About Moonville Tunnel
Moonville was once a small settlement built around mining and the railroad in the wooded hills of southeastern Ohio. The community eventually disappeared, but one piece of transportation infrastructure survived conspicuously well: a brick-lined railroad tunnel cut through the hillside.
The railroad brought employment and access to an isolated region, while local mines and industries helped sustain the settlement. As those jobs disappeared and transportation patterns changed, Moonville dwindled until the community itself effectively vanished.
The tunnel remained. Its arched brick entrance now stands along the Moonville Rail Trail surrounded by forest, making it look less like abandoned infrastructure than a doorway to a place that no longer exists. The former rail corridor has been converted for public recreational use.
The trail is managed by the Vinton County Park District and has posted hours and rules. Motorized vehicles, camping, fires, and vandalism are prohibited. Visitors should use designated access points and current trail information rather than treating the surrounding land as unrestricted abandoned property.