Day 5 of 2024 Summer Trip - Thurmond WVA
We spent 3 days in West Virginia and days 2 & 3 were all about checking out New River Gorge National Park.
First stop was the historic town of Thurmond.
At one time, Thurmond was a bustling boomtown with lots of businesses and a thriving coal mine community for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway.
People flocked to Thurmond via 15 passenger trains per day, some for job opportunities. Others as tourists. Either way, the hotels overflowed and businesses thrived.
However, the Great Depression, two major fires and diesel locomotives as well as people's love for travel via the automobile in lieu of trains, shut it down.
The Thurmond depot, restored in 1995 as a visitor center by the National Parks Service, restoration of some of Thurmond's buildings is an ongoing process. The town is still incorporated and hosts an annual reunion for former residents.
Today, Thurmond is on the National Register of Historic Places and sits in the heart of New River Gorge National Park.
If you're into hiking, there are 6 trails around Thurmond that offer beautiful views of nature and wildlife surrounding this historic town.
Hope you enjoyed this peak into Thurmond and if you're ever in the area, you'll stop by and enjoy the scenery and history of this once booming city in the heart of West Virginia.
Thanks for visiting!
Until next time, keep traveling.
PamT
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