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Updated 02/11/23 7:04 PM

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New River Gorge National Park

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve follows 53 miles of the New River and is spanned by a spectacular bridge.

West Virginia

2022

About The Park

As of 2020 New River Gorge National Park and Preserve became the 63rd and the latest addition to the National Park System. It is an exciting and beautiful park and a worthy addition to the list of National Parks.   

Few highways cross the gorge. The most dramatic bridge by far is the New River Gorge Bridge on U.S. Highway 19. This steel arch bridge spans 1,700 feet (518 m), with the roadway 876 feet (267 m) above the river. This structure is the third-longest single-arch bridge in the world. At the time it was built, the New River Gorge Bridge was the world's highest bridge carrying a regular roadway. The bridge is within walking distance from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center but pedestrian traffic is not allowed on it.

New River Gorge National Park is not only quite scenic, but also offers numerous opportunities for the full range of outdoor activities. There are many hiking trails of all difficulty ranges and there is also mountain biking, rock climbing, camping, horseback riding, fishing and, with restrictions, hunting. The river is world famous for its white-water recreation such as rafting, kayaking and canoeing.

There are over 1,400 climbing routes with many of them along the sheer cliffs of the Endless Wall.

Many open ledges and overlooks along the rim of the gorge offer great views of the gorge, river and the bridge. Hawks Nest State Park also has an overlook and beautiful views from the lodge area.

On one day of the year, on the third Saturday in October, West Virginia has their Bridge Day festival. On this day the bridge is closed to traffic and becomes accessible to pedestrians who come to watch people base-jumping and rappelling down from the catwalk beneath the roadway.

The park has a long history of coal mining and old mines and the abandoned towns of Thurmond, Nuttalburg and Kaymoor are there for touring and exploring. The coal is considered to be among the best bituminous coal in the world. From some overlooks on the west side of the gorge you can see mountains without tops that were mined by removing the tops of the mountain to expose the coal seams below. It almost looks like viewing the mesa’s in the west.

The New River is anything but new. In fact it is said to be one of the planet’s oldest rivers. In the early days of this country, when the area was being surveyed, it was unknown and the map makers put  ‘New River’ on the map as a place holder because it hadn’t been named at that time. The name stuck and was from then on known as the New River.

Wildlife

The park is home to deer, beavers, river otters, mink and muskrat. The rivers and streams provide habitat for a diverse variety of amphibians like the hellbender which is a type of large salamander, black-bellied salamanders and cave salamanders. There are almost 40 species of reptiles some of which are the eastern fence lizard, stinkpot turtles, box turtles, snapping turtles, river cooters (a type of freshwater turtle), five-lined skinks, copperhead snakes and black rat snakes.

Along with many species of smaller birds there are also bald eagles, osprey, great blue herons, kingfishers,  loons, cormorants and hooded mergansers.

Lodging

There is no typical national park lodge in the park. Ample lodging can be found in Fayetteville and Beckley where many of the usual national chains have lodging available. There is also a modern lodge in Hawk’s Nest State Park which is about a 20-30 minute drive northwest of the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. I mention this as an option but have to recommend against it due to the roads you have to take. If your objective is touring the National Park then having to take that drive daily could become wearisome.

Hiking

Canyon Rim Boardwalk

This 0.1 mile ‘trail’ is next to the Canyon Rim Visitor Center and descends 178 steps down to an overlook with a view of the New River Gorge Bridge.
 

Endless Wall Trail

This trail, a short ride down the road from the visitor center, ascends gently through the forest to the Endless Wall. The Wall is a sheer rock face set into the side of the gorge about 1,000 feet above the river. The typical destination is Diamond Point on the edge of the Wall which gives you a beautiful view of the river below and a view of the New River Gorge Bridge. The hike is, at a minimum, about a 2 plus mile out-and-back hike from the Fern Creek trailhead. Once you reach Diamond Point you will notice trails that meander along the top of the Wall. These trails lead to different viewpoints and often have views of the Wall looking back from rock outcroppings and different views of the bridge. All of the outcroppings have very significant drop-offs and require all of your attention. This trail is not suitable for young children.

Long Point Trail

On the opposite side of the gorge from the Endless Wall, this moderately rated trail travels mostly through the forest out to a knob of rock overlooking the gorge. It has an excellent view of the New River Gorge Bridge. The trail is about a 3.2 mile out-and-back mostly level walk to the overlook. It is only at the end that it descends moderately for the last 0.2 miles. The overlook has sheer drop-offs of hundreds of feet so those with a fear of heights, and young children, will want to stay back.

