Kaymoor Miners Trail

The route starts beneath the forest canopy and drops by rocky steps and switchbacks. About 0.2 mile down, a short spur to the right reaches a gorge view before the main stair section. At roughly the half-mile mark, you meet the Kaymoor Trail at the mine site. The full descent continues down 821 wooden steps to the remains of the coal-processing plant, coke ovens, and the Kaymoor Bottom town site near river level. The trail stops short of the New River.

You retrace the whole descent on the way back. Visitors repeatedly describe the climb out as the hardest part, especially the wooden stairway, so save energy for it. If you want to photograph the gorge, stop at the signed view before starting down the stairs; the mine remains make the lower end the other strong subject.

You can turn around at the mine junction instead of taking the 821-step stairway to Kaymoor Bottom. That upper section is about 0.5 mile each way, or roughly 1 mile round trip. It is still steep, with rocky steps and switchbacks, but leaves out the long lower staircase and the buildings at the bottom. Choose this if the full stair descent would make the return more than you want to take on.

Low Moor Coal established Kaymoor in 1900 to supply coal and coke to its iron furnaces. Kaymoor Top stood on the ridge; the mine workings occupied the slope below; Kaymoor Bottom sat near the railroad at river level. The Miners Trail lets you read that vertical layout on foot, though the terrain makes the distance feel more consequential than the number suggests.

The operation shipped its first coal on August 23, 1900. Kaymoor One produced more than 16.9 million tons over 62 years and closed in 1962. At its peak, more than 800 people worked there. The remaining complex is one of the gorge's most intact mine sites and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

For Kaymoor Top, follow WV 16 south through Fayetteville, turn onto Gatewood Road; after 2 miles, turn onto Kaymoor No. 1 Road. About 1 mile later, at the T-intersection, turn left; the parking area is about 50 yards on the right. The lot is small and narrow, and large RVs or trailers may not fit. A vault or composting toilet is listed at the trailhead; no food or drinking water is listed there, so bring what you need before starting down.

Dogs are allowed on park trails, including this one, but must stay on a physical leash no longer than 6 feet. The climb and stairs are a lot for a pet, so think through the return before bringing one.

The mine walls and other constructed features are fragile. Do not climb, sit on, or walk along them. The active railroad at river level is private property: do not go onto or across the tracks. The hike does not reach the river.

Mileage deserves a caveat: the connected mapped line measures about 0.62 mile one way, shorter than the published figure. Use the one-mile figure for planning and expect the steep return; do not let the map trace talk you into budgeting for an easy stroll.