Sewell Mountain, uplifted out of the sea millions of years ago when the Appalachian Mountains were being formed, is made of sedimentary rock, mostly shale and sandstone. Coal is the most important mineral here financially. A special layer is even called the Sewell coal seam.

Sewell Mountain is about eight miles long and sits higher than the New River Gorge, ranging from about 2,200 feet to 3,460 feet at its highest points (called "knobs"), such as Busters, Myles, Stevens, and Ford knobs. It's surrounded by other smaller mountains like Little Sewell, Fork, Sims, and Little Creek mountains. The water that drains off Sewell mostly flows into the New River.

Stephen Sewell explored the area in the mid-1700s, and many places, including the mountain, were named after him. In 1861, when General Robert E. Lee had his headquarters on the mountain's summit, he first saw what would become his Civil War horse, Traveller.

An ancient buffalo path through the mountain became an important road, the James River & Kanawha Turnpike, and later a part of U.S. 60.

Coal mining began in the 1870s. In addition, the Meadow River Lumber Company logged huge amounts of timber on Sewell Mountain from 1910 until it closed in 1970.

Today, Sewell Mountain is home to beautiful farms and woodlands, and the old U.S. 60 is now the Midland Trail Scenic Byway.