12 of the Best Things To Do in New River Gorge National Park
The best things to do in New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia include thrilling white water rafting, rock climbing, and beautiful hikes with a view.
White-water rafting, hiking along bluffs, and walking along a narrow catwalk high above the river are just a few of the best things to do at New River Gorge National Park. First established as a National River in 1978, just after the history-making New River Bridge opened the year prior, the West Virginia destination was bumped to National Park status in 2020.
It’s been a favorite with paddlers and rock climbers for a long time though. Rapids up to a level V gush through this section of the river and high bluffs above the water provide some epic vistas of the forested scenery.
Whether you come to explore abandoned railroad towns and old coal mines, hike along cliffs, or just enjoy the views of the longest steel bridge in the country, the park has so much to offer.
We’ve rounded up some of the best things to do to help you plan out the perfect New River Gorge itinerary for your first visit. Read on for our New River Gorge bucket list of activities and tips for where to stay nearby.
New River Gorge Map and Geography
New River Gorge National Park stretches along 53 miles of the body of water. There are tons of different areas to explore! When you’re planning your New River Gorge itinerary, it helps to have an idea of where the different trails, activities, and lookouts are located.
Most of the activities included on this list of things to do in New River Gorge are located near of one of the four park visitor centers. I’ll break them down in the sections below.
New River Gorge Bridge and Canyon Rim
The New River Gorge Bridge and Canyon Rim Visitor Center are on the northern end of the park. This is the only visitor center fully open year-round and a park hub, with a film and ranger activities.
In this area, you can access the Bridge Walk, rock climbing, hiking trails, rafting, and more. The town of Fayetteville is also here.
Thurmond
The old railroad town of Thurmond and its depot are located 18 miles south of the bridge and Canyon Rim Visitor Center. It’s about a 30-minute drive due to the narrow roads. The visitor center here is located in the restored depot and is usually only open for the summer season.
In Thurmond, you can hike a few trails and explore the ghost town. The National Park Service owns many of the buildings here.
Grandview
Grandview has some of the best views in the park and is located about 35 miles south of the bridge, or a 45-minute drive. A former state park, the site has a summer-season visitor center, six miles of hiking trails, an amphitheater, picnic tables, and a playground.
Sandstone Falls
The Sandstone Visitor Center and Sandstone Falls Boardwalk are on the southern end of the park on opposite sides of the river. The visitor center is open throughout the year but with very limited hours in winter.
Sandstone area trails are located on both sides of the river, but the boardwalk is the closest you can get to the waterfalls. The visitor center is 45 miles from the bridge and the boardwalk is about 55 miles away. The drive takes well over an hour due to the route.
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Things To Do at New River Gorge National Park
From hiking, biking, and rafting to ghost towns and coal mines, these are some of the best places to go and things to do at New River Gorge National Park.
Canyon Rim Visitor Center
Located on the northern end of the park right by the New River Gorge Bridge, the Canyon Rim Visitor Center is a great place to stop in for a map, park info, and your first view of the bridge. One of four visitor centers in New River Gorge, it’s the only open year-round and has exhibits, a park film, and a gift shop.
Just outside the Visitor Center, you can get up close to the bridge by following the Canyon Rim Boardwalk. The short trail (about 0.2 miles round trip) leads to two viewpoints. The first section and overlook are via an accessible ramp. From there, the walk continues down 178 steps to a lower-level view.
New River Gorge Bridge Walk
The longest and one of the highest steel bridges in the country, the New River Gorge Bridge opened in 1977. Before its construction, cars had to take a 40-minute drive down the mountain to cross the river at the base. Now, the famous arch is a highlight of the park and one of the most photographed locations in the state.
While you can get some great views from hiking trails and drives over and under the bridge, adventurous visitors should check out the New River Gorge Bridge Walk. The guided tour crosses the entire 3,030 feet of the bridge on a 24-inch catwalk underneath.
Guests are strapped onto safety cables and learn about the bridge and park during the 2 to 3-hour experience.
Fayette Station Road Drive
While it’s much quicker to cross the river via the massive steel bridge, the old Fayette Station Road Drive is a fun way to experience how folks got across the water before the steel structure was built.
The route is about 100 years old and full of hairpin turns and one-way roads that lead under the bridge and down the gorge. At the base, you’ll cross the river on a narrow bridge.
Download the National Park Service audio tour to listen to along the way and learn more about the dozens of coal mining towns that lined the river in the late 1800s and early 1900s. There are a few spots along the way where you can pull over for views and exhibits.
