Parking
Use Arrowhead Trails Parking on Kaymoor No. 1 Road: from Gatewood Road, follow it about 2 miles to Kaymoor No. 1 Road, then roughly 1 mile to the T-junction, turn right, and continue 0.25 mile to the lot.
Overview
About Craig Branch and Kaymoor Trail Loop
Why go
- The stair detour reaches Kaymoor’s historic mine remains
- Craig Branch adds river and gorge views
Heads up
- 821 wooden steps make the mine visit a steep detour
- No drinking water is available at the trailheads
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the New River Gorge map
Full mapElevation1,266–2,011 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active New River Gorge alerts
- ClosureKaymoor Miners Trail weekday closureMentions Kaymoor Miners Trail, referenced in this guideThe upper Kaymoor Miners Trail is closed Monday–Thursday through November 19 for trail rehabilitation.Official details
- ClosureRend and Church Loop trails closedRend Trail is closed from both trailheads through approximately December 2027; Church Loop Trail is also closed because its only access is from Rend.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
New River Gorge Tour Guide
Your drive to Craig Branch and Kaymoor Trail Loop, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for New River Gorge National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the New River Gorge audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Arrowhead's Clovis Loop0:00 / 0:24
“Up ahead is the Arrowhead trailhead, where Clovis is my pick for a short woodland walk. Its one-point-one-mile loop takes about half an hour, with gently rolling ground and a few rocky patches.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf New River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Kaymoor Top and the Mine Descent
- Long Point's Bridge View
- The Tulips Above Your Head
- Wolf Creek and Kaymoor Mine Falls
- 92 audio storiesacross New River Gorge’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, White-tailed Deer, Pileated Woodpecker, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 49 trails, 55 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Craig Branch and Kaymoor Trail Loop
A gorge loop with a mine detourCraig Branch and Kaymoor Trail Loop is a 4.9-mile circuit from Arrowhead Trails Parking.
Craig Branch and Kaymoor Trail Loop is a 4.9-mile circuit from Arrowhead Trails Parking. It links a short approach to Kaymoor Top, the steep Kaymoor Miners descent, a stair spur to the old mine works, and a return on Kaymoor Trail and Craig Branch. Allow about 2½ hours. Do this one for the mine remains and the change from a steep forest path to broader gravel trail; the stairs and climbing make it feel longer than five miles.
Down to the Kaymoor siteKaymoor Miners drops through steep switchbacks to the mine-level junction.
Kaymoor Miners drops through steep switchbacks to the mine-level junction. This loop includes the lower 821 wooden steps to the remains of the processing plant, coke ovens, and town site, then climbs the same steps back. The trail doesn’t reach the river. Wayside exhibits explain the mining community; stay out of the abandoned structures.
Back on Kaymoor and Craig BranchFrom the mine, the route follows Kaymoor Trail along the middle gorge before turning onto Craig…
From the mine, the route follows Kaymoor Trail along the middle gorge before turning onto Craig Branch for the return. Craig Branch is a forested gravel administrative road with several steep sections and views of the river and gorge. Expect more climbing on the way back; the old road and trail junctions are part of the outing, not a shortcut around the stairs.
Access and prepStart at Arrowhead Trails Parking.
Start at Arrowhead Trails Parking. A vault toilet is at Kaymoor Miners Trailhead near the early connector. There’s no drinking water at trailheads, so carry what you need. Dogs are allowed on a physical leash no longer than six feet. The stair detour and steep grades are the deciding factor; skip this loop if that climb isn’t for you.
Wildlife
Wildlife in New River Gorge
18 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
126 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
25 sightingsPileated WoodpeckerMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
15 sightingsBarred OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
14 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
58 sightingsCopperheadMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across New River Gorge. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
