Looking for the best things to do in New River Gorge National Park?
Known for its rugged rock formations carved by one of the oldest river systems in the world and its rich coal mining history, there are plenty of fun things to do here.
My husband and I visited New River Gorge National Park on a West Virginia road trip, and we were amazed at the unique panoramic views, hikes, and history in the area. We unfortunately got rained out on one of our two days in New River Gorge, so we knew we had to come back in the future. We made the trip back during Labor Day weekend of 2025 and got to check a lot more things off our New River Gorge bucket list!
I’ve compiled a list of the 16 best things to do in New River Gorge National Park in this post to help you plan your West Virginia trip! This is a large park with a lot of outdoorsy things to do, so you definitelly won’t get bored at the US’s newest National Park!
The Best Time to Visit New River Gorge National Park
The best time to visit New River Gorge National Park is in the late summer or early fall. You won’t have as many mosquitoes, the weather is more dry, plus you’ll get to see gorgeous fall color in late September through October. We just started to see the leaves change color in early September!
Spring can also be a nice time to visit since the rhododendrons and other wildflowers will be blooming. It will be cooler and rain is more likely though.
Summer is hot and humid, with more crowds and bugs. This can be a nice time to go kayaking or whitewater rafting on the New River, though. Don’t forget your sunscreen and bug spray if you plan to visit in the summer!
If you don’t mind the cold and snow, winter is a unique time to visit the park with hardly any crowds. Waterfalls may be frozen, but the hiking trails will be open and will have amazing winter photography opportunities. There is also skiing nearby as well.
How Many Days Do You Need in New River Gorge National Park?
2 full days in New River Gorge National Park is enough to explore each of the 3 areas of the park and fit in a hike or two. 3 days is ideal if you want to explore the park and nearby areas more in-depth, or book an activity like whitewater rafting, kayaking, or a Jeep tour.
If you have one full day in New River Gorge, I recommend the Bridge and Grandview Overlooks, hiking the Endless Wall and Castle Rock Loop trails, and driving Fayette Station Road.
If you have 2 or 3 days, you’ll be able to add on another hike, do the guided bridge walk tour, or do another outdoor adventure (mountain biking, whitewater rafting, etc). You can also fit in a visit to the Sandstone area of the park.
With even more time, you can do a longer hike and visit the nearby state parks.
Related: New River Gorge Itinerary: How to Spend 1, 2, or 3 Days in New River Gorge National Park
How to Get to New River Gorge National Park
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, about an hour away. The airport is quite small and flights can be expensive.
I would recommend a road trip if you’re less than a few states away, or flying into Pittsburgh or Columbus to save on airfare.
Here are the driving times to New River Gorge National Park from a few nearby cities:
- Charleston, WV: 1 hour
- Pittsburgh, PA: 3.5 hours
- Columbus, OH: 4 hours
- Knoxville, TN: 4.5 hours
- Roanoke, VA: 2.5 hours
- Raleigh, NC: 5 hours
- Washington, DC: 5 hours
Related: The Ultimate 7-Day West Virginia Road Trip Itinerary (Full of Hiking and History)
New River Gorge National Park Map
New River Gorge is a large park, so driving between attractions can take up a lot of your time. It takes almost an hour to drive from the north side of the park to the south side.
Planning strategically and understanding the geography of the area will help you have a wonderfully efficient trip! I’ve annotated the NPS map below with the most popular areas.
New River Gorge is divided up into 3 major zones:
CANYON RIM
Canyon Rim is home to the New River Gorge Bridge, Canyon Rim Visitor’s Center, a lot of the most popular hikes, and the Nuttallburg and Kaymoor Mine Sites. It’s only a 10-minute drive from Fayetteville.
GRANDVIEW
You’ll find an amazing overlook of a horseshoe bend on the New River in the Grandview area of the park. This area used to be its own state park until it became a part of New River Gorge National Park in 2020.
There are some great hiking trails here as well, with the opportunity to hike next to a huge sandstone wall with an exposed coal seam. The closest town is Beckley.
SANDSTONE
Sandstone is the southernmost part of New River Gorge. There is a visitor’s center and the largest waterfall on the New River, Sandstone Falls.
