Five Amazing Things to Do in New River Gorge National Park
Visiting New River Gorge National Park
I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect on my visit to New River Gorge National Park. I hadn’t done much traveling in West Virginia before the trip, and I had heard very little about New River Gorge National Park. However, I was pleasantly surprised and blown away with the natural beauty and history of the park. If you are an avid National Park traveler, you need to add New River Gorge to your list.
New River Gorge National Park is located in the southern part of West Virgina. The park covers over 70,000 acres of mountainous land running along the New River. NRGNP is well known for hiking and water sports, as well as rock climbing and mountain biking. I was lucky enough to visit in the spring when you can also experience comfortable temperatures, expansive greenery, excellent migratory bird watching, and a park filled with beautiful wildflowers. Continue reading for my favorite activities in the park
Five Amazing Things to Do in New River Gorge National Park
Canyon Rim Visitor Center
The Canyon Rim Visitor Center is a great place to start your adventure at New River Gorge National Park. It’s the perfect way to get introduced to the park and take in some of the spectacular views. After you check out the visitor center, view the exhibits, and get information on your selected activities, I highly suggest heading out of the back of the visitor center. Here is an accessible back deck where you can take in your first peak at the New River. The deck provides visitors with a two-mile southward view of the river. This is honestly one of my favorite views of the river, and if you stick around for a bit, you might be able to watch white water rafters taking on the river.
Another great thing to do at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center is head out on an accessible boardwalk to get your first look at the New River Gorge bridge. This is NOT one of the best views of the bridge, but it is one of the most accessible views of the bridge. For that reason, I really appreciate this view. I also enjoy that it gives you a chance to better understand the location, as well as your position in the park relative to your surroundings. Honestly, this is just a great starting point to get you excited about everything you’ll experience in the park!
Insider Tip: New River Gorge National Park is a very dog-friendly national park. They are allowed on trails, the back-deck, as well as the boardwalk to the bridge views. However, they are not allowed in national park buildings, and this includes the visitor center. If you need more information on the pet policy, check it out here.
Fayette Station Road Driving Tour
History
If you enjoy learning about history but also enjoy taking in beautiful scenery, this is an activity for you. This self-driving 8-mile journey takes you on the historical main route travelers used to cross the New River before 1977. For roughly 100 years, individuals would journey from the top of the gorge down to the river to cross and then back up the other side of the gorge. This journey would take roughly 45 minutes. On October 22, 1977, the modern New River Gorge bridge was complete, and the new bridge cut travel time down to less than one minute!
The modern bridge is one of the highest bridges in the United States, soaring 876 feet above the New River. As you can see in my images, there is now a replica original bridge, which opened in 1998. It became part of the historical route that you get to cross on the Fayette Station Road Driving Tour. You’ll also get gorgeous views of the modern New River Gorge Bridge as you cross the replica original bridge.
Accessibility
I love that this activity provides an accessible option in the park. The road is not very wide. It does switch to one-way traffic at times, and the route can be rather windy. But, as long as you have a car, you can participate in this tour! (Please be aware that it’s not advised for large vehicles, RVs, or trailers to participate in this activity. The visitor center suggests checking in with them in you’re unsure about your vehicle.) Interested in learning more before your trip, check out this information on the drive from the national park.
Insider Tip: Make sure to pick up information from the visitor center before heading out on the driving tour. They have some excellent pamphlets and information to help you during the self-driving tour! They can also help you download the free audio tour that will teach you about the history of this route.
Endless Wall Trail
I hiked the Endless Wall Trail as a loop. Per AllTrails, this ended up being a 3.2-mile loop. The trail is also dog-friendly, which is a fantastic bonus! I enjoyed this trail for a variety of reasons. The first is the view at Diamond Point Lookout that you’re awarded with about halfway into the hike. However, I also really enjoyed the creek crossing and lush forest surroundings. Since it was spring, I also spotted Laurel Mountain wildflowers in abundance and crossed off a few warblers on my bird watching life list since my visit was during spring migration. (There were quite a few hooded warblers on the trail.) So overall, this was a very easy and pleasant hike. Check out this article for more information on the hike as well as some beautiful photos.
