New River Gorge National Park
Where is New River Gorge National Park?
New River Gorge National Park Canyon Rim Visitor Center, the park’s main visitor center, is located at 162 Visitor Center Road, Lansing, WV 25862
While at the visitor center, get your National Park Passport book stamped. Or, if you don’t have one yet, you can pick one up in the gift shop.
Why did I go to the New River Gorge National Park?
I love nature and the beauty of our nation’s National Parks. And I have set a goal to visit as many of the parks as I can. Additionally, I want to collect a cancellation stamp and Regional stamp/sticker for every National Park.
The first park I visited was in my home state of Kentucky. You can read more about my trip to Mammoth Cave National Park here.
→ Mammoth Cave holds the record for the longest cave system on the planet! 🤩
In 2021, I traveled to West Virginia to visit the United States’ newest National Park. The New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. This was the second National Park for me.
On my trip, I visited New River Gorge Bridge, Grandview, Thurmond, Hinton, and Sandstone Falls. I also did the Fayette Station Road tour.
The first day
I wanted to learn more about this National Park so I headed to the Canyon Rim Visitor Center first. There I learned all about the New River National Park. They even had a to-scale model of the entire park inside. Here are a few of the facts I learned:
New River Gorge National Park & Reserve Facts
- Located in Southern West Virginia
- The New River follows the ridgeline of an ancient mountain range (Appalachian Mountains)
- It consists of 53 miles of river
- And over 70,000 acres
- Declared a National River on November 10, 1978
- More than 1,400 climbing routes established
- Unlike most rivers, this river runs Northward
- The New River Bridge holds a World Record: Bridge Day
- Bridge Day is the largest extreme sports event in the world
- There is a ghost town named Thurmond which was once one of the richest cities in West Virginia
- Established as a National Park on December 27, 2020
- Time Zone: Eastern
- Official New River Gorge National Park Website: https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm
New River Gorge Bridge
Outside the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, a path leads to the observation deck to view the New River Gorge bridge. This will be one of the best spots to view the bridge.
View the interactive map below to learn more:
The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel arch bridge measuring 3,030 feet long over the New River near Fayetteville, West Virginia. This area is part of the Appalachian Mountain range in the eastern United States and within the National Park & Preserve.
This bridge held the World record for the longest single-span arch bridge for 26 years. Currently, it is the world’s fifth-longest. I thought it was so cool that I turned it into a puzzle in a new National Park puzzle series that will feature my photography from each park I visit.
Fayette Station Road Tour
This is a driving tour that takes you underneath the New River Gorge bridge. There are maps available at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center along with an audio tour you can listen to while you drive it.
There are a couple of small pull-offs and a tiny parking lot nearly directly underneath the bridge.
Where to Camp at the New River Gorge National Park?
After exploring Canyon Rim and the Bridge on the first day, it was close to sunset and I was getting hungry. I decided to find the closest campground and grab some grub.
To find this campground I used a simple Google search and searched for ‘campgrounds near me’.
The place I found was called Rifrafters Campground located at 448 Laurel Creek Rd., Fayetteville, WV 25840.
This campground was very clean with fire pits, picnic tables, and a clean bathhouse. They also have a laundry room, a kid’s playground, and a small convenience store.
Thurmond, West Virginia
The town of Thurman is a designated historic district on the National Register of Historic Places located in Fayette County, West Virginia on the New River. In 2020, Thurmond had a population of 5.
Grand View at New River Gorge National Park
This area of the park includes a visitor center, an overlook of the New River, five hiking trails, ranger-led walks & talks, summer outdoor dramas, and picnic areas with playgrounds.
Hinton, West Virginia
Located in Summers Country, West Virginia, Hinton has a population of 2,245 as of 2020. This quaint little town is a nice stop for lunch on the way to Sandstone Falls from Grand View.
Sandstone Falls
Lots of waterfalls! Bre the waterfall Queen of TG IF would love it here! AND there is the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk that’s great for hikers of all skill levels. This boardwalk is an out-and-back trail that features a waterfall, it’s good for hiking or walking and is open year-round. Dogs are also allowed on this trail.
Traveling from South to North?
My trip took me from North to South so if you are coming from the South and traveling North, simply reverse the order of these destinations!
Conclusion
In conclusion, the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve is packed with places to see and photographic opportunities. From the New River Gorge Bridge to Grandview to Sandstone Falls, you can experience this park in 2-3 days. My trip in total was 2 days. I hope you find this information useful and enjoy your experience at the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve.
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