Driving times within New River Gorge National Park:
- Canyon Rim to Grandview: 45 mins
- Canyon Rim to Sandstone: 50 mins
- Grandview to Sandstone: 20 mins
16 Best Things to Do at New River Gorge National Park
1. New River Gorge Bridge Overlook
The New River Gorge Bridge is the longest single-span arch bridge in the US.
Before it was built in 1977, travelers had to cross the river by a very steep and narrow road that went down into the gorge and came up on the other side (you can still drive this road today, check out point 4 below!).
There is a fantastic overlook of the bridge behind the Canyon Rim Visitor’s Center.
When you head outside, you will see a sign that says “Scenic Overlook.” Follow the sign for a short walk to the New River Gorge Bridge Overlook. This is one of the best places in the park to view the bridge!
2. The Bridge Walk
If you’re looking for a thrilling and adventurous thing to do in New River Gorge National Park, look no further than the Bridge Walk Tour!
There is a catwalk underneath the New River Gorge Bridge that you can walk on as a part of a guided tour. Don’t worry, there are railings and a safety cable so you are perfectly safe!
The tour lasts 2-3 hours and tickets need to be purchased ahead of time. This is one of the best things to do in New River Gorge National Park!
Learn more and book your tour here.
3. Endless Wall Trail
The Endless Wall Trail is one of the most popular hikes in New River Gorge National Park. You’ll get to see outcroppings of the sandstone “endless wall,” which is used for rock climbing.
This is an easy 2.3-mile trail that can be done as a loop or an out-and-back hike. I recommend doing it as an out-and-back to save yourself a half-mile walk along the road back to your car.
You’ll see amazing panoramic views of the gorge on this hike, the best view being at Diamond Point. If you plan to do this hike as an out-and-back, turn around at Diamond Point.
There are now three ways to access this trail: via the Fern Creek Trailhead, the Nuttall Trailhead, or the new overflow parking lot. The first two lots are pretty small and can fill up quickly, but the NPS recently added a larger parking lot just to the east of the Nuttall Trailhead.
The hike is roughly the same distance from all parking lots, so park at the first free space you find. Note that you will get ticketed if you park along the road.
We were here the Saturday of Labor Day and ended up finding a spot at the Nuttall Trailhead around 9 am, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting a spot.
4. Drive Fayette Station Road
As mentioned above, before the New River Gorge Bridge was constructed, travelers had to drive down into the gorge on a steep, narrow, winding road in order to cross the New River at the Tunney Hunsaker Bridge.
This original road is preserved and remains in the park as a scenic drive to help you go back in time.
It’s an 8-mile, mostly one-way road and is only accessible from the entry point near the Canyon Rim Visitor’s Center. It will take you about 40 minutes to drive one-way, and you’ll end up in Fayetteville (which makes a great lunch or dinner stop!).
There are lots of hairpin turns and steep drop offs, so don’t bring your trailer or RV on this road. I also would not recommend doing this in the winter!
The NPS also has a free audio tour you can download to listen to on your drive.
There is very limited parking at the bottom of the gorge near the Tunney Hunsaker Bridge, and it was really busy when we did this so we unfortunately didn’t get to stop until well past the bridge. We did get a nice view of the New River Gorge Bridge from the river level though!
5. Grandview Overlook
My favorite overlook in New River Gorge National Park is the Grandview Overlook. It’s West Virginia’s own Horseshoe Bend!
The Grandview Overlook is located in the Grandview area of the park (shocker, I know). Google Maps calls this “Main Overlook.” It is just a short walk to access this incredible view!
6. Castle Rock Trail
The Castle Rock Loop Trail is a short hike that takes you through towering rock walls and coal seams. The hike is 1.1 miles with 173 feet of elevation gain.
This trail starts near the Grandview Overlook and ends where it intersects the Grandview Rim Trail. There isn’t much elevation gain, but the trail is pretty rocky, so make sure you wear proper hiking shoes and watch your footing.
You’ll hike along some really cool sandstone cliffs until you get to an exposed coal seam and then loop around through the woods with some viewpoints of the gorge.
This was one of our favorite trails in the park. It really helped tie together the coal mining history of West Virginia. Can you imagine working for hours in a 3-4-foot tall sandstone cave to extract this coal? I am thankful for my office job, that’s for sure!
