West Virginia is a state filled with natural wonder. The Appalachian Mountains offer dramatic vistas around each curve in the road. However, I would hazard a guess that when most people (beyond those in neighboring states) make their travel bucket lists, West Virginia is not at the top. Yet, the more I have seen of West Virginia, the more I have understood why roots run deep in this wild and wonderful state. It is a place brimming with both beauty and character. It also has the feel of a well-kept secret.

When we mentioned to friends and family that we were traveling to the New River Gorge National Park in southern West Virginia, very few of them had even heard of it. Fewer had visited themselves. It was not on most people’s travel radar. But after our trip there, I strongly suggest that it should be.

New River Gorge National Park (NP) and Preserve became the 63rd national park in December of 2020, though some of the area was already protected by the park service as a national river, prior to the upgrade in designation. With its majestic mountain viewpoints, rugged hiking trails, and class I-V rapids, this park has the potential to rival its neighbor to the south, Great Smoky Mountains NP, which is America’s most-visited national park.

 The history of coal mining within the New River Gorge region also serves as a reminder of the site’s importance during the boom of industrialization in America. The coal mines within the park limits have since shut down. Today, the focus lies on environmental restoration and preservation efforts. Large sections of the land were once stripped bare of trees; now, the area is covered with vibrant forests. The National Park Service continues to work with research efforts to study the contamination of the New River and its tributaries. The changing nature of people’s relationship with the land in the last century is a significant highlight of this destination.

Park Basics and Where to Stay

New River Gorge NP is currently free to enter. It is about an hour southeast of Charleston, and it is easily accessible from I-64 and I-77.

 The nearest towns are Fayetteville (closer to the bridge and Canyon Rim Visitor Center in the north) and Beckley (closer to Grandview and Sandstone Falls in the south). Beckley has more hotel options, but there are many rental home and cabin options available on Airbnb and VRBO near Fayetteville. There are also a few resort options around Fayetteville (Adventures on the Gorge, ACE Adventure Resort, Resort at Glade Springs) if you are looking for more packaged deals with outdoor adventures. We stayed at a cabin in Hico (just north of the park). It was a 10-minute drive to the Canyon Rim Visitor Center.

How Many Days to Spend in New River Gorge

Most of the tips we read prior to visiting suggested a minimum of 3 days for visiting New River Gorge. This amount would only allow for seeing the highlights and limited hiking or other outdoor activities.

Because the main areas of the park are fairly spread out, we recommend a little more time. We spent 4 days here, and it felt like just the right amount of time. We explored each visitor center, hiked in multiple locations, and drove the iconic Fayetteville Station Road. Plus, we squeezed in a boat ride. Admittedly, we did not lounge around much on this trip. If that is more your style, you may want more time here. The same could be said for anyone wanting to participate in a whitewater rafting tour or the bridge walk.

Visiting New River Gorge National Park with Kids

The New River Gorge has been an outdoor recreational haven for decades, well before it was designated with NP status. Many people are drawn to the area for whitewater rafting, rock climbing, and the bridge walk. These activities may be perfect for families with older children and/or teens. For families with younger children, there are still many fun activities to enjoy, but those with toddlers or preschoolers should be aware that some trails with the best viewpoints lack railings or any safety features on the edges of steep cliffs. See our notes on the “Take a Hike” section below for the details on which trails to exercise additional caution.  

Is New River Gorge Kid-Friendly?

On our kid-friendly rating scale above, we rate this park in terms of the appropriateness of park activities for each age group. We determine this rating according to the safety and suitability of the available activities.

For parents of toddlers (1-2) and preschoolers (3-5), we recommend proceeding with caution when visiting this park due to potential safety hazards. The open viewing areas along some of the hiking trails are especially dangerous for young children who may run first and look where they are going later. We brought our 3- and 5-year-olds on two hikes with viewing outlooks that dropped hundreds of feet into the gorge without a railing in sight. We made sure that our boys were holding our hands or held by an adult at all times on the open viewpoints. So, we were still able to enjoy the scenery. But you know your children best, and if this effort is not worth the risk for your family, judge accordingly.

For school-aged children (6-9), most activities within the park may be suitable. Kids 8 and up can participate in the bridge walk. Some whitewater rafting tours allow kids as young as 6. However, the lack of railings along many of the hiking trails is still a safety concern for kids this age. We rated New River Gorge NP as appropriate for adolescents (10-19) due to the variety of suitable activities for tweens and teens and their ability to better perceive the safety risks of these activities.

