Exploring New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Long Point Trail

West Virginia is home to the 63rd National Park. In 2020, the parks system declared New River a national park after many years of being a preserve.

In 1977, the Michael Baker Company completed the famous bridge project. Adding the bridge across the gorge cut locals commute time by an hour. Not only did the addition of the bridge help drive time, it brought many tourist and thrill seekers to the Fayetteville area.

New River is an outdoorsy persons oasis. It is home to bridge day, base jumping, white water rafting, camping and so many hiking trails.

With so many things to do, where do I start?

To start, I would recommend researching the best camp ground near all of your desired activities. We camped at Glade Creek campground. It was STUNNING and right on the river, but it was also 35 minutes away from our activities.

All campgrounds located in the park are first come first serve. I also recommend arriving early to ensure you have a camping site. After determining where you want to camp, now it is time to choose the many activities you will do on your trip.

Located in Fayetteville, there are many local shops and restaurants to check out. We absolutely loved Cathedral Café.

Some popular activities for the whole family include checking out the Canyon Rim visitors center, taking the Bridge Walk Tour and local restaurants.

The Bridge Walk Tour was my all time favorite activity that we did on our trip. During this tour, you are strapped into the underside of the new river bridge, 876 feet in the air. The guide goes over so much history, and you'll also get to watch the river rafters go through some rapids. I would stay away from this tour if you are terrified of heights.

Another all time favorite on this trip was hiking to Long Point. It is the most popular hiking trail in the area, and with good reason. 3 miles long and only 344 feet of elevation gain, this trail is rated easy. The views at the top are breath taking and you have a direct view of the bridge.

The coolest thing was walking under the bridge on the tour and then seeing the bridge from the other side.

I hope this helped kicked off your New River Gorge trip! Get out there and Happy Hiking!