7. Nuttallburg Mine Trails
The Nuttallburg Mine Trails were one of the most unique hikes we did in New River Gorge National Park.
Henry Ford bought and operated the Nuttallburg Mine in the 1920’s to continue his vertical integration efforts to control the supply chain for Ford Motor Company. It was the second mine in the gorge to ship out coal.
These set of trails will take you from the top of the gorge down to the old Nuttallburg Coal Mine, and then further 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 NPS has each section marked as a different trail, but they all connect and you can do it as one out-and-back hike. Hiking this entire trail gave us a serious glimpse at what it would have been like to be a coal miner back in the day. I can’t imagine having to do that climb up to the coal mine every day for work!
This is an overall pretty strenuous hike if you do the entire trail system (5 miles total and just over 1000 feet of elevation gain), so bring plenty of water and food. This hike took us about 3 hours from start to finish.
This trail was totally empty when we did it on a weekday in September. It’s one of the least-popular trails, I assume due to the difficulty and availability of easier trails. But being able to explore this much of West Virginia’s history without any crowds was really really cool.
8. Sandstone Falls Overlook
There are 2 main things to see in the Sandstone area of the park and the Sandstone Falls Overlook is one of them.
The Sandstone Falls is the largest waterfall on the New River spanning 1500 feet across. There are several small islands along the river that divide the falls.
The overlook is located relatively close to the I-64 exit to Hinton and Sandstone Falls. It will take you almost an hour to drive here from Fayetteville and the view honestly isn’t that great since the viewpoint is at the top of the gorge. In order to get to the much more impressive Sandstone Falls Boardwalk Trail, you will have to drive right by here though, so it’s worth a short stop.
9. Sandstone Falls Boardwalk
The other thing to do in the Sandstone area of the park is to visit the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk.
Even though it seems like the falls overlook and boardwalk are close together, the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk is actually on the opposite side of the river and will take about 30 minutes to drive there from the Sandstone Visitor’s Center and Overlook. You’ll pass through the small village of Hinton, which can be a nice place to grab a snack or quick lunch.
This drive has a handful of scenic points to stop at on your drive, so it could take longer depending on how long you stop.
The Sandstone Boardwalk is technically a “hike,” but it’s just a boardwalk trail to a viewpoint of the falls. You’ll get some great views of the upper and lower Sandstone Falls.
There are a lot of opportunities to explore off-trail here to get a closer view of the falls. We had a blast doing this and got some great photos before it started to rain! It was definitely worth the hour drive from Beckley.
10. Kaymoor Miners Trail
The Kaymoor Miners Trail is a short, but steep trail down to an old coal mining site. The remains of a town, coke ovens, and the old coal processing plant are located close to the river.
This is a challenging hike, not because of the distance, but because of the quick elevation change. The trail is 1.5 miles round trip but descends over 950 feet on the way down (and remember that you’ll also have to climb back up!).
This trail is similar to the Nuttallburg Trails but is much shorter if you don’t have as much time to spend hiking. The trail doesn’t reach the New River, but the nearby railroad track is active so stay off it and be careful!
11. Go Rock Climbing
New River Gorge National Park is a well-known rock climbing destination. There are over 1400 established rock climbs in the park! The sandstone here has high quartz content, which makes the rock very strong for holding equipment.
You can go rock climbing at any time of year, but the best times are late April to June and mid-September to October.
Rock climbing personally isn’t my thing, but you can find more info on the NPS website here.
Adventures on the Gorge also has guided rock climbs, ziplining, mountain biking, and many more adventures to choose from! There are full-day and half-day guided rock climbing tours.
I would definitely look into their tours if you’re a beginner or want to dip your toe into rock climbing.
12. Long Point Trail
The Long Point Trail takes you through the woods to an outcropping in the gorge with an incredible view of the New River Gorge Bridge. It’s 3 miles with a relatively mild elevation gain (there is only one steep part near the end of the trail), so it’s great for most ages and activity levels.
The trailhead is located near the Kaymoor Miners Trailhead, near Fayetteville. This is one of the more popular hikes in the park but there is a large parking lot so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a space.
