What an amazing site in the National Park. This is an abandoned town from the early to mid 1900's that had quite the past. They do an excellent job of explaining the buildings and life when it was a booming steam engine railroad town. Take your time visiting the area. I could believe that it is an active Amtrak site today. read more

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What an amazing place to stop and try to imagine this was once a place bustling with people working, traveling, living .. it's so small and empty now that only the pictures can tell the tale! They did a good job putting up information and learned so much about what it was like to work here for the railroads way back when. It's incredible how times change, things become more efficient, jobs are reduced, and eventually eliminated. I spent a total of an hour and 15 minutes here for reference. There is a gift shop where I got my usual souvenir magnet, but there are other neat things here as well! I was tempted to buy the "dining on the railway" book (or a name something like that). A great piece of history here and I hope someday the interiors of the buildings can be brought up to code and replicated to look how they did in their heyday so we can get a real feel of walking into the businesses (also a rebuild of the Lafayette Hotel would be amazing, even if just a smaller scale). I'm glad what is there has been preserved by the NPS! I have to say, I left West Virginia with a treasure trove of history! read more

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I noticed an Air B n B house. Make sure that you check out the second floor of the visitor's center. The whole ghost town is under the direction of the National Park Service. Thurmond and Bodie, California are the best examples of preserved ghost towns that I have seen in my many years of travel. read more

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Abandoned ghost town? Say no more. The old Thurmond Depot and accompanying ghost town are located in the New River Gorge National and operated by the National Park Service. My sister and I found out that the NPS offers a ranger guided walking history tour of the town on certain days (make sure to check online for hours) and I'm so glad we were able to do it. The town itself is interesting to explore on your own, but having the additional context and history on this quintessential Boomtown gave me a much deeper appreciation for it. The town prospered at the peak of the coal mine and railroad industries and for decades was prosperous and packed with people passing through the town. When looking at the remnants of the town today, it's hard to imagine when the depot served as many as 75,000 passengers a year and was bustling with industry. Today Thurmond is just a whisper of its former glory days that saw its decline during the Depression before finally going bust in the 1960s. The town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is in the heart of the National Park. read more

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Yelp 100 - #12 March 2023 Thurmond Depot is an abandoned area located in the New River Gorge National Park. It was the heart of the New River Gorge carrying coal and shipments to surrounding industrials areas nationwide. Thurmond declined during the Great Depression with the change from steam engines to diesel. Amtrak uses the tracks so please be careful while walking around. There is a one lane bridge entering and exiting the area so please be careful. The visitor center is only open during the summer but, you're still able to visit and walk around. read more

Thurmond Depot - Visitor's Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

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There's not too much to see here now but this area was once a busy and bustling mecca during the area's coal mining heyday. Today it's considered a ghost town filled with a few abandoned businesses . The depot is now a national park visitor center . You can join a ranger led tour of the ghost town which will provide you with background and context . Plan to spend 30 - 45 minutes here . Definitely worth a stop if you are visiting the national park . read more

This town was built around the railroad (not the coal mines per se), and while the trains still run to this day, the town is mostly (but apparently not completely) abandoned and is part of the national park. I saw a CSX train carrying coal go by, and apparently this is listed as an actual Amtrak stop. It must be an incredible train ride but I struggle to imagine under what circumstances anyone would actually get off at this stop, which has a ghost town with no amenities and is a long hike from civilization. The more conventional way of getting here is a steep and narrow road of dubious quality, which I don't take off stars for because it's typical of Appalachia in my experience; it just isn't that easy to build roads in this sort of terrain, and I judge it worthwhile to brave the difficulties. One lane runs for cars across the rail bridge at the bottom. The only open building is a former depot that is now a small museum, which does have electricity and running water. A walk across the tracks leads to some abandoned but intriguing buildings. There are some informational signs but not a ton to actually do here. Conversely, if one goes to the side of the river opposite the town (the bridge has some platforms with great views), you end up being able to go down to the riverside, where a rocky, shallow portion of the river offers sights and sounds aplenty. A swarm of butterflies was quite majestic. The numerous crawfish I saw were not interested in being photographed, unfortunately. There was some sort of aquatic snake that also disappeared before I could get a shot of it, though this might have been for the best. Traveling south from here leads to a stone wall and a campground, but the road turns to gravel thereafter. The map shows a road leading east out of Thurmond as well. For the casual tourist like me driving a sedan, I do not think either of these routes is a good idea, particularly given that if anything goes wrong you're likely to have a historic experience of what it was like before cell phones (no service down here). The road leading down from the highway (Thurmond Road), while not great, is likely your best option. Some of the locals had ATVs. Regardless of how one gets here, it is a unique experience. read more

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The town of Thurmond is such a historical place and Ranger Chase did a great job with his historical facts and sharing. We enjoyed the tour and the town. This is a must visit spot when as well going to see the New River Gorge National Park as they go hand in hand. read more

