Posted in West Virginia July 31, 2020 by

Stroll Through Massive Ruins At The Head Of A Neon Green Canal On This Easy But Astonishing West Virginia Trail

West Virginia is famous for her coal mining history and her Civil War history…but do you know about her paper-making history? That’s right, in the late 1800s and into the early 1900s, a pulp mill cranked out thousands of tons of wood pulp a day, all of which got turned into paper. And you can still visit what remains of the mill along a short, easy trail near Harpers Ferry.

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
A little way down the path that leads from the River Access Parking Lot on Shenandoah Street to Lower Town at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, you'll stumble across an old stone ruin. At first, it might not look like much...
Cristy/OIYS
...but as you explore it more closely, you're in for a surprise: it's actually quite impressive!
Cristy/OIYS
The ruin is what's left of a pulp mill that operated along the Shenandoah River one hundred years ago. The Pulp Factory was a 10-turbine mill that, at its height, could produce 15 tons of wood pulp (to be made into paper) daily!
While that number is certainly impressive, it's hard to fully appreciate the size of these walls until you stand among them.
Cristy/OIYS
And these towering structures are just a portion of the original mill complex, which was destroyed by a devastating flood in 1936.
As you continue on the path that passes through the very top set of walls, you're in for another surprise...
Cristy/OIYS
...there's water in the mill pond, and it's bright, neon green!
At least, it is that color certain times of the year, including mid-summer, thanks to algae growing in the stagnant water of the canal and pond.
Cristy/OIYS
All in all, it makes for a simple but stunning stroll all the way to the bridge that crosses the canal.
Cristy/OIYS
And don't forget to watch for wildlife: turtles can frequently be spotted in the water or along the bank, as can frogs and toads.
Also, if you've made it this far, we definitely recommend continuing on past other turn-of-the-century ruins into Harpers Ferry's Lower Town and splurging on ice cream from The Coffee Mill or A La Mode Cafe, two side-by-side treat shops with window service on the corner of Potomac Street and Hog Alley.
Cristy/OIYS

To map out how to get to the pulp mill ruins along the old Shenandoah Canal, visit the location on Google Maps here. There are many other interesting historic sites in the Harpers Ferry area that you’ll want to make time to see while you’re in the area, and you can learn more about some of those with the help of this article.

Address: Harpers Ferry, WV 25425, USA