Our newest National Park, christened in January 2021, is New River Gorge National Park and Preserve! I have to say first that I am often leery of new National Parks because they can be a stretch to consider them worthy of that status when compared to their peers (I’m looking at you, Indiana Dunes). Rest assured that after exploring New River Gorge this summer this is worthy of being called a National Park!
Our visit spanned a few days including 2 full days in the park, so we will share this as a choose your own adventure plan where you could spend a single day doing either itinerary or combine them for a great 2 day visit! I will dispel one other thought right off the bat here as well — you do NOT need to be a whitewater rafter to enjoy the park. We did not choose to do that and still had a fantastic visit that left us wanting to return to the area.
We stayed three nights at a rental home in Oak Hill, which was a great base for our exploring.
Without further delay, we present two itineraries for visiting the park. The first is for the person who wants to get out and active in the park and the second is a driving-oriented visit with limited hiking.
One Amazing Day in New River Gorge National Park – For the Hiker
Long Point Trail
Have you been in the car for a while to get here?? If so, let’s stretch those legs, get out on the trail, and put some miles on those shoes! We start with our highlight hike — the Long Point Trail! We evaluated many hikes and debated primarily between this hike to Long Point and the very popular Endless Wall trail. We chose Long Point because of its’ iconic photo op of the New River Gorge Bridge. We did not regret our choice!
The Long Point trail takes you 2.9 miles away from the good sized parking lot (note that there is a pit toilet at the trailhead and there are a lot of signs about towing you if you park on the road outside the lot). One special feature of this trail is that you can mountain bike on it and it is pet friendly so pups can visit too!
The mountain biking was a surprise to us but is a fantastic way to see this trail if you have your bikes with you. The last bit requires you to park your bike and walk about 1/4 mile through dense rhododendron forest out to the vista you set off for. It took us about 1.5 hours to do this hike and it was a great way to start our day!
We were glad we bought this seat protector as our pup came back with muddy feet that would have ruined our seats. The MVP, though, was bug spray as we did find a deer tick on Jasper and highly encourage you to do tick checks before climbing in the car and setting off for the next stop. We know all too well the damage that a tick bite can do as Kim has been battling chronic Lyme for about 3 years now.
Canyon Rim Visitor Center
The next stop on your tour is to drive across the iconic bridge and if you look to the southeast (right side) you can see the outcropping you were just standing on. Turn in to the Canyon Rim Visitor Center to pick up brochures, Junior Ranger books, use the restroom, and walk out to the Canyon Rim Boardwalk for the easiest (and therefore most common) view of the bridge. We chose to stop at the first overlook, just before you have to commit to the 178 stairs down to the second viewpoint. Long Point is a much better view anyway, and the Fayette Station Road (see below) gives you a chance to get under the bridge for some truly unique perspectives.
Grandview and Turkey Spur Overlooks
Our next stop takes us away from the bridge and to a historic view of the river at Grandview. Home to another visitor center as well as a picnic area, theatre, and hiking trails, our destination out here is the Turkey Spur Overlook. Before heading out there you will want to stop at the Grandview Overlook as it looks out at a bend in the New River that will remind you of Horseshoe Bend that you see in Northern Arizona or on those influencers Instasnaps 🙂
After that quick trip to the overlook you have a choice to make. If you have some energy left in the legs, a 3.3 mile roundtrip walk out will allow you to also see the North Overlook. If not, you can quite literally drive right to the base of the Turkey Spur overlook where you will climb steps up onto a boardwalk that puts you 1,000 feet above the river.
Sandstone Falls
Finally, we get down to the water at Sandstone Falls. A quick note on safety – the Park Service strongly encourages anyone on AND near the water to wear a life jacket. We did not have any with, but if you are thinking of wading into the water I’d remind you to be safe as there is a strong current in the river and another waterfall downstream of Sandstone Falls. T
he route down to Sandstone Falls is a bit odd as you drive south along the river all the way to Hinton, where you cross over the river and back north to the parking area near the falls. A boardwalk takes you out and over to great views of the falls and a lot of area to scramble around in and explore. The River Road is a bit narrow towards the end, but nothing unsafe and while a motorhome wouldn’t fit most other vehicles would be fine.
Turn in those Junior Ranger books if you haven’t already, grab any final souvenirs, and check out the exhibits and if needed, restrooms, at the beautiful Sandstone Visitor Center. That’s a wrap!