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It's a stop in time. The town history is amazing but it's not abandoned except about 3 residents that do airbnb

This is an active Train Depot. It is also a visitors center with tons of history of Thurmond available and information of stuff to do in the area. This is a lovely area. The signage and there is a lot of it, tells you of the area and town history. There are some old photos to enjoy and see views of the past. The train depot is sitting on the banks of the New River near the old metal train/car bridge. This bridge is split so both train and cars can cross at the same time...interesting!!!! and scary at the same time!!!! read more

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Happy Halloween from a Ghost Town Several times a year, the travel magazines will run a series on American Ghost towns. First one I remember was in Travel and Leisure although I have seen similar lists elsewhere There is one here on the East Coast that shows up in most if not all of the pictorial series and that is Thurmond WV. Located about 10 to 15 minutes off of US Hwy 19 NE of Beckley, WV it's an easy drive. I tried to find it the hard way by trying to follow the New River downstream from I-64 but the roads don't necessarily lead that way. The US Hwy 19 is by far the easiest way to get there. Thurmond was a prosperous small town on the Chesapeake and Ohio RR in the late 1800's but started to go downhill and loose population in the 1920's and only progressed from there. Town is not completely deserted but the 2010 census was a whopping total of 5. Owned by the Park Service now, the remaining commersial buildings date from probably the 1920's or around that time. Not much room in the town because between the New River, a small parking lot, at least six sets of RR tracks and the remaining buildings, you're up against the side of a Mountain. The remaining folks who live here live up the hill on the Mountain. Don't get me wrong There is still plenty to do here. Part of the New River Gorge, there is kayaking, tubing, white water rafting, picnicking, bike trails and beautiful scenery just waiting to be explored and photographed. The National Park Service has converted the old train depot into a very nice Visitors Center as well that is well worth your while to explore. Very nice place, off the beaten path to relax and unwind. If you have the time, highly recommend. You'll love the bridge over the New River to get into the town. One side of the bridge is a one lane passage for cars and the other side is for trains. read more

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A beautiful drive takes you to this railroad ghost town, and it is well worth the time to check it out. Not much remains of the once boisterous town, but the restored depot gives a glimpse into its heyday. You can access an audio walking tour from NPS.gov or grab a printed flyer from the depot. The bridge over the New River showcases its power, and if you are lucky to cross the bridge after a day or so of heavy rains, you'll have no problem understanding how quickly abandoned Thurmond is returning to the wilds. Be sure to stop and see Dunlop Falls, easily visible from a small pull-off along the road as you return. read more

This is a pretty interesting place to visit, but there is not a ton to see and nothing much to do. Plus it takes a bit of a drive to get there... but if you like historical towns this is interesting. It is still an active train depot with Amtrack so some trains still come through. You can walk down the main sidewalk, which is right next to the old tracks and see the old buildings. It is hard to imagine it being a bustling rail town but I guess diesel engines did that to a lot of towns. Now the population is 5 or 6! read more

Thurmond Depot - Train depot - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

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Thurmond (almost) ghost town is run by the National Park Service, and was once a great railroad town along the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, and during its inception, had no roads. It was a boom town from approximately 1900-1920. Many of the buildings are still intact, although you cannot go inside it. There is a rather fascinating large concrete coaling tower that hovers over the still-active train tracks as well. It is worth exploring, and the rangers, who are housed in the train station, are kind and helpful. To reach Thurmond, take U.S. Route 19 to the Glen Jean exit, north of Beckley. Follow the signs to Thurmond, seven miles down WV Route 25 (Route 25 is a narrow, winding road and is not recommended for RVs and trailers). No automotive services are available in Thurmond. Two things I want to point out: 1.) Everyone walks across the train tracks, taking photos and looking at the old historical ghost town. But you must still be wary because the town is built along a curve, and you cannot always hear a train coming. In other words, they can be upon you fast, even if you are quick and have good hearing. Pay attention. 2.) It is almost a ghost town. There are people who live there, although only a handful. You need to be respectful. To the best of my knowledge, they seem to live in the road that goes above the buildings by the train tracks, so be aware of this and be respectful, as you would in any area where people live. read more

This is a great place for people who love history and love to sight see. It's very quiet and eerie, I've never see a ghost town before and this was the first. Its truly an interesting experience to come down and see this place. There are a few empty buildings of the original bank, and stores. Then there is a sign where the hotel burned down and that has tons of information on the town. There are remnants of where the hotel was and where it had burned down a long time ago. There is also a coal mine where it was abandoned. The bridge to and from the town is only one car wide so cars have to take turns getting on the bridge. The road to the town is also very narrow and winding. A lot of the spots are only wide enough for one car. So take your time driving because it can be dangerous. Also bring comfortable shoes and stuff to walk around in. It is not wheelchair or stroller accessible much. There is no sidewalks or anything. All gravel and dirt. read more

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