Insider Tip: If you decide to do this hike as a loop, please be aware you will need to walk on the road from the Nuttall parking lot back to the Fern Creek parking lot (roughly 0.5 miles). However, there is a bit of a gravel path right next to the road, so you won’t be walking directly on the road, which makes it a bit safer. It’s also best to park at the Fern Creek parking lot (if space is available) because you will be able to walk downhill from the Nuttall parking lot back to your car at the end of your hike!
Thurmond
This is a must if you want to explore and learn about this once prosperous railroad town on the New River. This was one of my favorite stops on my New River Gorge trip. So, make sure you visit the New River ghost town of Thurmond in Fayette County. When you reach the Thurmond Historic District, it is a short walk through the downtown area. There are signs and exhibits posted so you can learn more about how the railroad and the coal industry helped the town thrive. There are also walking tour brochures that you can pick up at various visitor centers.
In the early 1900’s, Thurmond was a successful steam town. The railroad and the coal industry put Thurmond on the map. In the 1920s, Thurmond had up to 20 passenger trains arriving and departing daily. At its peak, the town had two hotels, two banks, various stores (clothing, jewelry, and dry goods), a movie theatre, restaurants, and various offices. The town served as many as 95,000 passengers a year. But things started to change when automobiles became more popular and steam trains changed to diesel. A once booming town, now known as a ghost town. The National Park restored and preserved some of the buildings that were still left, starting in 2003. Now, park goers can visit and learn about this once thriving town. Check out the self-guided walking tour of Thurmond here!
Insider Tip: Please be aware that the railroad is still in use, so it’s important to use caution when crossing at the designated railroad crossing. You also might be lucky enough to see a train on your visit. I saw one in the hour or so that I was visiting the town.
Long Point Hike
This hike surprised me with my absolute favorite views of the New River Bridge. I would make sure this hike is on your list. If you only have time for one hike, pick this one. The Long Point Trail is a relatively easy 3.0 mile out and back hike with outstanding views of the gorge, New River Bridge, and the river itself. I do want to point out that this hike takes you to a beautiful viewpoint before you head back, but for the majority of the hike, you will be walking in the forest. If you’re visiting in spring or summer, you might be able to spot mountain laurel and wild rhododendron, but for the most part you will be hiking without viewpoints, the trail is mainly shaded however, so that does makes it enjoyable!
Insider Tip: This is a popular mountain biking trail, so please be aware that you will be sharing the trail with mountain bikes.
Bonus: Glade Creek Grist Mill
Outside of New River Gorge National Park in Babcock State Park is one of the most photographed grist mills in all of West Virginia. It is a popular place to visit when traveling to the New River Gorge National Park. In Babcock State Park, you will also find hiking trails well as accommodations (cabins and camping). If time permits, I highly suggest a visit. It’s a beautiful and peaceful location.
Where to Stay
This really depends on what you want to focus your trip on as well as the time of year you will be visiting. Currently, as of writing this, some of the visitor centers in the park are seasonal. On my visit, I decided I wanted to stay close to Canyon Rim Visitor Center since this is the visitor center closest to the New River bridge. I’m also a huge advocate on checking into a visitor center before hitting the trails. I think it’s wise to get expert opinions as well as park information at the visitor center to keep yourself, your family, and, of course, your pup safe when out on the trials. So, based on the Canyon Rim Visitor Center being open year-round and its proximity to the bridge, I selected to stay in the area. I landed on the city of Oak Hill but if I were to return to the park, I would most likely try to stay in Fayetteville as I really enjoyed the historical district of the city and would like to be closer to this area.
More Adventure
- Hike the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio
- In the south of the NRGNP, you can visit Sandstone Falls
- Feeling adventures? Try the NRG bridge walk
- Grab lunch at Cathedral Cafe, one of my favorite places in Fayetteville.
Almost Heaven, West Virginia…Adventure Awaits!