Ghost Towns in West Virginia

Beyond the famous names lies a deeper map: West Virginia holds 106 documented ghost towns — one of the richest collections of abandoned places in the country. Southern ghost towns rose with cotton, timber, oil, and river commerce — and fell to floods, fires, changing trade routes, and the boll weevil. Standouts include Kaymoor, Nuttallburg, Sewell, Thurmond.

The heaviest concentrations sit in Fayette County, McDowell County, Mingo County, where settlements rose — and fell — in quick succession. Among towns with verified conditions, you'll find 3 foundations only, 1 partial ruins sites. 1 town is known to be publicly accessible — the rest require checking land ownership and access rules before you go.

Use the status and access filters below to narrow the list, or search for a specific town by name.