| Winding Gulf | |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA West Virginia |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of Winding Gulf in West Virginia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | West Virginia |
| Subdivision Type3: | County |
| Subdivision Name3: | Raleigh |
| Length: | 15.5miles |
| Source1 Location: | eastern Wyoming County |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 37.6498°N -81.2579°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 2536feet[1] |
| Mouth: | Guyandotte River |
| Mouth Location: | Amigo |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 37.5976°N -81.3215°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 1558feet |
| Basin Size: | 21.63sqmi |
Winding Gulf is a 15.5miles long[2] tributary of the Guyandotte River in Raleigh County, West Virginia. Winding Gulf is part of the Mississippi River watershed via the Guyandotte and Ohio Rivers, and drains an area of 21.63mi2 in a rural area on the Allegheny Plateau.[3]
Winding Gulf's entire course and drainage area are in southern Raleigh County. It rises about 2.3miles west-southwest of Princewick and initially flows to the north, passing through the community of Winding Gulf. It then turns west to follow the Norfolk and Western Railroad and flows through the communities of Big Stick and McAlpin. At McAlpin, it turns to the south to run along County Route 30 and West Virginia Route 16; this portion of the creek flows through the communities of Stotesbury, Tams, Ury, and Helen. Stonecoal Creek flows into Winding Gulf from the east in Stonecoal Junction, and shortly past their confluence, Winding Gulf flows into the Guyandotte River from the north in Amigo.[4] [5] [6]
According to 1992 U.S. Geological Survey data, 92.54% of the Winding Gulf watershed was forested; 3.99% was used for agriculture, 1.67% for mining, and 1.82% for other uses.[3]