Sunrise Carriage Trail
Parking available at top and bottom, (304) 348-6458. Open dawn-dusk. Free. Dogs ok on a leash. Brochure.
Once this delightful walking trail served as the carriage road up to Sunrise, the stately residence of the ninth governor of West Virginia, William Alexander MacCorkle. Currently the 1905, 36-room, Georgian-style Sunrise Mansion is privately owned and inhabited by a law firm.
In the garden is a monument to astronaut Christa McAuliffe, who was the first American civilian to go into space and who died aboard the Challenger space shuttle when it exploded on January 28, 1986.
The shady, wide trail leads from here for just over a half-mile down to an access road. It took me a leisurely hour to walk down.
Near the top of the Sunrise Carriage Trail, the governor’s ashes are buried beneath a monument to Isabelle MacCorkle, his daughter, which was vandalized and then replaced with a newer version, which unfortunately has also been vandalized and is missing its hands.
Along the way is a marker commemorating where the bodies of two women were found during construction of the trail in 1905. It is said that they were executed here as spies, and their remains were reburied here under the marker. Legend has it that their ghosts haunt the hollow. Some of the unmortared short stone walls lining the trail have lovely tops engraved with leaves.
At the base is a pleasant pocket park with a creek and a bench where you can rest and reflect.
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| entrance to Sunrise Carriage Trail in Charleston, West Virginia |
Once this delightful walking trail served as the carriage road up to Sunrise, the stately residence of the ninth governor of West Virginia, William Alexander MacCorkle. Currently the 1905, 36-room, Georgian-style Sunrise Mansion is privately owned and inhabited by a law firm.
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| Sunrise mansion at top of Sunrise Carriage Trail in Charleston, West Virginia |
In the garden is a monument to astronaut Christa McAuliffe, who was the first American civilian to go into space and who died aboard the Challenger space shuttle when it exploded on January 28, 1986.
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| monument to astronaut Christa McAuliffe in garden at top of Sunrise Carriage Trail in Charleston, West Virginia |
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| view of city from garden at top of Sunrise Carriage Trail i n Charleston, West Virginia |
The shady, wide trail leads from here for just over a half-mile down to an access road. It took me a leisurely hour to walk down.
 |
| Sunrise Carriage Trail in Charleston, West Virginia |
Near the top of the Sunrise Carriage Trail, the governor’s ashes are buried beneath a monument to Isabelle MacCorkle, his daughter, which was vandalized and then replaced with a newer version, which unfortunately has also been vandalized and is missing its hands.
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| monument to Isabelle MacCorkle near top of Sunrise Carriage Trail in Charleston, West Virginia |
Along the way is a marker commemorating where the bodies of two women were found during construction of the trail in 1905. It is said that they were executed here as spies, and their remains were reburied here under the marker. Legend has it that their ghosts haunt the hollow. Some of the unmortared short stone walls lining the trail have lovely tops engraved with leaves.
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| stone engraved with fern on Sunrise Carriage Trail in Charleston, West Virginia |
At the base is a pleasant pocket park with a creek and a bench where you can rest and reflect.
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| pocket park at bottom of Sunrise Carriage Trail in Charleston, West Virginia |
Getting Here
bottom entrance: Just over the South Side Bridge before Bridge Road.
top entrance: On Myrtle Road just before the entrance to the MacCorkle Mansion, also known as Sunrise Mansion.
More things to do in Charleston, West Virginia.
More ideas for exploring the U.S.
Nice "little" mansion! Good for the law firm that uses it as an office. They have great views of Charleston. We have fond memories of the city from our RVing days.
ReplyDeleteWhat a restful looking walk that looks: perfect for quiet reflection.
ReplyDeleteThx for this glimpse of West Virginia, Carole. It looks like a place I would enjoy.
ReplyDelete