34.06 Acres in Herndon, WV - $195,000

Tax Map 114, Parcels 47 and 48

Tax Map 121, Parcels 4.1, 5, 6,7,8,9, and 16

2021 Taxes $414.00

UTILITIES

Water: Stephenson PSD (an old well is also in place)

Sewer: None; a septic system would need to be installed

Electricity: Appalachian Power Co.

Telephone: Frontier Communications

Internet: Hughes Net and possibly Frontier Communications

Cellphone Coverage: Varies with providers

SURROUNDING AREA

Pleasant Valley Farm is located in the Cumberland Mountains region of southwestern West Virginia, an area perhaps best known as a destination for outdoor recreation and off-road vehicle tourism. Thousands of tourists visit the region to explore the rugged landscape using all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs), and other motorized off-road vehicles. The network of trails and backroads that lead through the region is complimented by designated and maintained off-road trails managed by the state-operated Hatfield-McCoy Trails.

The region was formerly among the most productive coal-mining regions in the world. Many tourists are drawn to the ghost towns and abandoned industrial sites that may still be found within its forested mountains. Hundreds of thousands of miners and their families lived in the surrounding mountains through the early 1900s, though by the 1950s, employment began to dwindle. The richest seams had been mined out, and mechanization replaced many traditional mining jobs. For instance, the population of adjoining McDowell County had dropped from nearly 100,000 people in 1950 to little more than 10,000 today.

Though the decline in mining presented enormous difficulties, the decrease in population and industrialism allowed the environment to renew. Forests teeming with wildlife now cover vast expanses of mountain terrain, and some streams in the region are nearly primeval in their character, notably those in nearby Twin Falls State Park. Residents cite the rural landscape and its welcoming communities as a principal reason for their residency.

Coalfields Expressway

A significant factor in regional growth, a new multi-lane expressway now connects the area to Interstates 64 and 77 at Beckley 22-mile drive that can be completed in less than half an hour. A new section under construction will see a second exit built less than five miles from the property. The route will eventually extend to the US-52 expressway in western Virginia, opening some of the most rugged regions in the Appalachian Mountains to increased commerce. The expressways completion into the area has resulted in a sharp increase in regional residential and commercial investment.

COMMUNITIES

Herndon, WV, is an unincorporated community in Wyoming County, West Virginia, United States. It has a population of 566 as of 2010.

Bud, WV, is a census-designated place in Wyoming County, West Virginia, United States, along Barkers Creek and West Virginia Route 10. As of the 2010 census, its population was 487.

Two incorporated communities are located nearby surrounding Wyoming CountyMullens and Pineville.

Mullens

Two miles east of Itmann, Mullens is the largest municipality in the region, with some 1,500 residents. The national historic district in Mullens includes 95 buildings built between 1918 and 1929. The town is sometimes considered a bedroom community within the greater Beckley metropolitan area and is a drive of 25 minutes from the city by the Coalfields Expressway.

Pineville

The seat of justice for Wyoming County, Pinevilles population, is nearly 650. It may best be known for its elaborate stone courthouse, built by many of the stonemasons employed to supervise the construction of the historic Itmann store. The Castle Rock towering near the center of the community, is a renowned natural wonder.

City of Beckley

A 45-minute drive from Herndon, the City of Beckley, with a population of more than 17,000 and a market area of nearly 125,000, is the largest municipality in southern West Virginia. The city is an interstate transportation hub. Expressways I-77, I-64 and US-19 converge there. The center of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve near Grandview is just outside Beckley.

REGIONAL ATTRACTIONS

Tourism is now a chief economic force in the region, especially where off-road vehicle recreation is concerned. Primary travel draws are hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, camping, and kayaking. Though the coal industry employs many mine workers and the timber industry employs many laborers, the travel industry continues to employ and supplement an increasing number of county residents. Many residents have opened restaurants and lodging facilities, including cabins and vacation rentals, to host visitors exploring the off-road adventure trail network.

Hatfield-McCoy Trails

One of the southern states largest networks of off-road motor vehicle trails, the Pinnacle Creek Trail system approaches within a mile and a half of the property. Part of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, the trail explores more than 100 miles of some of the most rugged mountain country in the Mountain State. The nearest trailhead is located 1.5 miles from the property. In 2021, more than 94,000 riding permits were sold for the trails, of which more than 78,000 were out-of-state permits.

Twin Falls Resort State Park

One of the states flagship resort parks, Twin Falls, hosts an average of more than 300,000 guests annually. Most are attracted by the parks vast woodlands, though it also includes an 18-hole golf course and a lodge with 47 guest rooms, an indoor pool, and a restaurant with scenic views. Fourteen cabins and 50 campsites are also available to overnight guests. More than 25 miles of hiking trails wander the park, visiting natural landmarks that include the two waterfalls for which the park is named. It also includes a restored pioneer cabin. The park is a drive of approximately 15 minutes from the property.

National Coal Heritage Trail

Traveling more than 180 miles through southern West Virginia, the National Coal Heritage Trail visits some of the most important historical landmarks in the region, including the Itmann Store and Office. The region was Americas most productive energy-producing region through the early 1900s, providing the carbon-rich fuel that helped transform the U.S. into a world power capable of defending itself through two world wars. The National Coal Heritage Authority administrates the route.

Guyandotte River Water Trail

One of the states new flatwater-paddling trails, the Guyandotte Water Trail descends through some of the most rugged mountain forests in the Appalachian chain, flowing past the Itmann property on its 135-mile course from the roots of Great Flat Top Mountain to the Ohio River. A carry-down boat access site is located at Itmann across WV-10 just upstream of the property. Another is 3.2 miles upstream at Mullens. A third is five miles downstream at Guyandotte Roadside Park.

R.D. Bailey Lake

The 630-acre R.D. Bailey Lake welcomes campers, anglers, and boaters. Hunting is permitted in the state wildlife management area in season. The lake is an impoundment of the Guyandotte River and is an essential and popular park of the Guyandotte River Water Trail. The Army Corps of Engineers administers the lake.

OTHER REGIONAL ATTRACTIONS

Winterplace Ski Resort

A drive approximately 45 minutes from the property, Winterplace attracts thousands of skiers annually, notably from the southeast. The resort boasts 90 acres of skiable area and 28 trails, a terrain park, nine lifts, and a 16-lane snow-tubing park. The average annual snowfall at the resort is 100 inches, though, at Herndon, the average annual snowfall is a far more moderate 35 inches. Protected by the mountains, the valleys around Herndon also remain more moderate. January temperatures average a high of 45 degrees and a low of 25.

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

The nations newest national park, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, attracts more than 2.6 million visitors annually to the region. The parks best-known attraction, the New River Gorge Bridge, is a drive of approximately an hour and 15 minutes. Hiking, biking, angling, hunting, kayaking, and camping are popular throughout the park, though it may best be known as a destination for rock climbing and whitewater rafting.

The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve

An hours drive from the property, the 14,000-acre Summit Bechtel Reserve is an outdoor-recreation park that hosts the Boy Scout Jamboree and is one of five high-adventure bases for the scouts. The 24th World Scout Jamboree welcomed more than 45,000 visitors in 2019. The 17th Interamerican Scout Jamboree is planned for 2023. The reserve is the home of the Paul R. Christen National High Adventure Base, the James C. Justice National Scout Camp, and the John D. Tickle National Training and Leadership Center.