Sandstone Falls

While technically not in the National Park it is on the New River south of the Sandstone Visitor Center. The falls are a spectacular sight spanning 1,500 feet across the river. The boardwalk spans several islands all with great views of different parts of this river-spanning falls. There are also some short hikes off the boardwalk that you can take for different views. Getting there is a bit of a drive. The Sandstone Visitor Center is about 20 miles east of Beckley, West Virginia. From there it is about a 20 mile drive to the falls through the historic town of Hinton but well worth the effort.

Grandview Rim Trail

Located in the Grandview part of the park this is a series of interconnected trails that lead to overlooks of the gorge. The Main Overlook is reached via a short paved walkway and is 1,400 feet above the river.

Turkey Spur Overlook

Also in the Grandview area this is a short hike that takes you up a 150-step wooden staircase to the top of a very large rock with 360 degree views of the gorge and surrounding mountains. You can reach it by driving to the Turkey Spur parking area or hike along the Grandview Rim Trail. From here you can see how flat the tops of the mountains are above the Endless Wall and the mesa-like appearance of them.

Rafting In The Park

Before it became a National Park this area was, since 1978, part of the National Parks Service as the New River Gorge National River. It had long been know for its white water rafting and rafting and kayaking are still available by approved outfitters in the park. They offer class II-IV in season and, additionally, classes IV-V during the spring run-off.

Just north of the park is the Gauley River National Recreation Area. The Gauley River’s rapids are known to be the more difficult rapids. Looking at the National Park Service’s brochure you can see names like Pure Screaming Hell Rapids and Heaven Help You Rapids. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any easy place to get to the river where you can watch rafts and kayaks coming down rapids that sound as exciting as these do.

The only easy place to get to where you can view some rapids, the Fayette Station Rapids, is a parking area under the New River Gorge Bridge on the Fayette Station Road.

Other - Points of Interest etc

Fayette Station Road

This one-way road starts down the road from the visitor center and winds its way under the bridge down to the river. It crosses a replica of the original bridge across the New River which was removed when the New River Gorge Bridge was built. The replica bridge replaced it and the road crosses it. On the other side there is a parking area where you can watch the rafters and kayakers on the rapids under the bridge. The road then ascends up to U.S. Highway 19. The road is paved and easy but unsuitable, due to some tight switchbacks and turns, for RV’s and trailers.

Thurmond Historic District

This was once a thriving depot on the New River where the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad’s coal trains came through and were serviced. The old buildings still stand and have been restored and stabilized to preserve this relic of the past. At its peak, around 1910, 75,000 passengers passed through the town depot. The Thurmond Depot was restored as a visitor center. Currently Amtrak makes stops here when the train is flagged to stop.  

Kaymoor Mine

In this abandoned mining town you can see lots of old mining equipment and structures from its coal mining past. The only trail down to the mine is the Kaymoor Miners Trail that descends from the top of the gorge and is rated strenuous due to the elevation change. The longer but more moderate Kaymoor Trail was closed in 2022 due to an unstable slope.

Nuttalburg Mine

This is another old mining town along the river. Many mining structures still stand and the Park Service has been stabilizing and restoring them. There are hiking trails in the area and this is a location where you can see rafters and kayakers going down rapids. Getting to Nuttalburg, however, is a bit of a challenge. The road is narrow, winding and sometimes a one-lane unpaved road.

Hawk’s Nest State Park

This state park is just a short drive from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. There’s a lodge, a tram (being renovated in 2022) and a Jet Boat ride on the New River culminating at the rapids under the New River Gorge Bridge. The park's cliff top overlook along U.S. Route 60 provides a scenic vista of the New River, some 750 feet (230 m) below.

New River Gorge National Park Gallery

Other Resources

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve - NPS.gov

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve - Wikipedia

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve - West Virginia Tourism

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve - National Parks.Org

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve - Hiking

Rafting

Hawk’s Nest State Park - Wikipedia  

Other National Parks Within a Day’s Drive

Shenandoah National Park Known for its famous Skyline Drive it is 230 miles east and about a 3.5 hour drive.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park America’s most visited National Park is 270 miles to the southwest and about a 4.5 hour drive.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Located just outside of Cleveland, Ohio it is 300 miles due north and about a 4.5 hour drive. Cleveland has the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame which I would recommend if you plan to visit Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Congaree National Park The largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States is 345 miles to the southeast and about a 5.5 hour drive.

Mammoth Cave National Park Having the largest cave system in the U.S it is 365 miles to the west and about a 6 hour drive.

*N*P*Z*

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