Explore the Newest National Park: New River Gorge
Post summary: Everything you need to know about America’s 63rd National Park, located in West Virginia.
The New River Gorge was recently named the 63rd National Park back in December 2020. It had been a designated National River since 1978. The park protects and preserves 53 miles of the new river and the 70,000+ acres of the gorge created by the river. The gorge has been a longtime cherished playground with lots of history in West Virginia.
Since there is no entrance fee to the park and more than one way to enter, you won’t have to worry about long lines and traffic like you would at parks out west such as Yellowstone. There are 4 visitor centers within New River Gorge: Sandstone, Grandview, Canyon Rim, and Thurmond, all providing maps and important information about the park.
View of the New River from Diamond Point
Interesting Facts about New River Gorge
The New River is believed to be the second oldest river in the world.
During the nation’s need for coal, roughly 50 towns sprang up along the New River.
The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway was completed in 1873 through the gorge, allowing West Virginia to greatly contribute to the industrialization of the United States.
Know Before You Go
Getting There & Around
The park is located in Glen Jean, in the New River-Greenbrier Valley region of West Virginia. Nearby towns include Hinton, Fayetteville, and Beckley. The easiest way to the park is via Route 19 and I-64. New River Gorge is about 1.5 hours southeast of Charleston.
Given the size of the park, a lot of driving time is required. Many of the roads are narrow and winding, meaning larger vehicles and RV’s are not recommended. Some of the roads are one-way only, making your route even longer.
When to Visit
Knowing when to visit New River Gorge entirely depends on what your goal is and what you want out of your trip. The park is open year-round, with things to do every season.
Spring: You’re able to see the beautiful Catawba Rhododendrons bloom.
Summer: Great time to go white water rafting.
Fall: Cooler weather and spectacular views for the fall colors.
Winter: Enjoy the park covered in snow with fewer crowds.
Little Beaver State Park Campsite
Where to Stay
Camping
New River Gorge only offers primitive camping, with spots located along the river on a first-come-first-served basis. These sites are free to use, with a maximum of eight people per site. The park also allows backcountry camping along certain trails. Group camping is also available at two established camp areas.
Non-National Park Service campgrounds include Rifrafters Campground and Gorge Gateway Center.
Resorts & Cabins
Other Stays Near the Park
Hotels and Airbnb’s in nearby towns such as Beckley, Fayetteville, or Oak Hill
Little Beaver State Park campground
Babcock State Park campground and cabins
Hawks Nest State Park lodge
Where to Eat
Fayetteville: As the heart of the New River Gorge, there are tons of local and chain restaurants here to choose from. Most notably Pies & Pints, The Station, and Cathedral Cafe.
Beckley: As the hub of southern West Virginia, there’s many food options here as well. Be sure to try The Char, King Tut Drive-In, or Tamarack.
Hinton: A smaller town with a few chains and local restaurants. Most notably Chestnut Revival, Lucky Rivers Cafe, River City Grill, and the Market on Courthouse Square.
Oak Hill: A few chains and local restaurants here.
Wildlife Safety
Black bears are common in West Virginia, but rarely an issue. They are occasionally spotted in the New River Gorge, so just read up on your bear safety before coming to the park. Bobcats, Northern Copperhead, and Timber Rattlesnakes have also been spotted in the park before. Remember, it is illegal to kill snakes in the NRG as they are a protected species.
Best Sights to See in the New River Gorge
Most of the scenic viewpoints in the park will allow you to look down and see the railroad tracks, offering a glimpse into the past and what makes the New River Gorge unique.
Part of Sandstone Falls from the Boardwalk
Sandstone Falls
The largest waterfall in the park at 1500 feet wide, divided by small islands where the river drops 10 to 25 feet, Sandstone Falls should be high on your list of sights to see in the park. The route to the parking lot requires a lot of driving but there are many scenic overlooks, river access points, trails, and more along the way. You’ll have to cross the bridge at Hinton in order to continue to the falls.
