Established
2020
Size
7,021 acres
Visitors / yr
1.8M
Entrance
Free
Best season
April through November
Nearest airport
BKW Raleigh County Memorial
01
Why New River Gorge is worth the trip
West Virginia · Established 2020
The New River is, by most geologic accounts, one of the oldest rivers on the continent, and the country's newest national park wraps around the gorge it carved through the Appalachian plateau. This is the adventure capital of the park system. The Lower Gorge serves up celebrated big-water rafting, and some 1,400 established climbing routes line the sandstone cliffs.
Overhead spans the New River Gorge Bridge, 876 feet above the water and the longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. One Saturday each October, Bridge Day closes it to traffic so BASE jumpers can hurl themselves off, which tells you plenty about the local attitude toward gravity. Hike Long Point for the postcard view, raft while the water is up, and refuel in Fayetteville, one of the best small gateway towns going.
Start with our full New River Gorge guide, then use the planning below.
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Top things to do in New River Gorge
Where we would start, and what we would plan a day around. Read the full guide.
Start here
20 Things to Do in New River Gorge National Park
Read the guide
01
Hiking · nps.gov
Trail Run Grandview Rim Trail
Trail run that is 3.1 miles. This is an out and back route that is on different compositions. It is mostly a dirt path...
02
Hunting · nps.gov
Hunting in the Park
Hunting is permitted in any areas designated as National Preserve. Knowing your location and rules for that area are the hunter's responsibility. There are...
03
Hiking · nps.gov
Trail run at Endless Wall
Endless Wall Trail is and excellent place for a trail run but due to the volume of other hikers, this trail runner would recommend...
04
Hiking · nps.gov
Trail Run or hike the Little Laurel Trail
The 4.0 mile roundtrip trail run or hike is strenuous. The terrain is crushed rock for most of the trail, but there are a...
Hiking · nps.gov
Trail Run Grandview Rim Trail
Trail run that is 3.1 miles. This is an out and back route that is on different compositions. It is mostly a dirt path...
02
Hunting · nps.gov
Hunting in the Park
Hunting is permitted in any areas designated as National Preserve. Knowing your location and rules for that area are the hunter's responsibility. There are...
03
Hiking · nps.gov
Trail run at Endless Wall
Endless Wall Trail is and excellent place for a trail run but due to the volume of other hikers, this trail runner would recommend...
04
Hiking · nps.gov
Trail Run or hike the Little Laurel Trail
The 4.0 mile roundtrip trail run or hike is strenuous. The terrain is crushed rock for most of the trail, but there are a...
Before you go
Get the New River Gorge heads-up
Permit windows, closures and seasonal alerts, plus our best New River Gorge guides, in your inbox before you go. Free, no spam.
03
Plan your trip
Our guides for the big decisions, plus the gear, maps and lodging we would actually use for New River Gorge.
Where to stay
Gateway towns with lodging, food and outfitters.
- Fayetteville, WVGateway town
- Beckley, WVGateway town
- Hinton, WVGateway town
- Thayer Campground 4 sites
- Stone Cliff 7 sites
Maps & guides
Carry paper. Cell service dies fast inside most parks.
New River Gorge Trails Illustrated map
Waterproof National Geographic topo of the park.
View on Amazon
America the Beautiful pass
$80 a year. Covers entrance fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
Get the pass
What to bring
Field-tested picks we bring on park trips.
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Trail ShoesLightweight with good traction for maintained trails. View on REI
-
Rain JacketMountain weather turns fast. Pack a shell even on clear mornings. View on REI
-
Merino Hiking SocksPrevent blisters and keep your feet comfortable for miles. View on REI
-
Day Hiking PackA 22-30L pack fits water, layers, snacks, and a first aid kit. View on REI
Getting there
- BKW Raleigh County Memorial 20 mi
- CRW Yeager Airport (Charleston) 65 mi
Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would use ourselves.
New River Gorge map
VC Visitor Center
CG Campground
Nearby Park
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When to go
Loading weather...
Month-by-Month Conditions
Tap any month for details
Month
High
Low
Crowds
Roads
Jan
41°
23°
Low
Open
Feb
44°
25°
Low
Open
Mar
52°
31°
Light
Open
Apr Best
64°
41°
Moderate
Open
May Best
72°
50°
Heavy
Open
Jun Best
78°
58°
Peak
Open
Jul Best
81°
61°
Peak
Open
Aug Best
81°
60°
Peak
Open
Sep Best
75°
54°
Heavy
Open
Oct Best
65°
42°
Heavy
Open
Nov Best
54°
33°
Light
Open
Dec
45°
27°
Low
Open
Best months to visit
Crowd level (low to peak)
Watch our film
New River Gorge National Park 8K
America's newest national park surprised us. We spent weeks on the gorge with West Virginia Tourism and came away convinced the East Coast is hiding one of the best adventure parks in the country. Watch for the bridge shots.
Browse all our national park films05
More New River Gorge guides
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Parks near New River Gorge
Within reach if you are building a longer trip.
Worth protecting
New River Gorge belongs to all of us
Protections that took generations to win can be rolled back in a single session of Congress. We keep watch so they hold.
Stay in the Loop
Free dispatches on the parks and the policy fights around them, almost every day. Threats tracked, wins celebrated, no fluff.
Threatened Lands Map
Follow what's happening on federal lands across the country with our interactive map.
View the Tracker