Gilbert (West Virginia)

Gilbert is a town in Mingo County, in the New River and Greenbrier Valleys of West Virginia, with a population at the 2020 census of 450. The town motto is "you should see the hills from here!"

Understand
On the banks of the Guyandotte River, Gilbert is along US-52 roughly halfway between Welch and Williamson. Visited by thousands of tourists each year, scenic Gilbert offers a number of outdoor recreation opportunities in its vicinity, yet remains a destination off the well-beaten tourist path.

Although it's within Mingo County, Gilbert and its surroundings are closer to the city of Logan in Logan County than to the Mingo County seat of Williamson. Operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers, R.D. Bailey Lake is several miles east of Gilbert on the Guyandotte River and is locally popular for camping and boating. The Hatfield-McCoy ATV trail system has several facilities in the Gilbert area, making the town a popular stop for ATV riders.

Get in
An automobile is necessary to reach Gilbert. Gilbert is just under an hour each from Williamson and Welch on US-52. From the Logan area, WV-52 connects to Gilbert after branching off from WV-10 in Man. WV-97 enters the Gilbert area from Pineville in the east, connecting with US-52 east of the suburban community of Justice.

Get around
An automobile is the only way to explore the region, trips within the tiny town center of Gilbert can be made on foot.

Do

 * Hatfield-McCoy ATV Trail System: Located near several units of this vast network of ATV trails, Gilbert is a popular choice for lodging and dining for ATV enthusiasts riding the trails.
 * Twisted Gun Golf Course

Sleep
While Gilbert lacks any major hotel chains in its immediate vicinity, there are numerous small locally-owned hotels and B&Bs catering especially to those using the ATV trail systems in the area.

Go next

 * Logan is half an hour north, accessed by using WV-80 north less than 20 minutes into the Logan suburb of Man; to WV-10 North into central Logan.
 * Pineville is 40 minutes east on WV-97. Twin Falls Resort State Park is nearby.
 * Williamson is 50 minutes west on US-52
 * Welch is almost 50 minutes east on US-52
 * Charleston is 1.5 hours away
 * Beckley is 1.5 hours away