New River Gorge National Park
New River Gorge is the US’s newest National Park. Established in 2020, it is known for its rugged rock formations carved by one of the oldest river systems in the world. The area has a rich coal mining history and is also home to the longest single-span arch bridge in the US.
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve protects 53 miles of the New River and over 70,000 acres of the gorge that surrounds it. Some of West Virginia’s rarest plants grow here and it’s location makes this park quite accessible for those of us on the east coast and in the midwest.
Hiking, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting are some of the best things to do at New River Gorge National Park. It is West Virginia’s only National Park, and makes an excellent addition to an Appalachian road trip.
New River Gorge Facts
Annual Visitors: 1.7 million in 2023
Size: 72,000 acres
Location: West Virginia
Year Founded: December 27, 2020 (although New River National Monument was established in 1978)
Entrance Fee: None
Reservations Required?: No
Best Things to Do in New River Gorge
NEW RIVER GORGE BRIDGE: Visit the bridge overlook located right behind the Visitor’s Center or gear up and walk the catwalk underneath the bridge as part of a guided tour.
ENDLESS WALL TRAIL: Easy, popular trail with panoramic views over the gorge.
FAYETTE STATION ROAD: Fayette Station Road was the only way to cross the New River before the New River Gorge Bridge was built. You can drive this steep, winding, historic route and go back in time. The NPS website has a free audio tour that you can listen to as you drive.
GRANDVIEW OVERLOOK: The Grandview Overlook is a wonderful viewpoint of a 280-degree bend in the New River. It’s West Virginia’s own Horseshoe Bend!
THURMOND HISTORIC DISTRICT: In the early 1900’s, Thurmond was a bustling coal town.With the rise of diesel locomotives replacing steam engines plus the Great Depression, Thurmond declined rapidly in the 1930’s and 40’s. The NPS has worked to preserve and restore parts of this historic district, and you can explore it for yourself in New River Gorge National Park!
LONG POINT TRAIL: This trail is a 3-mile hike to an incredible overlook of the New River Gorge Bridge.
SANDSTONE FALLS: Sandstone Falls is the largest waterfall on the New River spanning 1500 feet across. You can visit an overlook of the falls and walk the short boardwalk trail for a closer look.
WHITEWATER RAFTING: The New River is a great whitewater rafting destination. There are rapids from Class I all the way to Class V to suit any skill level. There is a wide selection of tours, from half-day tours on the more calm parts of the river to overnight camping options.
NUTTALLBURG MINE TRAILS: These moderately strenuous series of trails take you on a hike down into the gorge to an old coal mine, and then down to the abandoned village of Nuttallburg. You can either turn around at the coal mine, or keep hiking down into the gorge to explore Nuttallburg. The history here is absolutely fascinating!
CASTLE ROCK TRAIL: This short trail takes you through towering rock walls and coal seams. The trailhead is located near Grandview Point.
ROCK CLIMBING: New River Gorge National Park is a well-known rock climbing destination. There are over 1400 established rock climbs in the park!
More on New River Gorge
When to Visit
The best time to visit New River Gorge National Park is in the spring, late summer, or fall. April, May, June, August, and September are the busiest months to visit.
Summer will be hot and crowded, but this is also a great time to see the rhododendron flowers blooming. The Catawba (purple flowers) bloom in mid-May and the Great (white and pink flowers) bloom in mid-June through early July. Summer highs are typically in the 80s with lows in the 60s, so it can still be pleasant to hike in the mornings and late afternoons.
Spring brings cooler temperatures, but more wet conditions. Trees will be green and wildflowers will be blooming.
Fall is also an excellent time to visit the park. Lower temperatures, crowd levels, and drier conditions make hiking very pleasant in the fall. We visited New River Gorge National Park in early September and we had great weather.
Peak fall foilage is usually in late October, and New River Gorge seems to be a less popular leaf-peeping destination than other nearby attractions, like New England and the Great Smoky Mountains so it can be a great way to avoid crowds.
How Many Days Do You Need?
Spending 2-3 days in New River Gorge National Park is the perfect amount of time to explore all areas of the park and fit in a few hikes. If you want to plan a whitewater rafting trip, go rock climbing, mountain biking, or spend more time hiking, there is plenty to do here to fill 4-5 days.
New River Gorge is quite a large park and it will take you awhile to drive between the 3 major areas: Canyon Rim, Grandview, and Sandstone. You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to account for the driving time.
There are also some cool State Parks nearby that you can visit as well.
We spent 2 days in New River Gorge, and I didn’t feel like that was enough time to thoroughly explore the park. I am already planning a trip back to do the things we missed!
How to Get There
New River Gorge National Park is situated in the heart of West Virginia. You’ll find it near the junction of Interstate 77 and 64, near Fayetteville and Beckley.
The closest airport is Yeager Airport in Charleston, which is an hour away from the park. The airport is quite small and flights can be expensive, though.
I would recommend a road trip if you’re less than a few states away, or flying into Pittsburgh, PA or Columbus, OH to save on airfare. Pittsburg is 3.5 hours away from New River Gorge and Columbus is 4 hours.
New River Gorge National Park Map
Where to Stay
Fayetteville or Beckley are your two options for lodging near New River Gorge National Park. Fayetteville is generally the better option, especially if you’re limited on time. There aren’t many hotels in Fayetteville, so Airbnb or VRBO is your best bet.
Fayetteville is a cute, small town that is close to the Canyon Rim area of the park (where most of the attractions are). It doesn’t feel touristy and there are a lot of great dining options.
Beckley is a larger town about 30 minutes south of Fayetteville. It’s more commercialized with plenty of chain hotels and restaurants and is more equidistant to each area of the park. It is a further drive from Canyon Rim, but is closer to Grandview and Sandstone.
New River Gorge ROAD TRIP IDEAS
Spend a week road tripping through the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia for plenty of great hiking and history! Highlights include New River Gorge National Park, the Greenbrier Resort & nuclear bunker tour, Seneca Rocks, and Spruce Knob.