The parking lot isn’t very large, but the walk across the boardwalk to the falls is fairly quick if you don’t want to hike any trails here. This area is a great place to see the New River’s transformation from a wide mountain stream to a whitewater gorge.
Be very careful if entering the river around here, as it has been the site of many drownings.
Grandview Overlook
Grandview Overlook
Probably one of the most dramatic views in the entire park, the Grandview Overlook is located about 1400 feet above the New River. From the main overlook, you’ll be able to see the active railway in the and town of Quinnimont, which is where the first coal was shipped out of the gorge in 1873. In the late spring/early summer, this is an excellent place to view the Catawba Rhododendrons.
View of the New River Gorge Bridge from the Canyon Rim Boardwalk
New River Gorge Bridge
Completed in 1977 to reduce travel time, the 3,030-foot long New River Gorge Bridge became a work of art; being the longest steel span in the Western Hemisphere (a little over half a mile long) and the third-highest in the United States. The bridge spans the New River, about 876 feet above. There’s a few ways to view the bridge, most notable from the Canyon Rim Boardwalk or from the Long Point trail. You can also book a Bridge Walk, which allows you to walk underneath the highway along a 2-foot wide catwalk that’s about 2.5 miles total. Every year, West Virginia holds its largest single-day festival at the bridge on the third Saturday in October. Visitors from all over come to watch people BASE jump into the gorge below on Bridge Day, which started in 1980. There’s also food and craft vendors along the entire bridge, which closes down for all vehicle traffic.
View from Fayette Station Road Bridge
Fayette Station Road
Before the New River Gorge Bridge was built, people had to travel down the mountain roads and across the New River via the hundred-year-old Fayette Station Road. The one-way road is very windy but offers numerous scenic views and pull-offs. There’s a very small parking lot at the Fayette Station Bridge to cross the river, and it offers a different perspective of the New River Gorge Bridge. This road is not suitable for larger vehicles, and should also be avoided in the wintertime due to steep dropoffs and tight switchbacks.
Town of Nuttallburg
Nuttallburg was the second mining town in the gorge to ship coal and continued to thrive for the next few decades. In the 1920s Henry Ford leased the mines here to provide coal for his company’s steel mills. After eight years, he sold his interests in the mines when his plan for “vertical integration” failed. Once the need for New River coal declined, production eventually ceased in 1958, leaving nothing but empty buildings left behind. Fast forward to 1998, the Nuttall family transferred the town to the National Park Service and was eventually placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Years later the park cleared the vegetation and stabilized the remaining structures, which makes it one of the most intact examples of a coal mining complex in the state and country.
Getting to the town is not always easy, as the one-lane road is narrow, winding, and steep. Larger vehicles are not recommended. Along the way, you’ll actually be passing what was once Nuttallberg’s African American community.
The road closes occasionally when there’s a washout making the town inaccessible.
Town of Thurmond
Once a classic boomtown, the town of Thurmond had the largest revenue on the C&O Railway from the coal mines. With many coal barons as residents, the banks here were the richest in the state. With the decline of coal production here, the town eventually closed down. Today, the town is virtually untouched, as modern development has not affected the area. There’s even an annual reunion for former residents and the Thurmond Depot is now a visitor center for the National Park Service.
Similar to Nuttallburg, the route here is also a winding, narrow road not suitable for larger vehicles.
Best Activities to do in the New River Gorge
Whitewater Rafting
The New and Gauley Rivers offer many opportunities. The upper part of the river is where you’ll find the easier rapids of Class I to III. If you’re looking for some Class III to V whitewater rafting, then you’ll want to head to the lower gorge of the New River.
Local vendors offer trips typically from April through October.
View from the Long Point trail
Hiking
With almost 100 miles of trails, you’re bound to find a trail to hike that you’ll be thinking about long after your trip. Many of the trails lead to stunning overlooks, waterfalls, or old mines, offering something special for everyone to enjoy.
Here are some popular trails:
Grandview Rim trail
Glade Creek trail
Sandstone Falls Boardwalk/Island Loop trail
Bridge trail
Canyon Rim Boardwalk
Endless Wall trail
Kaymoor Miners trail
Long Point trail
Long-distance hikers can also participate in the 100 Mile Challenge, where you can keep track of how many miles you’ve hiked in the park, and when you hit 100, you get a special decal.