13. Whitewater Rafting
Another one of the most popular things to do at New River Gorge National Park is whitewater rafting on the New River. There are sections of the river for all skill levels, ranging from Class I to Class V rapids.
You can go whitewater rafting on your own as there are multiple entry and exit points on the New River, but there are multiple guided tours as well.
ACE Adventure Resort and Adventures on the Gorge are the two most popular tour companies. There is a wide selection of tours, from half-day tours on the more calm parts of the river to overnight camping options.
14. Visit Thurmond
If you are interested in history and/or exploring ghost towns, I recommend visiting the Thurmond Historic District on your trip to New River Gorge. It is a bit out of the way, so be prepared to drive about 45 minutes to get there and back.
In the early 1900’s, Thurmond was a bustling coal town. Coal mined from the area passed through the railroad here, and up to 15 trains per day came through the Thurmond depot.
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!
There isn’t much to do here besides visit the small museum, but it was really cool to imagine what this town was like back in its heyday. The railroad here is still active– we saw a train come through during both visits when we have been here!
The NPS has a walking tour of Thurmond if you’d like to learn more about the history.
15. Go Mountain Biking
Mountain biking is another one of the most popular things to do at New River Gorge National Park. Bring your own bike, rent one from Arrowhead Bike Farm, or book a guided tour with Adventures on the Gorge.
You can find a list of mountain biking trails on the NPS website here.
The trails in New River Gorge are constructed from sandstone, so they dry out quickly and remain open after rain.
16. Go on a Jeep or ATV Tour
If hiking or mountain biking isn’t your thing, you can book a Jeep or ATV tour of the New River Gorge area and still see the sights in a fun adventure! New River ATV offers Jeep, side by side, and ATV rentals and tours.
There are over 100 miles of ATV trails in the park that range from beginner to expert and the Jeep tours run year-round.
New River ATV was kind enough to host us for their half-day Jeep tour during our second visit to the area. Our guide was very knowledgeable and took us to 5 points of interest, including a cool adventure up an off-road trail to the top of Beury Mountain (our favorite part of the day by far).
Other highlights on the half-day Jeep tour included Thurmond, Fayette Station Road, Babcock State Park, and a cool waterfall off the side of the road.
If you do a longer tour, definitely bring a packed lunch and snacks because you will get hungry!
Bonus: Hawk’s Nest State Park
Hawk’s Nest State Park is located just 10 miles north of the New River Gorge Bridge. If you have time, it is definitely worth a stop at some of the scenic viewpoints on your trip to New River Gorge.
The two best viewpoints are the Hawk’s Nest Overlook and the Lover’s Leap Overlook that provide panoramic, birds’ eye views over the New River.
There is also a restaurant in Hawk’s Nest State Park with a great view of the river, which can make a great lunch or dinner spot.
Cathedral Falls is also located just northeast of Hawk’s Nest State Park off of Highway 60. It is one of the tallest waterfalls in West Virginia!
Bonus: Babcock State Park
Babcock State Park is located 20 miles southeast of the New River Gorge Bridge and is one of West Virginia’s most iconic locations. This park is home to the Glade Creek Grist Mill, one of the most photographed places in West Virginia.
It is definitely worth a stop here if you have time!
Where to Stay in New River Gorge National Park
Fayetteville or Beckley are your 2 options for lodging near New River Gorge National Park. Fayetteville is the better option, especially if you’re limited on time. There aren’t many hotels in Fayetteville (besides a Quality Inn or Comfort Inn), so Airbnb or VRBO is your best bet.
Fayetteville is only 5 minutes from the Canyon Rim area of the park and has a lot of great dining options.
Beckley is a slightly larger town about 30 minutes south of Fayetteville. It’s more equidistant to each area of the park and has more chain restaurants and hotels.
We have stayed in both locations, and I definitely recommend Fayetteville. The food in Beckley is honestly disappointing and you won’t want to drive 30 minutes one way to Fayetteville for dinner after a full day in the park. Yes, it will take you longer to drive to the Grandview and Sandstone areas of the park, but you can see both areas in one day and can plan for the longer drive time.
Do you plan to do anything from this list of best things to do in New River Gorge National Park on your trip to West Virginia? Let me know in the comments below!
-Megan
More Info on West Virginia
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