New River Gorge - Dun Glen

 

Rain was in the forecast for Tuesday, so instead of starting at the logical beginning (the trails close to the main visitor's center), we decided to head to a different area, which would be easier to explore in the rain. That was the Thurmond District, with the neighboring Dun Glen area. As with all of the different areas of the park, getting there was part of the fun. This time we used only backroads and went through several tiny towns.

The Stone Cliff Trail started from Dun Glen, and that was the first order of business. The trail paralleled the river for a couple of miles, but because of the forest, it wasn't very visible, although I did manage to get a few pictures. We did hear it, however, and that was great company. The trail end was not marked, although when a bunch of fallen trees prevented us from going any further, we figured that was the end, so we turned around and retraced our steps, and even made it back to the car before the rain started. It was a beautiful hike, and the perfect start to our adventure.

After the hike, we checked out the primitive Stone Cliff Campground on the river, then enjoyed a picnic lunch.

After lunch, it was time to cross that little bridge and explore the old mining/railroad town of Thurmond.