This scenic area is located at Alum Creek in southwestern Kanawha County. It includes the historic “point,” where the Big Coal River and Little Coal River meet. A private foundation has developed nearly six miles of trails and a pollinator/wildlife viewing field there. Connecting trails include a coal mine portal once used by a local family and the site of the first Girls Scout camp in Kanawha County.

Located onsite is the Claudia L. Workman Wildlife Education Center, which opened in 2022. It features educational exhibits and programs relating to animals and plants indigenous to the watershed. It also discusses the area’s history, including the region’s early cannel coal history and the Coal River Navigation Company, which built an innovative series of locks and dams on the Big Coal in the 1850s. The center was inspired by former coal operator Jack Workman and his wife, Claudia, who donated the land.

It is located at 301 Forks of Coal War, Alum Creek WV 25003. The center is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9-4:30.

Visit the natural area’s website here: https://forksofcoalfoundation.org/.