Pineville is located in the narrow winding valley carved through the rugged West Virginia mountains by the Guyandotte River, and also along Rockcastle Creek, a tributary of the Guyandotte. The Guyandotte, which flows a total of 166 miles, eventually empties into the Ohio River. Another nearby tributary of the Guyanddotte, Pinnacle Creek, offers great trout fishing in season, and also provides access to the Hatfield-McCoy trail system, which is a favorite of four wheelers, or all terrain vehicles.
I have two great memories of Pinnacle Creek. I caught a beautiful rainbow trout there, to the admiring cheers of my sons, Gregory and Christopher, who were just little tykes at the time. An even more vivid memory is of baptizing four new Christian converts in this creek on a cold January Sunday afternoon, with ice along the fringes of the swift flowing stream, near it's confluence with the Guyandotte. We waded in waist deep and I baptized them by immersion. The four new believers, all teenagers, didn't want to wait until warmer weather to be baptized. It chilled our bodies, but not our souls.
The Guyandotte River is not well developed as far as it's scenic and recreational potential is concerned, but anywhere you may find yourself in Pineville you are never far from it's shore. This view of the river is from a bridge that crosses the river, connecting the downtown Pineville from two city schools and a residential area. Most people here take their river for granted, but to me it is a beauty spot that should be protected, shown off and cherished.
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