What to Do with Kids of All Ages at New River Gorge

Check out the New River Gorge Visitor Centers

New River Gorge has more visitor centers than most national parks. There are four centers located within the over 70,000 acres preserved by the National Park Service: Canyon Rim, Thurmond Depot, Grandview, and Sandstone Falls. Each visitor center represents a unique site or area within the park. We visited each visitor center on our trip as part of the Junior Ranger program. Be aware that the visitor centers are all around 40-50 minutes apart.

For those unfamiliar with national parks, you can also get a map, learn about daily programs and guided hikes, and speak to a ranger here if you have any questions. We also go to visitor centers for the express purpose of adding a stamp to our park passport books. These can be purchased at most national park visitor centers. The junior version is also a fun memento for kids. Kids 5 and up can also participate in the Junior Ranger Program. By completing educational activities, they can earn a Junior Ranger badge for each park.

 Canyon Rim

The Canyon Rim is the main visitor center for park information. The center has an exhibit on the overall history, natural landscape, and recreational activities in the area. We also watched an 11-minute introductory film on the park here.

Thurmond Depot

The Thurmond Depot visitor center is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The depot is a refurbished train station that highlights Thurmond’s time as a major stop along the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. The town received over 95,000 passengers a year in the early part of the 20^th century. The boom declined with the invention of diesel locomotives and decreasing coal production. Nevertheless, the railroad remains active today, and AMTRAK trains pass through regularly.

Grandview

Like Thurmond Depot, the Grandview visitor center is open seasonally from Memorial Day to Labor Day. However, the Grandview area and viewing platform is open year-round. Grandview is located at the highest elevation in the park. Grandview’s visitor center is the smallest of the four with just two rooms of exhibition material, and a small shop. The visitor center is a short walk from the viewpoint that overlooks a 1,400-foot drop to the river.

Sandstone Falls

Sandstone Falls visitor center is located 20 miles from Sandstone Falls (a 30-minute drive). The visitor center was designed with sustainability, energy efficiency, and conservation in mind. The center has a sizable exhibition space, a 12-minute film, a shop, and a native garden. Other than getting the stamp for the Junior Ranger program and seeing two Eastern box turtles in the garden, we found this visitor center to be the least worthwhile of all of them. The distance to the falls from the visitor center is too far. There were no hiking trails or any other sights to make this center worth the trip either. If you are not doing the Junior Ranger activity for the visitor centers, then we recommend skipping this one in favor of heading straight to the falls.

Take a Scenic Drive

The Fayette Station Road Tour is one of the easiest ways to see the bridge from the bottom of the gorge. The tour takes 30-45 minutes, starting at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center and ending at US-19, close to Fayetteville. The audio tour is available for free on the park website. It details the history of the area and wildlife and nature today. The road itself had lots of switchbacks and narrow stretches, but it is entirely paved. There were a few pull-offs with additional information and photo opportunities spread throughout the drive.

We recommend stopping at the parking area by the river. From there, you can walk back to a wooden bridge you drive over to get to the parking lot. This wooden bridge offers a good view of the New River Gorge Bridge directly over the river. You can also walk directly down to the river from the parking lot. Our boys’ favorite part was throwing stones in the water here.

Take a Hike

Toddlers and Preschoolers

For families with toddlers and preschoolers, we know it can be challenging to travel to a new place and take a risk with a hiking trail that may present difficulties or even dangers for the littlest hikers. We did some hikes in New River Gorge NP that we can confidently recommend for this age group and others with potential dangers to prepare for.

The Sandstone Falls Boardwalk

The Sandstone Falls Boardwalk is an easy 1-mile option. This may be the only stroller-friendly walk in the park as well. There are some railings along the boardwalk in areas overlooking the water. This was our kids’ favorite hike. If you have extra time, there are some stairs near the final viewing platform of the falls that lead to the riverside, where our kids had a blast playing with the rocks and finding tiny clams.

Park Loop Trail

Park Loop Trail is an easy 1.1-mile walk in the forest. While this walk does not have any scenic views of the bridge or gorge, it is a nice, leisurely loop. Be advised that it is a rustic trail (not stroller friendly). The trailhead begins next to Fayetteville’s Town Park, which might be a good place (or a big temptation 😉) to hit the playground afterwards.

