Boone County: Coal Heritage, River Routes, and Trails

Coal history, river routes, and trails give a trip to Boone County several different focal points. The options vary in length, permitted uses, and points of reference. When planning your stay, you can take these differences into account and decide which themes are most important for your trip.

Comparing River Routes and Trails

The Walhonde Water Trail is an 88-mile recreational and visitor destination on the Little Coal River and Big Coal River in Boone County and in Lincoln and Kanawha Counties. There are marked access points along the river; conditions may vary by access point. The trail therefore offers a river-focused option whose designated length and multiple county connections differ from the information provided for the other trail systems.

The Little Coal River Trail System is near Danville and Madison, right off Route 119. Its starting point is at U.S. Route 119 and Big Pinnacle Branch Road. Check current route information before setting out so you can include this starting point in your plans.

The Big Coal River Trail System, by contrast, is designed for motorized vehicles: it is open to ATVs, UTVs, dirt bikes, and ORVs or Jeeps, and is approximately 50 miles long. The system includes a parking lot of more than two acres in the Peytona area. Permits and merchandise are available at the Hatfield-McCoy Trails Welcome Center in Julian; check current permit requirements before you travel.

The lengths and permitted uses help distinguish the options: the Walhonde Water Trail covers two rivers and three counties, while the Big Coal River Trail System is specifically open to several types of vehicles. For the Little Coal River Trail System, the road references and starting point are described in particular. This lets you compare the individual details with your travel plans without treating the trails as one combined route.

Coal Mining and Remembrance

The Bituminous Coal Heritage Foundation Museum preserves the heritage of the coalfields of southwestern Virginia with mining tools, photographs, company records, and other elements of mining history. The museum also includes a replica coal mine with reproductions of tools from the 1940s. The collection items and the replica mine offer different ways to explore the subject: one focuses on objects and records, while the other depicts a mine with reproductions of tools.

The Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial in Whitesville commemorates the 29 miners who died in the coal dust explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine. The memorial site includes the Upper Big Branch Miners Monument, the First Responders Bronze sculpture, and interpretive panels leading to the site. These features give the memorial both a sculptural and an explanatory dimension.

Nellis Community Church was built in 1926 by the Armco Association. It houses memorabilia from Armco Steel’s years of operation, from the 1920s through the 1950s. If you plan to visit the church, check visiting arrangements in advance.

Buildings and Architectural History

The Boone Arts and Heritage Center is located in a former Boone County Bank building dating from 1924. It hosts exhibitions by local artists and traveling exhibitions. The former bank building’s architectural history and the changing types of exhibitions are two distinct aspects of this place.

The Madison National Bank Building in Madison, Boone County, was designed in the Beaux-Arts style and built in 1918 by the Huntington firm J. J. West and Company. The Boone County Courthouse is a courthouse in the Neoclassical Revival style. Together, these buildings represent two different architectural traditions; the year of construction and the firm responsible for the Madison National Bank Building are also on record.

Landscape and Trip Planning

The Little Coal River Wildlife Management Area was completed in 2024. A 2025 description gives its area as 8,034 acres in Boone County and notes extensive stands of intact, undisturbed forest. Before visiting, check current WVDNR information on its size and management status, as well as current local conditions.

The mix of architectural history, coal heritage, remembrance, and different trail systems offers several practical points to consider when planning. In particular, compare the stated permitted uses, lengths, and points of reference for the options. You can then look for hotels for your trip to Boone County.

Discover more destinations: Comfort, Hampshire County, Wayne County, Mingo County, Berkeley County, Hardy County, Lewis County, Kanawha.

For the broader travel overview: West Virginia.