TNT Area

TNT igloo hidden by overgrowth. rachelshouston (Atlas Obscura User)

Robert Titus/used with permission

One of the 20 remaining bunkers. The igloo structures prevented a chain reaction in the case of one structure exploding. Exploration Appalachian (Atlas Obscura User)

One of the many structures remaining that once made TnT and ammunition for WWII. Exploration Appalachian (Atlas Obscura User)

Concrete stands that once held chemicals for making TNT during WWII Exploration Appalachian (Atlas Obscura User)

Robert Titus/used with permission

Inside one of the bunkers. Folks claim to have seen the image of the Mothman in the cracks.

Robert Titus/used with permission

For a brief period in late 1966 and early 1967, the West Virginia Ordnance Works, better known to locals as the TNT Area, was home to one of the United States’ most famous mythical creatures: the Mothman.

This curious cryptid was first seen at the gate of the abandoned munitions storage facility. Reported sightings in the area continued until the collapse of the Silver Bridge in December of 1967.

The Mothman and the circumstances around its mysterious appearance in Point Pleasant would later be chronicled in John Keel’s 1976 book The Mothman Prophecies and its 2002 movie adaptation.

While there seems to be no established theory explaining the mass sightings, nor a theory as to why the creature would choose the TNT Area as its home, the rows of World War II-era igloo-like bunkers and dilapidated laboratories give it all the ambiance a discerning monster could want. The TNT Area became a Superfund site in 1983 and is still undergoing cleanup and decontamination.

Know Before You Go

There are no signs or other markers for this site, and you have to hike to get to the bunkers. Traveling north on Route 62, turn right (east) onto Rt 11/Potters Creek Road. Where the pavement ends, bear right onto the long, straight road, due south. Take a hard right onto Park Forest 801 and travel about 3/4 of a mile and find one of the trails to the right and hike to the north. The bunkers will be about a 1/2 mile in, on both your right and left. Some of this is private property, so be respectful and prudent.

Make this an AO twofer with a visit to the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, about six miles south. And a three-fer if you see the Mothman Statue, right next to the museum.