Tunnel Trail

Tunnel Trail is designated as a moderate 0.5-mile hike. The trail is accessible from the Grandview Overlook. The path threads through a forest with beautiful rock formations. It started raining while we were on this trail, and there were lots of slick rocky surfaces and muddy areas. So be aware that rainy weather may not be the best for hiking this path. Even though it was a short one, it was one of our favorites.

The Canyon Rim Boardwalk

The Canyon Rim Boardwalk is oddly both an easy and strenuous trail because it is very short but has 178 stairs. This trail is a short (0.1 mile) walk from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. The stairs lead to a closer viewing platform of the New River Gorge Bridge. Our kids did remarkably well with the ascent until our youngest (3 years old) fell and needed carried for a bit. There are lots of benches along the way if you need to catch your breath. 

School-Aged Children and Teenagers (6 and up)

Endless Wall Trail

Endless Wall Trail is an easy to moderate 2.4 miles one-way. The hike is forested and leads to an overlook at Diamond Point that is about halfway along the trail. Diamond Point overlooks a view into the valley (note: not of the bridge!). There are two trailheads a short drive from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center on Lansing-Edmond Road; one trailhead is at Fern Creek and the other at Nuttall. There are parking lots at both trailheads. A ranger suggested that Nuttall is sometimes the least busy of the two, so that is the one we chose.

Some people make this trail into a loop by walking along the road back to whichever parking lot they chose. Since we chose to take this trail with both our 3 and 5-year-olds in tow, we opted to hike from the Nuttall trailhead to Diamond Point and back again.

Our primary reason for evaluating this trail as a better fit for older kids and teens is the hazardous nature of the Diamond Point overlook. Even with older kids, we recommend careful consideration before choosing this hike. When we got to the viewpoint, it was clear that there were no railings, fences, or any kind of safety feature to protect a child from a nearly 1,000-foot drop into the New River below. Since we brought our preschoolers with us, we exercised additional caution when we arrived at the overlook and made sure that they were holding an adult’s hand or being held by an adult at all times, and we also kept them back several feet from the edge. We hope this heads-up helps you make an informed decision on whether this trail is a good fit for your family.

Long Point Trail

The Long Point Trail is a moderate 1.6-mile hike, one-way, to a vista which offers a broad view of the New River Gorge Bridge. Like Diamond Point on the Endless Wall Trail, Long Point is an open cliff edge without safety features. We hiked this trail a few days after we did the Endless Wall. We initially planned on taking both our boys on this hike, but our 3-year-old fell asleep on the drive over, so we decided to leave him with Nana for this one. That decision turned out to be a good one.

This was the longest hike we attempted with our 5-year-old at 3.2 miles total. The difficulty of the trail felt similar to Endless Wall Trail with just a small section with an incline. Otherwise, it was a leisurely walk, albeit a muddy one in many areas due to recent rains, but our eldest only chose the muddiest routes a few times. 😉 We held him while walking on the unprotected rocky outcropping. When we reached the end of the cliff, we found some pools of rainwater with tadpoles that kept him entertained a few minutes while we soaked in the view before heading back.

Castle Rock Trail

Castle Rock Trail is a 1.1-mile moderate loop trail of the Grandview area. This is one trail that we did not choose with our kids because we had read that it was not safe for young children. The hike traverses a narrow ledge along a rock wall where you can see exposed coal seams and a beautiful view of the valley. Like the easier hike that we took in this area, Tunnel Trail, the rocks along the path are smooth and slippery when wet. The rock formations look beautiful, but be advised of the difficulty of the trek when deciding if it’s one for you and your kids.

We’ve barely scratched the surface of the trails available at New River Gorge, so if you are looking for more options off the beaten path or more strenuous trails, check out the park website’s overview of all trails in the area.

Take a Boat Ride

I am normally a thorough, advanced planner when it comes to our trips. Planning on the fly makes me anxious. So, it was a rare moment of spontaneity that led us to take a boat ride on the New River when I discovered it on the second day of our trip.

We made a quick decision to make a reservation with Adventures on the Gorge, a local tour and resort company. We picked up a shuttle from their resort and took a 25-minute-drive to Hawks Nest State Park’s boat dock. From the boat dock, New River Jet Boats provided a tour that lasted around 30 minutes, going to both the dam and New River Gorge Bridge. The captain of New River Jet Boats has been operating tours for the last few decades. He was a quirky character with enough dad jokes to last the length of the tour. 😉

At the time of our tour, the cost was $39 for adults, $35 for seniors, $29 for kids aged 5-12, and $10 for kids 0-4. Since the boat ride itself only lasted 30 minutes, this price did seem a tad high to us. Visitors can also purchase tickets in person from Hawks Nest State Park Lodge or at the Hawks Nest Marina. It likely costs less to purchase in person, but those prices are not listed on the website. For those looking to reserve tickets online, see the New River Jet Boats website.

