Parking
Use the small upper lot beside the Headhouse gate. From U.S. 19 in Lansing, follow Lansing-Edmond Road about 2.5 miles, turn onto Beauty Mountain Road, then take the access road just beyond Nuttall Cemetery Road.
Overview
About Headhouse Trail
Why go
- The mine portal, coal car, headhouse, and conveyor are close enough to study together.
- Sandstone crevices and large rock formations add interest to the wooded descent.
Heads up
- The short round trip still has a steep, sustained climb back to the upper gate.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the New River Gorge map
Full mapElevation1,634–2,060 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active New River Gorge alerts
- 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
- ClosureKaymoor Miners Trail weekday closureThe upper Kaymoor Miners Trail is closed Monday–Thursday through November 19 for trail rehabilitation.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
New River Gorge Tour Guide
Your drive to Headhouse Trail, 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
Headhouse Trail's Upper Start0:00 / 0:26
“Up ahead is the upper start of Headhouse Trail, a walk down to Nuttallburg's gated mine entrance and old coal car. Allow one to two hours for the one-point-four-mile round trip, including time among the mine remains.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf New River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Nuttallburg's Coal Works
- Keeneys Creek and the Town Loop
- What the Coke Ovens Made
- Endless Wall and Diamond Point
- 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 Headhouse Trail
The walk and its payoffHeadhouse Trail drops about 0.
Headhouse Trail drops about 0.7 mile from the upper gate on Beauty Mountain Road to the mine headhouse at historic Nuttallburg. The gravel administrative road is about 1.4 miles round trip from the upper parking area, and a good visit takes one to two hours with time to explore. You start high and finish low: the return is a sustained climb, so the short mileage can fool you.
Follow the right branchThe broad gravel road descends under dense tree cover.
The broad gravel road descends under dense tree cover. Along the way, look for small sandstone crevices and several large, distinctive rock formations beside the route. Near the end, take the left fork toward the headhouse. The right branch becomes the much steeper Conveyor Trail down to the lower town, a separate route that adds a different and harder outing.
At the headhouseThe walk ends among the barred mine opening, the headhouse, and the top of the old coal…
The walk ends among the barred mine opening, the headhouse, and the top of the old coal conveyor. Stairs beside the conveyor give you a closer look. The mine entrance is gated; stay outside it, and don't climb, sit on, or walk on historic walls and structures. For a photo, frame the old mine car against the barred portal rather than trying to fit the entire conveyor into one shot.
How the coal movedJohn Nuttall began assembling the mining operation in 1870, and the railroad reached the gorge…
John Nuttall began assembling the mining operation in 1870, and the railroad reached the gorge in 1873. In the 1920s, Henry Ford leased the mines and improved the operation. The conveyor carried coal from the mine toward processing facilities at river level, an efficient solution for a steep gorge. Mining ended here in 1958, leaving the machinery and buildings that make the walk worthwhile.
The town behind the machineryNuttallburg was a community as well as a mine. By 1900 it was a Black-majority coal town.
Nuttallburg was a community as well as a mine. By 1900 it was a Black-majority coal town. Short Creek divided its Black and white neighborhoods, and company records describe segregated housing, schools, and churches. That history gives the industrial remains a human story as well as a technological one.
Getting to the upper startFrom U.S. 19 in Lansing, take Lansing-Edmond Road about 2.
From U.S. 19 in Lansing, take Lansing-Edmond Road about 2.5 miles to Beauty Mountain Road, then turn onto the access road just beyond Nuttall Cemetery Road. The small parking area is beside the gate. Lansing-Edmond Road is narrow and winding, so drive carefully and be ready to cooperate with oncoming traffic.
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.
