New River Gorge National Park
Towering sandstone cliffs, a river older than the mountains around it, and one of the most photographed bridges in the country. This is New River Gorge National Park.
There’s something here for everyone. Families and casual hikers will love the short, easy trails and the overlooks that require almost no effort for a big payoff. Thrill-seekers can go whitewater rafting through Class III–V rapids, rock climb the sandstone cliffs, or walk the catwalk beneath the New River Gorge Bridge. History buffs can explore the historic coal mining town of Thurmond and the other settlements tucked into the gorge.
We spent several days exploring New River Gorge National Park from top to bottom, and also visited some of the nearby state parks that are well worth adding on to a visit.
New River Gorge National Park Stats
Founded: December 27, 2020
Annual Visitors: 2 million in 2025
Size: 70,000 acres
Location: West Virginia
Entrance Fee: Free
Notable Fact: The New River Gorge is the deepest river gorge east of the Mississippi River
New River Gorge Areas Explained
New River Gorge National Park stretches along more than 50 miles of the New River, broken into a handful of distinct pockets rather than one connected loop. Most visitors focus on three areas: Canyon Rim, Grandview, and Sandstone.
Canyon Rim
Canyon Rim is the anchor of the park, at the north end near the New River Gorge Bridge. This is where you’ll find the main visitor center, the park’s best-known overlooks, Fayette Station Road, and most of the hiking and mountain biking trails.
If you only have one day in New River Gorge, this is where to spend it. The nearby Thurmond Historic District, a former coal town turned near-ghost town, is an easy add-on if you have extra time and an interest in history, though it’s skippable otherwise.
Grandview
Grandview is our favorite area of the park, and one of the best places to get a feel for the gorge in a short visit. The Grandview Overlook looks out over a horseshoe bend in the New River, and two of the park’s best short hikes, the Castle Rock Trail and the Grandview Rim Trail, start right nearby.
Plan on at least half a day here if you want to pair the overlook with a hike.
Sandstone
Sandstone sits at the park’s southern end, centered on Sandstone Falls, the largest waterfall on the New River. It’s a longer drive to reach than the other two areas, but the boardwalk trails out to the falls and the scenic drive through the historic town of Hinton make it worth setting aside its own block of time.
Given the distances involved, treat Sandstone as its own outing rather than trying to pair it with Canyon Rim or Grandview in a single day.
Top Experiences in New River Gorge
Looking for highlights? These are the must-see experiences:
- Photograph the New River Gorge Bridge from Grandview Overlook and the park’s other viewpoints
- Walk the catwalk beneath the New River Gorge Bridge on a Bridge Walk tour
- Hike the Endless Wall Trail or the Castle Rock & Grandview Rim Trail Loop
- Go whitewater rafting, from beginner-friendly floats to Class III–V rapids
- Drive scenic Fayette Station Road across the gorge
- Mountain bike the trail network in the Canyon Rim section
- Rock climb the sandstone cliffs of Canyon Rim
- Explore the historic coal mining town of Thurmond
- See Sandstone Falls, the largest waterfall on the New River
For full details, read our complete guide to the Best Things to Do in New River Gorge National Park ↓
Best Things to Do in New River Gorge National Park
In this guide, we cover the best things to do in New River Gorge National Park, plus essential things to know to have the best experience.Did You Know?
Despite its name, the New River is one of the oldest rivers on the continent, if not the world. There is some debate among geologists about the age of this river, with estimates ranging between 3 to 360 million years.
The New River is also one of the few rivers in the USA that flows from south to north.
Crossing the gorge is the New River Gorge Bridge. Constructed on October 22, 1977, this bridge is one of the most photographed sights in West Virginia. It is the 3rd highest bridge in the United States, the longest single arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the highest vehicular bridges in the world.
New River Gorge: A Park Made for Short, Rewarding Hikes
One of the best things about hiking in New River Gorge is that the trails are short and sweet. Even the longest hike on our list comes in under 3 miles. That makes this a great park for families, newer hikers, or anyone who wants big payoffs without a full-day commitment. Here are a few favorites to get you started:
- Endless Wall Trail: the classic first-timer hike, an easy walk out to sandstone cliff overlooks
- Castle Rock & Grandview Rim Trail Loop: short, fun, and our favorite hike in the park
- Kaymoor Miners Trail: steep and stair-heavy (819 steps!) down to a historic mining site — one of our favorites if you’re up for a challenge
6 Beautiful Hikes in New River Gorge National Park
In this guide, we cover the six of the best hikes in New River Gorge National Park.
How Many Days Should You Spend in New River Gorge?
If you want to visit the three main areas of New River Gorge National Park (Canyon Rim, Grandview, and Sandstone) and have enough time to go whitewater rafting, you will need three to four days. The hikes are short and it does not take much time to visit the overlooks, but because the park is so spread out and divided up into individual sections, you will spend a lot of time driving from place to place.
New River Gorge National Park Itinerary for 1 to 3 Days
In this guide, we provide several New River Gorge itineraries, ranging from one day to three days. If you only have one day, learn how to visit the highlights. And if you are lucky to have more time, we have suggestions for that, too.
Best Time to Visit New River Gorge National Park
May through October is a great time to visit New River Gorge National Park. During this time, the visitor centers are open and whitewater rafting tours are operating, not to mention that the weather is warm.
In April, temperatures can still be very chilly. Even though whitewater rafting tours are operating at this time, I imagine that it could still be very cold. Trees begin getting their new leaves in the spring and by the end of May, the park will be very green. June is a great time to visit New River Gorge, when the weather is warm and just before peak season.
During the summer months, temperatures are warm and thunderstorms are common. With summer break, crowds are the highest from the end of June through August.
In September, temperatures begin to cool off and days get shorter. Bridge Day attracts the highest crowds of the year, and this event takes place the third weekend in October.
Our visit was from October 18 to 21. In this part of West Virginia, the leaves were just beginning to change color. We were hoping to see more fall colors, but we timed our visit a little bit too early. Based on our visit, if you want to visit New River Gorge National Park with brilliant fall colors, plan your visit the last week of October into early November.
During the winter months, temperatures can get below freezing and snow is likely.
New River Gorge National Park appears in our Best US National Parks Month-By-Month series as a great park to visit in June and October.
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How to Plan Your New River Gorge Trip
New River Gorge is spread out and split into distinct sections, so a little planning goes a long way. These steps will help you decide when to go, how long to stay, and what to prioritize.
Step 1: Decide When to Visit
The best time to visit New River Gorge is May through October, when visitor centers are open and whitewater rafting tours are running. Late June through August is the busiest stretch. If you want fewer crowds, aim for September or October. Just plan around Bridge Day, the third Saturday in October, which draws the biggest crowds of the year.
Step 2: Choose How Many Days to Spend
One day is enough to see the highlights at Canyon Rim. Three to four days lets you properly cover all three areas of the park and fit in whitewater rafting.
- 1 day: Focus on Canyon Rim
- 2 days: Add Grandview, plus rafting or mountain biking
- 3–4 days: Add Sandstone, and slow down elsewhere
Step 3: Choose Your Experiences
New River Gorge isn’t just a hiking park. Whitewater rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking, and the Bridge Walk are just as central to a visit as the trails are.
For the full rundown, read our guide to the Best Things to Do in New River Gorge.
Step 4: Build Your Itinerary
Once you know when you’re visiting and which areas and experiences you want to prioritize, it’s easy to build your daily plan. We outline several ways to organize your visit in our New River Gorge Itinerary, with options for 1, 2, and 3 days in the park.
New River Gorge National Park Photos
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