New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
America’s Newest National Park
There are only three national parks in the mid-Atlantic. Great Smoky Mountains National Park in TN/NC, Shenandoah National Park in VA, and now New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in WV.
America’s 63rd and, at the time of writing, newest national park was somewhat surprisingly snuck into the December 2020 COVID-19 congressional relief package. Only Congress can designate a national park — one of the highest forms of public land protection. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin helped insert the park into the COVID package and released this statement shortly thereafter:
“The New River Gorge is one of West Virginia’s most cherished playgrounds. The whitewater rafting, hunting, fishing, outdoor sports and natural beauty make it one of our most robust tourist attractions. This new designation will highlight West Virginia’s unparalleled beauty and resources thereby increasing the international recognition. Over the last two years we have met with outdoorsmen, businesses and local leaders and other interested groups to ensure this designation will promote the beauty and rich history of the New River Gorge, while ensuring that the longstanding traditions of hunting and fishing are protected for generations to come.”
I’ve been to a lot of national parks and they are all special in their own ways. They protect ecological, cultural, and/or historical resources sometimes not found anywhere else. But there’s always the main “driver” / the primary reason each park is designated. That reason for this latest national park is the New River itself — which cuts through and dominates the West Virginia landscape.
The (not-so) New River is actually the 2nd oldest river in the world, older than the Appalachian Mountains themselves. The river carves through the mountains and sedimentary rock nearly 1,000 feet deep in some places. Endless outdoor recreational opportunities abound for white water rafting, fishing, world-class climbing, and over 100 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and horse trails. The river shapes and dominates this ecosystem and to understand what makes this place so special, there’s no better way than to get out on the water.
The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is critical to West Virginia’s plants, animal species, and local economies alike and is a national treasure of our public lands for all to enjoy responsibly.
Three Things You’ll Learn From This Post:
- Where to camp inside and outside the park.
- Some of the best trails and vistas.
- How to get out on the water safely — even first timers!
- Where to camp inside and outside the park.
Every national park is different, with some offering full-service lodges, RV parks, and other amenities. The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is camping only within the park. But there are many hotels and other full-service lodging options in the nearby towns of Beckley, Fayetteville and others. As such, it’s extremely easy to re-supply with food, water, or anything else you may need for a weekend exploring the park.
For an easy car-camping option with showers, food, and a mountain-pond waterpark(!), check out ACE Adventure Resort. ACE is immediately adjacent to the park boundary and you can also book them for rafting trips. ACE has fun activities for the whole family on their property as well. We had an awesome time staying here and were even treated with a DJ dance party after returning from an all day hike! You never know what you might find at ACE.
There is also very easy camping a few places within the park. After a couple nights at ACE (and an excellent Class V rafting trip) we moved on to Meadow Creek Campground near the Sandstone Visitor Center. This was in a very quiet and beautiful meadow along the river surrounded by mountains. The campground was a bit overgrown but there were picnic tables and firepits and more than enough room for cars or campers.
After settling in for the night, we experienced an INCREDIBLE firefly display lighting up the meadow and forest. Millions of points of light blending up into a crystal-clear night sky full of stars.
2. Some of the best trails and vistas.
The first stop in the park for many is the Canyon Rim Visitor Center right next to the iconic New River Gorge Bridge. This is a great place to get a map of the park and an extensive 20-page trail guide (both free). As the park is still new (at least in its consolidated National Park form), there’s still a lot of work being done to create new trails, upgrade campgrounds, update the website and other online trail guides so this physical 20-pager trail guide is really the best source for trail information when you arrive.
However, it is absolutely worth it to do the short trail right from the visitor center to the bridge viewing platform / overlook.
After exploring some short easy trails along the rim, you can hop in the car and head down the one-way Fayette Station Auto Road which winds you under the main New River Gorge Bridge down into the gorge and across the New River at the bottom. There are pullouts along the way with stops for a self-guided historical audio tour. The auto road is visible on the maps you can pick up at the visitor center and on Google. Here’s a trace of the route as well:
Crossing the small steel bridge at the bottom of the Fayette Station Road is where I took the banner image for this post of the New River Gorge Bridge. If you’d like to get out and hike along the auto road I highly recommend a spot along Wolf Creek you can pull off and park once you’ve crossed the river at the bottom and headed up the other side a little (see blue circle on the above map). This is the starting point for the Kaymoor trail but there are also a few side trails that will take you along the creek to some beautiful waterfalls and swimming holes.
For another equally amazing part of the park, head southwest to Grandview. There an easy Grandview Rim Trail that provides many excellent vista points. Even adding some side trails, we only totaled about 3.7 miles here and saw a LOT! Here are some photos from this part of the park:
I won’t include everything from the 20-page trail guide. There are so many different sections to experience in this park. But one final iconic section we explored was Sandstone Falls. According to the National Park Service:
“The largest waterfall on the New River, Sandstone Falls spans the river where it is 1500 feet wide. Divided by a series of islands, the river drops 10 to 25 feet. Sandstone Falls marks the transition zone of the New River from a broad river of large bottomlands, to a narrow mountain river roaring through a deep boulder strewn V- shaped gorge. The falls form the dramatic starting line for the New Rivers final rush trough the New River Gorge to its confluence with the Gauley River to form the Kanawha River.”
You can find parking and the trailhead on the West side of the New River. It may say “Sandstone Falls State Park” on the map — they’re still pulling everything into the National Park structure. There’s a beautiful wooded loop you can hike and then trails that will take you out to the riverside and falls viewing. Everything combined was only about 1.5 miles total.
3. How to get out on the water safely — even first timers!
As I mentioned previously, we relied on ACE Adventure Resort for our rafting portion of our trip. And it was 100% worth it! We booked the “Lower New Half Day” trip which left right from ACE. It was our first-time rafting up to potentially Class V (which we got, the river flow changes daily so be prepared for anything!). But our guide was an absolute pro. He told us exactly what to do and while I won’t say we weren’t in any danger, he helped us minimize the risk and have an amazing time. In all the pictures we took, every person has a smile on their face.
As I mentioned in the beginning, the river is at the heart of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Getting on the river in any capacity seems like a right of passage to truly understand what this ecosystem is all about. Whether it’s ACE or another river guiding outfitter, you can explore the Upper and Lower New River in half or full day rafting or kayak trips. You can also explore the Gauley River to the North.
If you’re extreme, each fall the Army Corps of Engineers opens up a dam release on the Gauley River which instantly creates insane whitewater! This is known as “Gauley Fest.” Additionally, each October, “Bridge Day” is held where people can BASE jump off the New River Gorge Bridge! It’s a kick-ass festival to watch and hang out with like-minded fun outdoorsy people.
And, of course, entire books have been written about the 1,400 established rock climbing routes throughout the hard sandstone cliffs of “The New” — one of the top climbing destinations in the East and one of the most popular in the entire country.
Clearly, the ecological wonders of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve provide an excellent destination for any outdoor activity the heart desires. This was a well-known fact to West Virginians, whitewater enthusiasts, and rock climbers for decades already. But the new national park designation has now put the park on the map for many more to enjoy.
Will Hackman, Hackman Guided Adventures
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