The 45-mile Mud River a tributary of the Guyandotte River, drains parts of western West Virginia (WV). The river rises in Boone County at Mud Gap and flows northwestward for 72 miles across Lincoln County into Cabell County to Barboursville, WV.
The Upper Mud River Wildlife Management Area is located along the Mud River upstream of Palermo, WV, where the river and its right fork converge.
History of the Mud River
Congress permitted the assembly of a flood-control reservoir on the river in 1938, but, due to a lack of public interest, the project was never fulfilled. In the mid-1990s, a flood-control dam was built on the upper Mud River, creating a 306-acre lake near Palermo, WV.
Mud River Communities
From source to mouth, the following select towns and villages are located on or near the Mud River.
Information on lodging, dining, and recreation on and near the lower river, downstream of Hamlin, may be found in our guide to travel in the Metro Valley Region, in western West Virginia. Information for the upper river, upstream of Hamlin, may be found in the Hatfields & McCoys Region, in southwestern West Virginia.