Come Along On My Spur-Of-The-Moment Hike Of The Brand New Trail System At Sweet Springs Resort In West Virginia

One recent sunny spring day, my family and I set off in search of adventure (in the form of hiking trails). Toward the end of our adventuring, we found ourselves passing close by Sweet Springs Resort near Gap Mills, West Virginia. Sweet Springs Resort is one of the most fascinating and storied resorts in West Virginia, and I had heard that a system of hiking trails at the resort had recently opened to the public! However, since it is so new, I could only find limited information about this new system of hiking trails in West Virginia online. So... we made the spur-of-the-moment decision to pull over and investigate.

As I mentioned, Sweet Springs Resort is one of the most intriguing and storied abandoned resorts in West Virginia (although it's no longer technically abandoned, as its restoration is well underway thanks to the folks at the Sweet Springs Resort Park Foundation).

It features a sprawling brick complex easily visible along WV-311 in Monroe County just minutes from the West Virginia-Virginia state line.

Nine of the first eleven presidents stayed at Sweet Springs Resort in its heyday. The oldest remaining stone-built jail west of the Alleghenies is found here on the grounds, as is what is likely the oldest frame-built house. An abandoned, unmarked graveyard sits on a hill above the main building.

In other words, if you want a taste of history, come to Sweet Springs Resort! But also come here if you want to soak in some rural mountain beauty. My family and I found both as we wandered the Sweet Springs Resort grounds and trails. Here's what we learned about these new hiking trails in West Virginia, in case you want to explore them yourself.

First, Sweet Springs Resort is a public park, so you are more than welcome to pull in, park, and wander the grounds during daylight hours. Designated parking is somewhat limited, but we found a spot without any trouble, and we also observed other visitors parking along the grassy shoulder that lines much of the long driveway.

The trailhead for the three trails in the trail system (Sweet Springs Turnpike Trail, the Three Sisters Trail, and the Graveyard Trail) begins at the park office, where you can sign in and out on the clip board on the front porch (the office building is well marked with signs, but in case you miss them, it's the middle of the three brick houses located just to one side of the main resort building).

There are portajons near the office and a bathroom inside the office (if it's open). Once you've signed in, walk around behind the office and straight back toward the gate in the fence line that cuts across the pasture stretching up the hill.

The Sweet Springs Turnpike Trail is the main hiking attraction here. Right now, it's an out-and-back trail that stretches about two miles, but someday it will link up to both the Allegheny and Appalachian Trails.

Head through the gate (if you find a gate closed along your hike, be sure to close it again behind you for the sake of the cows that sometimes graze this pasture!) and then follow the fenceline to the right until you reach an old farm building with several stalls. At this building, turn left and head up the hill (the route will be marked with signs, painted arrows, or neon yellow-green blazes).

The Sweet Springs Turnpike used to be the best road around these parts, maintaining an easy 5% grade or less even over Peters Mountain. Now, hiking this abandoned roadway feels like walking along an old logging road ... a road that passes through meadow and woods and offers multiple opportunities for long mountain views.

Along the route, don't miss the biggest oak tree I've ever seen!

And after that, there's at least one other especially interesting tree that I took to be an old marker tree (it's near the second cattle gate) bent into an elbow at the bottom. We did not make it to the end of this out-and-back trail because we started so late in the day, but I think we were close!

For something a little different, we took the Graveyard Trail home.

It meanders back through the cow pasture, passing the hedged in graveyard (none of the graves are actually marked) while cutting off a corner of the Sweet Springs Turnpike trail.

After our hiking excursion along two of the Sweet Springs Resort trails in Gap Mills, West Virginia, we took a few minutes before leaving to walk along the front of the main building (don't go inside any of the buildings without permission -- tours can be booked on the Sweet Springs Resort website) and check out the famous 72-degree sweet springs for which the resort and the community are named. Had we brought a picnic (or thought to swing by Cheese 'n' More for sandwiches ahead of our visit), we could have eaten at one of the picnic tables on the lawn, but we didn't plan that far ahead (don't be like us!). All in all, I'm so glad we made this spur of the moment stop and I highly recommend it to you next time you are looking for a bit of adventure at one of the resorts in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.