Since we hadn’t splurged on any other tours, this was an easy choice for us. The boys were quiet for most of the ride, soaking in the sights and the wind whipping in their faces. We got a bonus experience when a train carrying coal crossed the bridge by the boat dock. The highlight, of course, was rounding a bend to see the magnificence of the New River Gorge bridge rising above us. If you have kids that are too young for whitewater rafting, this may be the perfect alternative.

Trail Tip: If you take the boat tour through Adventures on the Gorge, we recommend that after you are dropped off back at their resort, take a quick walk past the pool to their viewing platform of the New River Gorge Bridge, which may be better than any of the lookouts in the park limits.  

Fishing at New River Gorge

The New River and its tributaries have a diverse range of fish, making it a popular destination for fishing. A West Virginia fishing license is required to fish in the park and in all public areas in the state. 3-day and year-long licenses are available at most sporting goods stores. For more details on public river access points, types of fish, and all things fishing at New River Gorge, check out the park webpage.

Activities for Older Kids and Teens

Whitewater Rafting

The New River offers a variety of whitewater rafting experiences from April to October. There are tamer options for beginners and more difficult rapids for veteran rafters. Rafting trips can last from a few hours to a few days. There are quite a few tour operators on the New River. Check out the park’s comprehensive list of licensed tour operators in the area.

New River Gorge Bridge Walk

Perhaps the most iconic activity in the area is the Bridge Walk of the New River Gorge Bridge. Visitors 8 and older can take a 2-3 hour-walking tour on the catwalk beneath the bridge, which is 851 feet above the water at its maximum height. The walk is 1.5 miles total, and participants are strapped in with a safety cable for the entirety of the walk. The cost was around $75 a person at the time of our trip. We wish our kids had been old enough for this tour on our visit, but if we ever get the chance to go back when they are older, we will definitely do this one!

Rock Climbing at New River Gorge

New River Gorge is a burgeoning destination for rock climbers. We are not rock climbers ourselves, but if you would like details on regulations and tips on where to climb, we recommend that you check out the park site.

Where to Eat

Fayetteville

• Pies and Pints: We split a classic meat pizza (pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and banana peppers) and a street corn pizza (tajín, seasoned corn, parmesan, lime, cilantro, scallions, chipotle crema, and half jalapeños). Both were very good, but the street corn pizza was our favorite. We got the kids a cheese pizza here, and they do not skimp on the cheese, y’all. The adults agreed that we would get one for ourselves if we came back. We also loved the sarsaparilla root beer.
• Secret Sandwich Society: We really enjoyed the food at this quirky sandwich joint. Here’s what we loved: the crispy fried brussel sprout starter with parmesan and lemon, the Truman sandwich (turkey, peach jam, blue cheese spread, and crispy onions on a toasted potato roll), the Washington sandwich (ham, white cheddar, apple, rosemary mayo, and greens on a toasted baguette), the Velvet burger (bacon, French onion dip, caramelized onions, and swiss), and the Key Lime Pie on cashew graham cracker crust. The kids also got chicken tenders, and they were delicious.
• Don Rizo Mexican Kitchen & Cantina: We tried this one out on the recommendation of a local, but we weren’t as impressed with this place as we were with P&P and SSS. They were admittedly big shoes to fill. We did try some things that were new to us (notably, cactus), but nothing stood out here. It is a decent option if you have a hankering for Mexican food while in the area, though.
• Tudor’s Biscuit World: Is it even a trip to West Virginia without a visit to this iconic state chain? Serving up all sorts of sweet and savory biscuits as well as classic American fare, Tudor’s is at least worth a try if you have never experienced one.

Is New River Gorge NP Worth a Visit?

Although New River Gorge NP might be the littlest sibling of the NP family, it has a lot to offer. Word may already be getting out about the variety of outdoor activities available. It ranked as the 17^th most visited park in 2023 with 1.7 million visitors. However, when we visited, it still felt like a crowd-free, peaceful mountain getaway. We hope it stays that way long enough for you to visit this beautiful slice of the Mountain State.

Looking for more of our posts on National Parks? Check them out here.