Endless Wall trail
Rock Climbing
There’s over 1,600 established climbing routes in the gorge, making it one of the most popular spots for rock climbing in the country. The hard sandstone rocks range from 30 to 120 feet, and most routes are angled towards more experienced climbers.
Ace Adventure Resort
Located in Oak Hill, at Ace Adventure you can go zip lining at the only course with views of the gorge. You can also spend the day at the waterpark playing in the water or sunbathing on the sand. The resort also has whitewater rafting, dining, or check out the Concho Rim Overlook located behind the property.
Other Activities & Sights to see in the New River Gorge
Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park
Nearby Places to Explore
Hawk’s Nest State Park
Babcock State Park
Kanawha Falls
Cathedral Falls
Summersville Lake
Gauley River National Recreation Area
Bluestone State Park
Pipestem Resort State Park
>> Related: 3 State Parks In West Virginia You Must Visit <<
Leave No Trace!
This part of West Virginia is remote and not accustomed to the massive crowds other National Parks receive. It’s very important to Leave No Trace here (and everywhere you go).
Here are the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace:
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
I’d also like to add if you see a busy trailhead, consider going to a different trail, instead of parking somewhere you’re not allowed to.
Two Day Itinerary in the New River Gorge
Planning a trip to the New River Gorge and don’t know where to start? No worries! Here’s the itinerary I went by on my most recent trip to the area.
Day One
You’ll most likely be driving through Charleston to get to the park, so you’ll want to stop at Kanawha Falls and Cathedral Falls since they’re both amazing roadside waterfalls. Kanawha Falls is as wide as the width of the namesake river, and you simply need to park at the public fishing area to view it. As for Cathedral Falls right down the road, there’s a small parking lot and a very short walk to the falls (this is a seasonal waterfall so it’s best to visit after a good rainfall).
Continuing on Route 60, you can detour to Hawk’s Nest State Park to get your first glimpse of the New River at the park’s stunning overlook. Once you’re done, head south for about 15 minutes and you’ll arrive at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, where you can learn about the New River Gorge. Then head over to the boardwalk to walk down to one of the best views of the New River Gorge Bridge.
Next up is the Endless Wall Trail, and you have two options: take the entire trail which starts and ends at two different trailheads and walk the road back to your car, or you can turn around and take the trail back. The trail is about 2.3 miles trailhead to trailhead. The other option is to simply hike to the halfway Diamond Point overlook, which has an amazing view of the gorge and the river.
After that, you get to take a scenic route along Fayette Station Road down to the lower bridge, which also provides a phenomenal view of the New River Gorge Bridge from below. There’s many pull-offs and scenic views along the way. Then you’ll be heading back up the gorge to the Long Point Trailhead. This is about a 3-mile trail that leads to one of the best views of the New River Gorge Bridge from afar.
The final stop of your day will be the Glade Creek Grist Mill in Babcock State Park, probably one of the most photographed locations in the entire state of West Virginia. If you still have some time to explore, then consider exploring more of Babcock as it is a beautiful area.
Day Two
The second day is filled with fewer activities since there’s a lot more driving involved because of the layout of the lower section of the gorge. So you’ll want to start your day at the Concho Rim Overlook, which can be found behind ACE Adventure Resort. Continuing with the overlook theme, the next stop will be the Grandview Overlook and Visitor Center. Here you can get one of the most dramatic views of the gorge and learn about the area.
Heading down to the southern part of the park, you will arrive at the Sandstone Visitor Center before heading to Sandstone Falls. The drive there is filled with many pull-offs and other scenic sites that you can stop at. Once you’ve arrived at the parking lot, you can walk along the boardwalk to explore this section of the New River and Sandstone Falls. The boardwalk and the Island Loop trail are only about a mile long.
If there’s anything else in the park you want to explore then expect some more driving; Sandstone Falls back to the Canyon Rim Overlook is about 1.5 hours.