Fayetteville Hiking Trails New River Gorge
The Fayetteville and Lansing section of the park has some great trails with views of the bridge and river. You’ll want to check out this NPS trail guide for hiking New River Gorge in the Fayetteville area. I’ve included trail details for a few of my top choices below.
Endless Wall Trail
When you’re hiking in New River Gorge, you don’t want to miss the Endless Wall Trail. First crossing through the forest, the path leads to a cliff edge with views of bluffs and the river below.
There are actually two access points to this trail along Lansing-Edmond Road. Fern Creek Trailhead is the first you’ll reach driving south from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center and Nuttall Trailhead is another half a mile down the road. Parking at Fern Creek usually fills up first, but you can drive on to Nuttall in that case.
The trail is 2.4 miles from one trailhead to the next, but adding on the walk back to your car along the road makes it closer to 3 miles. I chose to hike from Fern Creek to the bluffs and back the same way, which was about 2.5 miles. This will vary depending on where you turn around.
This hike is considered easy to moderate.
Kaymoor Miners Trail
I haven’t had a chance to hike the Kaymoor Miners Trail yet, but it’s on my list for next time. The path runs through the forest steeply downhill to an old coal mine site, before continuing down 821 wood steps to an abandoned town site and coal plant near the riverfront.
Due to the steep elevation change of about 900 feet, the hike is rated strenuous. It’s only about 2 miles round-trip.
Long Point Trail
The Long Point Trail has my favorite view of the New River Gorge Bridge. You get to see the whole span stretching across the river from a lookout.
The hike through the forest and onto a rocky outcrop is about 3.2 miles round trip and easy to moderate. Some of the path is multi-use, so be on the lookout for bicyclists. The viewing spot at the end is the perfect place to have a picnic on a pretty flat rocky surface.
Fayetteville Trail
If you’re looking for an adventurous hiking or biking path, the Fayetteville Trail is perfect. It’s nearly 8 miles and rated strenuous, meandering up and down and crossing a creek.
The trail also connects to several other hikes and significant points on this end of the park, including the town of Fayetteville, the old Fayette Station Road, the Long Point Trail, and the Kaymoor Miners Trail.
New River Gorge Climbing
More than 1,400 official rock climbs are located in New River Gorge National Park, where hard sandstone cliffs rise from 30 to 120 feet high. The prime climbing months here are in spring and early fall.
Many of the routes are geared toward advanced climbers, with most rated at a difficulty of 5.9 or higher. The National Park Service recommends using a guidebook to locate the climbs and consulting with local climbing outfitters for up-to-date information.
It’s also important to remember to limit your impact to protect and preserve the park, especially as New River Gorge continues to grow in popularity. You can read more about climbing in the park here.
Rafting the New River Gorge
Since the whole park is formed around the river, it makes sense that white water rafting New River Gorge is one of the top things to do here. The New River starts in the North Carolina mountains and runs north. Some 53 miles of the waterway is within the bounds of the West Virginia national park.
Within the park’s bounds, the southern part of the river has class I to III rapids suitable for intermediate-level paddlers, while the northern part (known as the Lower Gorge) beyond the town of Thurmond has powerful class III to V rapids that only experts should attempt.
The safest way for rafting newbies to enjoy the rapids is on a guided trip. Several options are available from local outfitters for a few hours or several days on the river. The main rafting season is April through October.
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Thurmond Ghost Town
The old Thurmond town was one of my favorite spots to explore in New River Gorge National Park. A coal boomtown in the early 1900s, the village once had lively saloons, hotels, and stores, plus a train depot that served some 75,000 passengers annually.
The combination of the Great Depression, the decline of the rail, and a couple of fires that destroyed several significant businesses signaled the end of the town’s heyday by the 1930s and 1940s.
While the old yellow depot has been restored and is still an active stop on an Amtrak line, the rest of the site is largely abandoned with the air of a ghost town along the row of dusty banks and businesses. The latest census showed just a handful of residents still occupying the town.
The National Park Service now owns more than 20 of the historic buildings and restored the depot in the 1990s. The Thurmond Depot Visitor Center is open seasonally between Memorial Day and Labor Day, but you can visit the town throughout the year.
Thurmond is located about a 30-minute drive south of the New River Gorge Bridge and down a twisty narrow road. Just before entering the town, you’ll cross the river on a one-way bridge shared with rail tracks.
