Information
City: HintonCountry: USA West Virginia
Continent: North America
Hinton, USA West Virginia, North America
Overview
Hinton, a small but storied town in southern West Virginia, sits where the Bluestone River meets the broad, slow bend of the New River, its banks dotted with weathered brick buildings.In the late 1800s, born as a thriving Chesapeake & Ohio Railway hub, the town echoed with the hiss of steam and the shuffle of men hauling freight.Today, Hinton still carries its small-town warmth and the worn, historic character of Appalachia, like weathered brick storefronts that haven’t changed in decades.The Hinton Historic District runs along Temple Street and Second Avenue, lined with ornate buildings from the early 1900s, weathered brick restored to a warm red, and the old train depot now home to the Hinton Railroad Museum.Inside, you’ll find relics of West Virginia’s rail past-faded conductor uniforms, a worn brass telegraph key, and stark black-and-white photos of coal trains snaking through the misty New River Gorge.The Summers County Courthouse rises in the heart of town, its Romanesque Revival style and warm sandstone arches recalling an era when civic pride was built into every stone.The main street still has its row of small antique shops, cozy diners, and family-run stores, and each fall you’ll find locals crowded there for Railroad Days, the scent of kettle corn drifting through the crisp air.Around Hinton, the New River curves past slabs of bluish rock, shaping a landscape where water and stone speak for themselves.Bluestone State Park sits just beyond the edge of town, with wooded hills rolling down to a glassy lake where you can paddle a kayak, take a boat out, or spread a blanket for a quiet picnic under the pines.Built in the 1940s, the Bluestone Dam holds the river in check and opens up sweeping views of the New River Valley, where the water glints under the sun.Farther downstream, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve comes into view, pulling in hikers, whitewater rafters, and photographers eager to capture its mist curling over jagged cliffs and winding, rocky trails.At dawn, a thin fog drifts across the water, blurring where the shoreline ends and the pale sky begins.In Hinton, life drifts along at a laid‑back Appalachian pace, like the slow roll of the river under a summer sun.It moves with a gentle rhythm-kids casting lines from the riverbank, church bells carrying across the hills, and the warm scent of fried catfish drifting out of small-town kitchens.The Rivertown Revue rolls into town with live music-often bluegrass or folk-sending fiddle strings and banjo notes tumbling down the streets.Visitors can step into the restored Campbell-Flannagan-Murrell House Museum, where polished wood desks and faded photographs bring the bustle of 19th-century railroad-era family life to vivid focus.For outdoor lovers, Hinton opens the door to southern West Virginia’s finest adventures, from quiet river bends to rugged mountain trails.Anglers head to Bluestone Lake for bass and catfish, sometimes casting lines near the shaded banks, while kayakers and rafters take on the New River, drifting through quiet pools before tackling its roaring rapids.Just down the road, Pipestem Resort State Park packs in zip lines, mountain bike trails, and horseback rides, plus an aerial tramway with views that stretch clear to the horizon.As evening falls, soft gold light drapes over Hinton, touching brick walls and quiet streets, while the distant rumble of fewer passing trains carries the town’s proud heritage.In this corner of Appalachia, history, warm welcomes, and rugged beauty come together with an easy grace, drawing you to linger, hear the river’s low murmur, and sense time settling in the bend of each street and slope.
Landmarks in Hinton
