THE MC CLINTIC WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA - A.K.A. THE "TNT AREA"

The McClintic Wildlife Management Area is one of the most controversial, interesting, and downright spooky places I've ever been.
Situated about 5 miles north of Point Pleasant, along Route 62, this reserve was originally owned and used by the United States Army, and was known as the West Virginia Ordnance Works- locally known even today as the "TNT area". The Army purchased some 8,000+ acres in the backwoods of Mason County upon which to construct a very large and labyrinthine compound for the production, storage, and even waste dumping of munitions and byproducts manufactured for World War II. The primary product produced was Trinitrotoluene, or TNT.
The site was top secret and hidden away. Local vegetation, even large trees, was permitted to grow all around and on top of many of the structures in order to camouflage the site from the air. I was told that the W.V. Ordnance Works was #2 on the bombing list of America's enemies, and thus was treated as a serious security matter.

The Ordnance Works was only operational for a few years, from 1942-1945. When the war ended, the site was essentially abandoned. The workers drove away from the site honking their horns, eager to return home after what must have been many grueling days of labor working in the power plants, chemical plants, ammunition factories, storage bunkers, and waste dumps. For years after the work stopped, the site remained in the hands of the government. Eventually, over 2,000 acres of land were given to the state, and the McClintic Wildlife Management Area was developed. I suspect that this was more or less the Army's way of dodging responsibility for cleaning up after itself. In fact, many of the buildings are still fully intact and even operational to this day. Many of the munitions storage bunkers, called "igloos" because of their domed shape, are actually privately leased, and are sealed by thick metal doors, locked by large, protected padlocks. In 2012, one of the igloos exploded, and the government had to admit to local citizens that, indeed, some of the igloos still contained dangerous explosives. I have an arial photo of the exploded igloo on the "igloos" page.

Of course, a lot of toxic waste was dumped on-site, and still today there are stored chemicals and leftover residues that penetrate the ground, polluting the groundwater. As stated on another page, the town of Cheshire, right across the Ohio river was once declared the "2nd most toxic cit in the U.S.". High rates of cancer and colitis are blamed on the 3 nearby power plants, as well as toxic waste from the TNT area. Reports of mutated animals have even come from local hunters and fishermen.
The area is definately, completely fucked up from many forms of pollution. I do not recommend staying long, as there are toxic residues everywhere, even in the cleaned-out igloos.

The government still owns most of the land, and there are many reports of trespassing locals sneaking too deeply into the TNT area, and being suddenly confronted by armed guards in humvees telling them to keep away. The 2,000+ acre Wildlife Management Area is open to the public, and much hunting and fishing can be done there.

Anyhow, the TNT area was the location of the first, and many subsequent sightings of UFOs and the Mothman.
It may have taken refuge in the since demolished North Power Plant.

Mid-September sunset over the TNT area.

One of the many labyrinthine roads through this desolate place.

A few of the ruined viaducts used for dumping.

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