CLAY COUNTY, W.Va. –State officials and community members gathered Thursday to celebrate the opening of the new Elk River Trail Visitors Center at the Dundon Trailhead in Clay County and the addition of several miles of trail.
According to a news release from Governor Patrick Morrisey, the new center, located at 12 Buffalo Creek Road, was designed to resemble a historic train depot honoring the area’s railroad heritage near the former junction of the Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad and the Elk River Railroad.
State Commerce Secretary Matt Herrige said during Thursday’s announcement that the center incorporates local history with railroad-inspired elements.
“More than 30 historic train depots were also reviewed for part of that design exploration and that final design was chosen because of the colors, because of the roof line, and these outstanding features,” he said.
The new center includes trail information, a superintendent’s office, a museum featuring local railroad artifacts, and a gift shop featuring West Virginia-made products and West Virginia Grown food items.
Officials also celebrated the addition of a 4.3-mile trail extension from Queen Shoals to Clendenin that features benches and a gazebo overlooking the Elk River.
House of Delegates Speaker Roger Hanshaw said the addition is a great enhancement to the trail system and noted that the trails continue to grow.
“This has been long in the making, when it’s completed and we’re not all the way completed with the trail yet, but when it’s completed, you’ll be able to get on a trail at the Capitol Market in Charleston and ride a bike or walk all the way to Burnsville,” he said.
The trail expansion was made possible through a $1.5 million Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation grant, which the state used to purchase land from Elk River Railroad Inc.
In addition, the Dundon Trailhead will now serve as an official Mountaineer Mile location as part of Morrisey’s statewide wellness initiative encouraging West Virginians to walk at least one mile each day.
Morrisey said tourism projects like these are important for the state.
“Sometimes you think about the manufacturing jobs and the energy jobs and the healthcare jobs, all very, very important but one thing I always want to say when I come to a place like this, when it comes to competing with other states West Virginia is far in a way number one with respect to tourism and our state parks,” he said.
The Town of Clendenin will operate, maintain, and patrol the new section under an agreement with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Day-to-day operations will be managed by the DNR’s partners in Clendenin.