Nuttallburg Coal Mining Town
Nuttallburg was one of the first coal mining towns of the nearly 50 that popped up along the New River at the turn of the 19th to 20th century. In its heyday, the town’s mines were leased by Henry Ford for a “vertical integration” project to fuel his steel mills with coal. After the market decline in the 1950s, the once-booming village shuttered and is now an empty, vine-covered ghost town listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can visit the site and walk a few trails in the area to see the old rail lines, foundations, coal mines, and conveyer. To get here, you have to drive down a steep, winding, and narrow road, much of which is gravel and just one lane. Large vehicles, RVs, and trailers shouldn’t attempt the route.
Grandview Overlook and Trails
Grandview has some of the best views in the park, with an overlook that features a sweeping view of a horseshoe bend of the New River. Once a state park before being transferred to the NPS in the 1990s, Grandview has a seasonal visitor center, six miles of trails, a playground, picnic areas, and an amphitheater where Theatre West Virginia puts on summer productions.
Grandview is located pretty centrally in the park, about 35 miles south of the New River Gorge bridge and 20 miles north of the Sandstone Falls area.
If you just stop by for a quick glimpse, it’s a short and easy paved walk to the main overlook. With more time, you’ll want to check out some of the Grandview hiking trails. I’ve included details on a few of them below.
Grandview Rim Trail
Grandview Rim Trail leads to a viewpoint called Turkey Spur, with more vistas of the river along the way. The hike is moderately challenging and 3.2 miles round-trip. It connects to the short Castle Rock Trail, so you can make a loop for part of it.
Castle Rock Trail
Castle Rock is a favorite trail at Grandview, known for the giant rock walls that soar overhead. This trail is 1.2 miles total out and back and is considered strenuous by the NPS and moderate on AllTrails. You can combine it with the Grandview Rim Trail to make a loop.
Little Laurel Trail
The Little Laurel Trail is a fun adventure along an old road from Grandview down to the river, some 1,400 feet below. The round-trip route is about 5.1 miles and is considered strenuous by the NPS for its elevation change. On All Trails it’s rated as moderately difficult.
Tunnel Trail
If you’re looking for a short hike at Grandview, the Tunnel Trail is a great option. Just 1-mile round trip and moderately difficult, the shaded path winds through the forest and along rock overhangs and tunnels.
Sandstone Falls Overlook and Boardwalk
Sandstone Falls on the New River is a must-see. The gushing waterfall stretches 1,500 feet across the river but is only about 10 to 25 feet high. You can see Sandstone from both sides of the river – an overlook on the east side sits 600 feet above the rushing water, and boardwalks on the west bank get you up close for a better view.
Located all the way on the south end of the park, it takes over an hour to get here from the bridge. I recommend making the trip, though, if you have at least a couple of days in the park.
The Sandstone Visitor Center located off Interstate 64 and State Route 20 a few miles from the waterfall is open throughout the summer season and for limited hours the rest of the year. There are also a couple of hikes in this area.
Sandstone Overlook
The Sandstone Overlook is the perfect spot to get your first glimpse of the waterfall before heading down closer to the river. Located off State Route 20, there’s a small parking pull-off, restroom, and gravel path down to the overlook. The walk is only about 0.1 miles, but it’s somewhat steep.
Sandstone Falls Boardwalk Trails
The Sandstone Falls Boardwalk has the best up-close views of the rushing riverfront scattered with islands. The accessible walkway is about 0.2 miles each way and is rated easy, leading to a view of the wide waterfall as it drops between 10 to 25 feet.
If you want to walk some more in this area, you can also hike the Island Loop Trail, a 0.5-mile path around an island at the base of the falls. The island once had a grist mill and farmlands but is transitioning back into a forested habitat.
Bridge Day at New River Gorge
Bridge Day at New River Gorge is an annual event on the third Saturday each October during which base jumpers leap off the 876-foot-high span. The event started in 1980, and today brings hundreds of participants from across the U.S. who jump and rappel from the bridge.
Bridge day is the only time when pedestrians can walk across the top of the bridge, which is usually for cars only. Spectators can watch the daring jumps and take in the fantastic view from far above the New River.
This is a busy and popular weekend to visit New River Gorge National Park, so plan ahead and book your accommodations in advance if you plan to join the event.
Glade Creek Trails
I have yet to explore the Glade Creek area of the park, but if you’re spending several days at New River Gorge to hike, this is a great off-the-beaten-path zone for waterfalls and swimming holes.
