Abandoned places in West Virginia have a strange fascination for many people. West Virginia urbex enthusiasts love to explore places that have been left to the elements. Get this: there is an easy hike of less than one mile (a mostly nice and level mile, to boot) in the New River Gorge National Park that almost no one knows about … and it leads to one of the few historic African American churches still left standing in the region. What a hidden treasure!

Continue reading to learn how you can find the old, abandoned First Baptist Church of Thurmond near Oak Hill, West Virginia for yourself. You’ll find it’s one of the most intriguing abandoned churches in West Virginia.

Hidden in the woods just across the New River from the Thurmond Depot in the nearly abandoned town of Thurmond, West Virginia is an old wooden church.
Jocelyn Hanna/AllTrails
Abandoned now, this church has a long and storied history: in days gone by, it provided a place of worship for the many African Americans who lived in the coal camps and railroad towns that lined the banks of the New River.
Joelene Rodgers / AllTrails
In 1920, just before this church was built, there were 9,636 Black residents in Fayette County alone.
Although it's no longer in use, this church is still important; it's one of the few historically Black churches from the era of segregation still standing in the New River Gorge.
Jacob Becker / AllTrails
Visit this church for yourself by lacing up your hiking boots and tackling the Rend Trail from the Thurmond Trailhead, located along WV Route 25 most of the way to the New River crossing at Thurmond from Glen Jean.
Angela Roberts / AllTrails

Related Stories

This Beautiful Hike In West Virginia Has A Mouthwatering Restaurant Right Along The Trail

This Beautiful Hike In West Virginia Has A Mouthwatering Restaurant Right Along The Trail

 Hike This Stairway To Nowhere In West Virginia For A Magical Woodland Adventure

Hike This Stairway To Nowhere In West Virginia For A Magical Woodland Adventure

 This Fascinating West Virginia Hotel Has Been Abandoned And Reclaimed By Nature For Decades Now

This Fascinating West Virginia Hotel Has Been Abandoned And Reclaimed By Nature For Decades Now
Once you've reached the Thurmond Trailhead of the Rend Trail, you'll hike along the Rend Trail itself for about 0.7 miles, until you come to the Church Loop Trail. This is a short 0.1-mile loop that leads past the First Baptist Church of Thurmond.
Mike Breiding - EpicRoadTrips.us/AllTrails
And that's it! That's all it takes to reach this uniquely historic West Virginia church.
travis leonard / AllTrails
Once you've completed the short Church Loop Trail, you can continue down the Rend Trail until you reach a bridge outage. Otherwise, turn around and return the way you came.
Built in the early 1920s by residents of the now abandoned town of Dun Glen, the church was also within reach of residents of Thurmond and other nearby coal towns.
Joelene Rodgers / AllTrails
Have you ever hiked to this wooden church hidden in the forest? Did you even know it was here in the New River Gorge National Park?
Joelene Rodgers / AllTrails

To learn more about hiking the Church Loop Trail to the abandoned First Baptist Church of Thurmond, West Virginia via the Rend Trail, visit the National Park Service website. Interestingly, this uniquely historic church is just one of many abandoned places in West Virginia found in the New River Gorge area. Road trip, anyone?

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More to Explore

Abandoned Places In West Virginia

Will Suphan | February 07, 2024

What are the most abandoned places in West Virginia?

The most abandoned places in West Virginia include:

  • Old Sweet Springs Resort. Tourists would flock here for the spring, which was said to have healing properties, but the buildings have been abandoned for a few decades.
  • Kaymoor. This was a mining town at one time and the rusted mining equipment and old buildings can still be found.
  • Virginius Island. The ruins of the Shenandoah Pulp Mill and its town remain here, and there are tours to visit them.
  • Lake Shawnee Amusement Park. This park closed after several children died due to accidents with the rides. Those rides are now rusted remnants. 

Discover more of the most abandoned places in West Virginia. 

What are the most haunted hotels in West Virginia?

The most haunted hotels in West Virginia include:

  • Wells Inn in Sistersville. This inn opened in 1895 as accommodation for oil barons and is said to be haunted by the man who built it.
  • Hotel Morgan in Morgantown. It is claimed that Room 314 is haunted by the ghost of a girl who drowned in the tub.
  • The Frederick Hotel in Huntington. This place opened in 1905 and is rumored to be haunted by two children and the 6th floor is said to be especially haunted.
  • General Lewis Inn in Lewisburg. Three ghosts are said to haunt this inn that opened in 1929, moving objects around.

Learn more about the most haunted hotels in West Virginia. 

What are the scariest places in West Virginia?

The scariest places in West Virginia include:

  • Barbour County Historical Museum. This museum houses two mummified bodies from the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. 
  • Camden Park. This is the remains of an amusement park that opened in 1903 and was built next to an Adena burial mound. It’s said to be haunted by Native American spirits.
  • The West Virginia State Penitentiary. This prison operated for over 100 years but closed in 1995 due to inhumane conditions and had 85 executions. 
  • Danish Knob. There was a small, hidden house here that was a refuge on the Underground Railroad. The ghost of a girl who was trying to find it reportedly roams the area.

Find out more about the scariest places in West Virginia. 

Related Articles

Explore West Virginia

Featured Addresses
Rend Trail, West Virginia 25901, USA