have all contributed to the growth within the county. From the turn of the 20th century, however, King Coal dominated Wyoming County, ruling everything from how and where men worked to how they spent their money and where they lived.

Despite the demise of coal as the once giant industrial ruler, the county is still a showcase of those coal company days. Remains of several coal tipples, camps, and mountains bearing the scars of the industry are today drawing tourists.

For coal history enthusiasts, the county has several coal-company built "camps" at Kopperston, Glen Rogers, Itmann and Coal Mountain, in addition to others.

Constructed in the mid 1920s, a three-story cut stone structure used as company offices and a company store in Itmann is now used as a homeless shelter.

Mullens' extensive railroad history is showcased in the Caboose Museum, Virginian Railway Company caboose 307, which houses a collection of memorabilia from local residents. In addition, several city buildings are adorned with murals depicting local heritage.

The county has a site where pre-historic writings were carved into a stone cliff. The petroglyphs, located south of Oceana, are believed to have been done between the years 1300 and 1500 A. D. Creating a small state park around the ancient writings in order to make it more feasible for visitors has been the focus of several projects.

Some believe the ancient images are an old Irish Christmas message, others believe the markings could have been made by sharpening stones or tools, still others think the "sunburst" glyph on the left side is a "picture" of a super nova that lit the sky around the 11th century.

Also near Oceana is Clearfork Valley Golf Club, which stretches across historic land that was once roamed by Indians and early white settlers and was first known as the McDonald Plantation. The plantation was burned to the ground by Union forces during the Civil War.

The 18-hole course is open to the public and draws players from throughout West Virginia as well as Ohio, Kentucky, and other states.

The course sits on 120 gently rolling acres in what is known as Crouch's Farm and is also becoming known for the tasty, old-fashioned cheeseburgers prepared in the club house.

The county courthouse, built in 1916 in Pineville, and adjoining jail building, constructed in 1929, have been placed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Built with native stone by Italian stonemasons, the surrounding property also has a statue of Rev. W. H. Cook — local soldier, statesman, minister — as well as monuments honoring area veterans and Kenny Shadrick, a native son who was the first casualty of the Korean War.

The courthouse lobby and courtroom have been renovated to restore the stone structure to its original historic elegance. Chandeliers replaced the institutional look of the florescent lighting. The original trim was restored on the ceiling, emphasizing the workmanship and architectural details of the original structure.

Pineville also boasts Castle Rock, a 165-foot sandstone rock which towers over the mouth of Rockcastle Creek. The easily identifiable formation was used by Native Americans, scouts, and early settlers as a landmark. The town of Pineville was built where seven Native American trails converged, according to historians.

The most recent tourist attraction is the Hatfield-McCoy Recreational Trails' Castle Rock Trailhead, based in the Pinnacle Creek area, near Pineville. User permits are available at the trailhead.

The multi-use trails are open each day from sunrise to sunset to ATVs, dirt bikes, horses, mountain bikes, and hikers.

The Wyoming County loop of the trail system added nearly 120 miles of off-road trails to those already established in surrounding Logan, Boone and Mingo counties.

Four trail areas were previously open as part of the multi-county system, including the 100-mile Dingus Rum Trail near Logan, the 100-mile Browning Fork Trail near Man and Gilbert, the 65-mile Buffalo Mountain Trail between Williamson and Matewan, and the Little Coal River Trail near Danville and Madison in Boone County.

Developed within the county's natural beauty, the state park and recreational dam are perfect showcases for the lush wooded mountains and unspoiled terrain surrounding each.

Twin Falls Resort State Park, off W. Va. 97 near Pineville, offers visitors plush surroundings in the 20-room lodge, a more rustic adventure in the cabins, or, for outdoor purists, there are 50 camp sites.

One of the park's greatest assets are the deer which roam the 4,000 acres. According to park officials, park roads are filled each evening with visitors watching the animals in their natural habitat.

Additionally, the park features an 18-hole golf course, a driving range, an 1830s pioneer homestead — still a working farm, swimming pool, museum, nature programs, along with hiking and mountain biking trails that range from a gentle quarter-mile stroll to a three-mile wilderness challenge.

At the other end of the county, near Hanover, lies R. D. Bailey Lake. Built by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, part of a flood-control project, the dam has 17 miles of shoreline with 630 acres of surface.

The dam's random rockfill design is unusual and has drawn visitors from as far as China.

Most dams have a clay core, but clay is hard to find locally and it was too expensive to ship to the site.

The random rockfill dam is a carefully designed mound of closely compacted rock, according to information provided by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, and this was the first concrete-faced dam built by the Corps.

Constructed in 1974, the dam includes 5.7 million cubic yards of rock, 6.4 million pounds of steel, and 240,000 bags of cement.

It was also one of the first dams on which new laser technology was used. The lasers were used to guide the blade along the concrete face.

Visitors can get a bird's eye view of the dam from the Visitor's Center, which sits 365 feet above the lake. The center also exhibits information and photos concerning the dam project and it's flood control.

Open to boaters year-round, the lake is home to largemouth bass, striped bass, walleye, tiger muskie, catfish, crappie, bluegill, stripers, and panfish.

While two state record-breaking-size bass have been caught in the lake, the project is fast becoming known throughout the country for the trophy bucks which sprint through the lush forests.

The county is part of a region with no rifle season, so hunters can get trophy-size bucks, according to officials.

Seasonal features include picnic facilities, boat rentals at the local marina and a 168-site campground stretched over six miles along the Guyandotte River.