Things to do nearNew River Gorge National Park & Preserve

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve became the United States newest national park in December 2020, though the land itself has drawn people for centuries. The New River, despite its name, is among the oldest rivers in North America, having carved its gorge through the Appalachian Plateau over millions of years. Coal mining shaped the gorge communities throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and remnants of that industrial past, from coke ovens to stone foundations, still surface along the backcountry trails.

The park offers more than 100 miles of hiking trails and some of the finest guided hikes in the Mid-Atlantic region. Rock climbers travel from across the country to test themselves on the Nuttall sandstone, which offers thousands of established routes on cliffs like Endless Wall and Diamond Point. Whitewater enthusiasts run everything from gentle Class II floats to the pounding Class V rapids of the Lower Gorge.

The New River Gorge Bridge, completed in 1977, spans 3,030 feet and for decades held the record as the longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. Views of it from overlooks like Long Point and Grandview remain among the most photographed scenes in West Virginia. The gorge is also a rewarding destination for fishing charters and float trips targeting smallmouth bass in the calmer stretches upstream.

Few landscapes in the eastern United States combine geological drama, industrial history, and outdoor adventure so completely, making New River Gorge National Park and Preserve a destination that justifies the journey from anywhere on the East Coast.