New River Gorge
A deep river gorge known for whitewater, sandstone climbing and a giant steel arch bridge
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, all year
- Entry
- Free entry
- Reservations
- Not required
- Size
- About 72,800 acres (park and preserve)
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New River Gorge protects about 53 miles of the New River as it cuts a gorge up to about 1,000 feet deep through the Appalachian Plateau of southern West Virginia. Despite its name, the New River is thought to be one of the oldest rivers in North America. The gorge was a busy coal mining and railroad corridor in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and ruins of mining towns like Kaymoor, Nuttallburg and Thurmond still sit along its walls. It was protected as a national river in 1978 and became the country's 63rd national park in December 2020.
Most of the area is a national preserve, where hunting is allowed, and a smaller part is national park. The gorge has some of the best whitewater rafting in the eastern U.S. and well over 1,000 established rock climbing routes on its hard sandstone cliffs. The New River Gorge Bridge was once the world's longest single-span steel arch bridge. Every October on Bridge Day, the bridge closes to traffic and BASE jumpers parachute from it to the river below.
The park and surrounding area
- Park boundary
- Other parks
- Major highway
- Road
- Rivers and lakes
- Town
Plan your trip
- Best time to go
- Late September through October brings fall color and Bridge Day, while late spring and summer are best for rafting and river swimming.
- How long to stay
- Two days covers the bridge, a couple of hikes and Grandview; add a day for rafting or climbing.
- Getting there
- Charleston's Yeager Airport (CRW) is about an hour from Fayetteville, Raleigh County Memorial Airport (BKW) in Beckley is about 30 minutes, and Roanoke (ROA) is about 2.5 hours away.
- Wildlife
- Look for white-tailed deer, black bears, river otters, bald eagles, peregrine falcons and, in the woods, timber rattlesnakes.
Plan and book
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Where to stay
- Hotels in Fayetteville (opens in a new tab)West Virginia
- Hotels in Beckley (opens in a new tab)West Virginia
- Hotels in Oak Hill (opens in a new tab)West Virginia
- No lodging inside the park. The towns above are the closest bases.
Tours and activities
- Guided tours on Viator (opens in a new tab)Day trips, wildlife, photography
- Tours on GetYourGuide (opens in a new tab)Compare options and reviews
- Campsites on Recreation.gov (opens in a new tab)Official federal booking site
What to pack for New River Gorge
- Hiking shoes with good gripRim trails are rocky and root-covered, and slick after rain.
- Rain jacketSummer afternoon storms are common in the gorge.
- Quick-dry clothingYou will get soaked on a rafting trip or wading at Sandstone Falls.
- Water shoesUseful for river access spots with slippery, rocky bottoms.
- BinocularsGood for spotting raptors along the gorge and climbers on the cliffs.
A first day, start to finish
- Canyon Rim Visitor Center and bridge boardwalk
- Fayette Station Road under the bridge
- Lunch in Fayetteville
- Endless Wall Trail to Diamond Point
- Sunset at Grandview Main Overlook
Don't miss
- New River Gorge BridgeA 3,030-foot steel arch bridge about 876 feet above the river, best seen from the boardwalk and stairs at Canyon Rim Visitor Center.
- Endless Wall TrailA 2.4-mile trail through rhododendron to Diamond Point, a cliff-edge overlook high above the river and miles of sandstone walls.
- GrandviewThe main overlook sits about 1,400 feet above a big horseshoe bend in the river, with rim trails and picnic areas nearby.
- Sandstone FallsA wide set of falls on the New River, viewed from a short boardwalk across islands near the park's southern end.
- ThurmondA preserved railroad town on the river where coal trains once ran, with a restored depot that serves as a summer visitor center.
Know before you go
Do
- Walk down the Canyon Rim boardwalk for the classic view of the bridge.
- Book a guided whitewater trip if you are new to rafting the New or Gauley rivers.
- Check the park's road and trail closures page, since several trails are under repair in 2026.
Don't
- Go near cliff edges at overlooks like Diamond Point, where there are no railings.
- Swim in the New River without a life jacket; currents are strong even in calm-looking spots.
- Plan to drive across the bridge on Bridge Day, when U.S. 19 is closed for the event.
The park and preserve are open 24 hours a day, year-round, with no entrance gates. Canyon Rim and Sandstone visitor centers are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, while Grandview Visitor Center (noon to 5 p.m.) and Thurmond Depot are seasonal and close for the winter. On Bridge Day, Saturday, October 17, 2026, U.S. 19 over the bridge is closed to traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Drive the narrow, winding Fayette Station Road down under the bridge for a view of it from the river level.Trekker's tip