With an upper trailhead located toward the south end of the park near Beckley, the Glade Creek Trail follows an old rail line along the waterway toward the New River. Used for hiking and biking, it’s moderately difficult and 5.6 miles one-way, with the option to add on spur trails. The short and steep add-on hike to Kates Falls is near the beginning of the hike from the Upper Trailhead.
Things To Do Near New River Gorge National Park
The national park isn’t the only destination along this old river. There are also beautiful state parks and waterfalls near the gorge. Below are some of the best things to do near New River Gorge National Park.
Babcock State Park
If you have at least a couple of days in New River Gorge National Park, I recommend making a stop at Babcock State Park. Also located along the gorge, the state park is only about 15 miles south of the bridge.
Babcock has over 20 miles of trails for hiking, paved and gravel roads for biking, and sports courts for horseshoes, tennis, and more. The star of the park, though, is the Glade Creek Grist Mill, one of the most-photographed spots in West Virginia. You can tour the operational facility and buy ground cornmeal.
Most activities and attractions in the park are only open seasonally, from around April through October. If you want to stay here during your New River Gorge trip, there is also a campground and cabins, some of which date to the 1930s.
Hawks Nest State Park
Hawks Nest State Park is just north of the national park, about 10 miles from the bridge, and offers stunning views of the river from far above. The Hawks Nest Overlook near the park entrance has the best vistas of the river bending dramatically.
Elsewhere in the park, you can hike, ride the aerial tramway, visit a nature museum, and take a jetboat ride to the New River Gorge bridge. Whitewater rafting in this area is also popular, as it’s located along challenging rapids.
This is also a great place to stay near New River Gorge, as Hawks Nest has a small lodge and there’s a Tentrr campground nearby.
Cathedral Falls and Kanawha Falls
If you’re entering New River Gorge National Park from the west on U.S. Route 60, you’ll pass right by this pair of waterfalls on the river.
Kanawha Falls is located just beyond where the New River and Gauley River combine to form the Kanawha River. The falls stretch across the whole river but only drop about 15 feet. There’s a dirt parking lot near a spot to view the falls.
Cathedral Falls is one of the tallest in the state at about 60 feet. It’s located on Cane Creek just 7 miles northwest of Hawks Nest State Park. A short trail to the base of Cathedral Falls starts near a small parking lot off the highway.
Where to Stay at New River Gorge National Park
Whether you’re interested in camping, cabins, or hotels, these are a few of the best places to stay near New River Gorge National Park.
Camping in New River Gorge
New River Gorge camping is available at eight different primitive campgrounds spread throughout the park. Some only have walk-in tent spots and others include drive-in access for campers and RVs.
The sites are not developed and therefore have no drinking water, electricity, or hookups. There are also no showers and very basic compost toilets at most locations. Camping at New River Gorge is free though and operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. They do often fill up in the summer season.
Cabins near New River Gorge
You can find cabins at New River Gorge in spots like Babcock State Park, which has both modern options and old-timey log structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. There are also scattered cabin rentals near some of the towns listed below.
Fayetteville
Fayetteville is a popular place to stay near the New River Gorge Bridge. The small town across the river from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center has a charming little downtown district with locally owned eateries and shops.
While there are a couple of chain hotels off State Route 19, most accommodations in this area are small lodges, B&Bs, cabins, and vacation rentals. That means that rooms fill quickly in the summer season, so make your reservations early or plan to stay somewhere a little further away.
While the town is super convenient for trails and activities near the bridge, it’s a long drive to other park highlights like Grandview, 40 miles south, and Sandstone Falls, about 55 miles away.
Hinton
All the way on the south end of the park, Hinton is close to Sandstone Falls and the Sandstone Visitor Center. A small downtown district with shopping, dining, and a couple of guest houses is just a couple of blocks off the river. It’s a sleepy spot and pretty far from other park attractions, but if you’re looking for somewhere quiet to enjoy the scenery, this is a great option.
Beckley and Beaver
Beckley and neighboring Beaver are some of the best spots to find lodging near New River Gorge. Even at less than 20,000 residents, Beckley is one of the largest cities near the park, so there are lots of hotels, chain restaurants, and big box stores. Beaver is much smaller but just down the road, so a couple of affordable hotels are located here as well.
Beckley is about 12 miles from the Grandview area, 20 miles from Thurmond, 25 miles from the bridge, and 35 miles from Sandstone Falls, so it’s a good option if you want to stay in one place and hop around all over the park.