One Amazing Day in New River Gorge National Park – Scenic Driving Tour
Shhh — don’t tell the adventurers who chose option #1, but you are in for a day full of scenery, history, and some side trips that will have them jealous. It really isn’t possible to see this whole park in 1 day, but you will see some great views along with a greater appreciation for the diversity of the area and why it should be protected.
Canyon Rim Visitor Center
We start where so many do – at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. This stop won’t be long for us, but we have to see the New River Gorge Bridge from this iconic viewpoint. You can choose to stop at the first overlook and avoid the 178 steps down to the second, as the bridge is just one part of our day and we will be getting right up close and personal with it on the Fayette Station Road. This scenic drive will take us back in time, to those days before Disco, when the bridge didn’t exist.
Fayette Station Road
Way back then, you know, in prehistoric times before 1977, a person had to drive all the way down to the bottom of the gorge on narrow roads and across the very bridge we will cross to do what we now do in about 30 seconds. As you set out there is an audio tour you can do here. On this drive you head back out to the 4 lane Route 19, head north (right) and take the next right onto Lansing-Edmunds Road. 1/4 of a mile down that road, turn right onto the Fayette Station Road and you will begin your descent down to the river.
As you get under the bridge there is a nice parking area where you can take some photos from below, and you have 1 more chance to do this (without much parking) on the other side of the river. At the bottom you can park at Lansing Station and walk back out onto the old bridge and both stare up at the new bridge, and watch groups ride the rapids from the dry, safe land. There are spots to grab a bite to eat and use the pit toilet down here as well if needed. Then, we begin climbing back up to the top of the Canyon!
Thurmond Historic District
Once we get to the top, we want to head south and down to the Thurmond Historic District. The road out to this part of the park is narrow and winding, and just wide enough for 2 vehicles to meet. There is a pretty waterfall that you will want to keep your eyes peeled for with a few spots to pull off your car to see. Keep a hold on kids as it’s steep, slippery, and the water is really flowing!
If I didn’t discourage you from driving your fifth wheel or diesel pusher out here, right before you get to the “town” of Thurmond and the historic depot we are headed for you cross a one lane bridge that you can not fit a camper onto, especially as there is a jog in the middle of the bridge that felt dicey in our midsize SUV.
Finally, upon arriving, you find a beautiful depot that is now both a visitor center and functioning Amtrak station (!) and preserved buildings that show some of the history of this early 1900’s boomtown that was once home to the richest banks in West Virginia (!!). Check it out, and then we return how we came with a new destination – Grandview!
Grandview and Turkey Spur Overlooks
Grandview is a beautiful historic overlook that provides a great view of the New River that is largely untouched. It is also home to another visitor center and a theatre, which you can visit if you choose but has almost no exhibits and a tiny shop. Check out the overlook, then take the drive out to Turkey Spur Overlook where you can see another amazing view of the river by climbing some stairs to a wooden boardwalk overlook that has you 1,000 feet above the river. Then, load up and head off for Sandstone Visitor Center, and the Sandstone Falls.
Sandstone Visitor Center and Sandstone Falls
The Sandstone Visitor Center has great exhibits, a nice shop, beautiful covered walkway, and flush toilets. It is also a good spot to eat some snacks or a picnic lunch if you’d like. Our next stop is the Sandstone Falls, which is a must see destination in the New River Gorge National Park. You have some time in the car as you have to drive south to Hinton before crossing the New River and heading back north along the River Road.
This road is not as narrow as the one to Thurmond, but the last few miles are a bit tight. There is a good parking area with pit toilets and the walk out to the falls is on a nice boardwalk. A person can also continue on and scramble out to different views of the falls if you’d like to spend more time here. Do be careful as the park strongly encourages visitors to wear a life jacket even when fishing along the shore. There is a strong current in the river and more falls downstream of this, so keep that in mind.
Grist Mill in Babcock State Park
Our final stop is not actually in the park but is an iconic area attraction. The Grist Mill in Babcock State Park is a beautiful historic building that I was glad we stopped at. Entrance to the State Park is free and this would be a good way to return north if you stay near Fayetteville (or Oak Hill where we stayed). The Mill itself is pretty, as is the river that turns the Mill. While we were there a park employee was inside working the Grist Mill and teaching us how the process worked.
There you have it — not one but two great ways to spend a day in New River Gorge National Park! One bonus if you have time would be to swing up to the Gauley River and Summersville Lake area. We took a quick detour up there and saw that as a potential spot to stay and explore on our next trip!
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I love how you bring these parks to life for us! What a valuable resource for everyone planning to visit these beautiful parks!