New River Gorge National Park & Preserve · WV
Butcher Branch Trail
Wooded trail connecting the Kaymoor Top area to the Long Point Trail, with steep sections and a small stream crossing. A climbing-access spur descends to Butcher Branch Falls, a tiered sandstone cascade.
Live · updated
Today
Skip the trail running plan today.
Today's best: trail running
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Skip the hiking plan today.
Trail running
Skip the trail running plan today.
Dog walking
Thunderstorms in today's forecast — dogs panic and trails become dangerous.
Score breakdown
- − 79°F air — Above trail running's comfort zone (28–78°F)
- − Thunderstorms — Get off exposed ridges before they arrive
- ✓ Trail: prime — No meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 0.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 103 ft
- Difficulty
- moderate
Trailhead
Coordinates
38.0492, -81.0725 — WV.
Park
Part of New River Gorge National Park & Preserve (official site →).
Park advisories
The Church Loop Trail in the Thurmond area of the park is temporarily closed due to downed trees.
From June 15 through November 19 the upper part of the Kaymoor Miners Trail (from Kaymoor Top down to the mine site at the junction with the Kaymoor Trail) will be closed Monday through Thursday due to a trail rehab project. The trail is expected to be fully open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Nearby Trails
Frequently Asked
How long is Butcher Branch Trail?
Butcher Branch Trail is a 0.6-mile route with 103 feet of elevation gain — moderate — some sustained climbing or technical sections; expect to work for it but no specialized skills required. The trail facts panel on this page lists distance, surface, and access tags as they appear in OpenStreetMap.
Who manages Butcher Branch Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
Butcher Branch Trail is in New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, which is managed by the National Park Service. Closure and advisory data on this page comes from the live NPS alerts API for this park unit. Always confirm against the park's own page before driving — emergency closures can post faster than scrapers refresh.