A Must-See Stop in McDowell County

For ATV riders exploring the mountains of McDowell County, stopping at Wilmore Dam for a photo has become something of a rite of passage.

Many riders make it a point to drive down to the dam with the water streaming down as their backdrop and snap a picture before continuing their ride through the mountains. Over time, the dam has become one of those places riders like to say they’ve visited — a quiet landmark along the trail.

The calm water, the surrounding mountains, and the sense of being deep in the Appalachian landscape make it a natural place to pause.

But long before trail riders discovered Wilmore Dam, the reservoir served a very different purpose.

Built for the Age of Steam

In the early 1900s, McDowell County was one of the most productive coal regions in the United States. Railroads ran constantly through the valleys, hauling coal from the mountains to industries across the country.

At that time, trains were powered by steam locomotives, and steam engines required enormous amounts of water.

Reservoirs like Wilmore Dam were built to supply that water to locomotives operating along the lines of the Norfolk and Western Railway, which carried coal from the Pocahontas coalfields to markets nationwide.

Located along Clear Fork near Iaeger, Wilmore Dam became part of the infrastructure that helped keep the coal trains moving through southern West Virginia.

Though small compared to the mines and rail yards that once dominated the region, reservoirs like this were an essential part of the system that powered the coalfields.

From Coal Trains to Trail Riders

Today, the steam locomotives that once depended on reservoirs like Wilmore Dam are part of history.

The railroads remain, but the era of steam has long passed.

The mountains of McDowell County, however, remain much the same.

Where coal trains once moved through the valleys, visitors now travel the region’s trails by ATV and UTV, exploring the same hills and ridges that helped shape the county’s past.

And along those trails, places like Wilmore Dam have taken on a new role.

A Photo Stop With a Story

For many riders today, Wilmore Dam is simply a beautiful place to stop — a quiet stretch of water surrounded by mountains.

But behind that peaceful setting lies a reminder of the era when these mountains helped power a nation.

Today, riders stop to take pictures where locomotives once stopped for water.

And in McDowell County, that connection between history, landscape, and the trail is never very far away.

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