Welcome to the Tawney Farm
The Tawney Farm is a small-scale sheep farm located next to the beautiful Gauley River National Recreation Area in the Mountain Lakes region of central West Virginia. Our 120 acres lie nestled in between two beautiful mountains -- one of them named Panther Mountain-- in the Gauley River gorge. Here we raise and sell Merino and Jacob sheep as well as wool. Our farm is also home to miniature horses, chickens, and of course dogs and cats.
AgriTourism Destination
The farm also offers primitive camping by reservation. Beautiful views and peace and quiet await you after a long day of whitewater rafting on the Gauley River. We're super convenient for boaters and kayakers because our farm is at the top of the hill from Mason's Branch on the Middle Gauley. The farm is also an outdoor venue for special events such as family reunions, weddings, private parties, music festivals, corporate retreats or group meetings with or without camping. Bird watchers and nature lovers will find our farm the perfect place to visit with access to nature trails. Super close to Summersville Lake & Dam, Carnifex Ferry (Civil War Battleground) State Park and just minutes from the beautiful Gauley River, you're sure to find something exciting to do in the Gauley River National Recreation Area. See the Campground, Campground Rules and Group Camping and Special Events pages for more details.
DirectionsThe Tawney Farm's coordinates are 38 13.844,-81 0.406 bordering the Gauley River National Recreation Area. WARNING: If your GPS tells you to take Vinton Road, IGNORE IT and continue on to Panther Mountain Road. Vinton Road is much too rough for a vehicle.
FROM RT. 19: Take Rt. 129 West from Rt. 19 towards Summersville Lake and Dam. Travel 9.9 miles towards Drennen. Turn left onto Panther Mountain Road (County Route 22 -- look for Park Service signs to Gauley River). The road is paved for about a mile then turns to a rock-based gravel road. Follow Panther Mountain Road for approximately 3.5 miles, going straight at the only fork in the road. Look for our sign on the right and follow the driveway. FROM RT. 39: Take Rt. 129 East at the BP Station at Drennen. Drive approximately 1 mile and turn right onto Panther Mountain Road (County Route 22 -- look for Park Service signs to Gauley River). The road is paved for about a mile then turns to a rock-based gravel road. Follow Panther Mountain Road for approximately 3.5 miles, going straight (right) at the only fork in the road. Look for our sign on the right and follow the driveway up the hill and through the gate.  |
History of Panther Mountain
The Panther Mountain area is rich in history. It's name comes from a story about a hunter who had killed two deer in the area known as High Rocks. Not being able to carry both deer home, he hung one of the deer he had killed in a tree to retrieve the next day. When he did return, he found two panthers at the foot of the tree eating his deer. He shot one panther and the other one turned on him. Not having time to reload his gun, he threw gunpowder in the eyes of the panther as it started to attack him, causing the panther to retreat some distance away until he got his gun loaded and shot it also. There are many Civil War stories about the area as well with several small skirmishes taking place between our farm and the little white church at the top of the hill. There's a beautiful farm house built in 1888 within a 1/4 mile of our farm that's been beauitfully preserved. Our own farm even has two graves -- those of small children from a previous owner that supposedly died of scarlett fever. For more information on Panther Mountain, see this link: http://www.wvculture.org/history/agrext/panther.html |
