America’s 63rd national park is in West Virginia and you’ve probably never heard of it

It’s also America’s 63rd

The New River is one of the oldest rivers in North America, and it spent millions of years carving a gorge so deep you can barely see the bottom.

Now that gorge sits at the center of a national park that covers more than 70,000 acres across southern West Virginia. You don’t need a reservation.

You don’t pay a dime to get in. Parking is free.

And the best stuff, from the whitewater to the near-ghost town, is just getting started.

An ancient river that flows the wrong way

Most rivers in this part of the country flow south.

The New River flows north, cutting through the Appalachian Plateau and exposing sandstone cliffs that have been buried for ages. The gorge runs 53 miles through the park and drops as deep as 1,000 feet in places.

Despite the name, there’s nothing new about it.

The river has been grinding through rock here for millions of years, and the walls tell you every bit of it.

From national river to national park

President Jimmy Carter signed the legislation in 1978 that first protected this stretch of river as a national river. Then in December 2020, Congress redesignated it as America’s 63rd national park.

Less than 10 percent of the original land carries the full national park title, where hunting isn’t allowed. The rest stays classified as a national preserve, and hunters still use it.

Across both zones, you’ll find more than 1,400 plant species and 63 species of mammals.

An 876-foot bridge that never needs paint

The New River Gorge Bridge stretches 3,030 feet across the gorge and stands 876 feet above the water.

When crews finished it on Oct. 22, 1977, it held the title of longest single-span arch bridge in the world for 26 years. It still holds that title in the Western Hemisphere.

The steel is COR-TEN weathering steel, which develops a rust-colored coating that protects itself. Before this bridge went up, crossing the gorge took 40 minutes on narrow mountain roads.

Now you’re across in under a minute.

Walk a catwalk 876 feet above the river

A two-foot-wide catwalk runs the full length of the bridge beneath the roadway, and you can walk it. The Bridge Walk is a guided tour that takes about three hours, and you’re harnessed to a safety cable the whole time.

Look straight down and there’s nothing between you and the river, 876 feet below.

Peregrine falcons nest on the steel structure here, reintroduced by the National Park Service and West Virginia’s Department of Natural Resources.

Nearby, the Canyon Rim Visitor Center has overlooks and a boardwalk with some of the best angles on the bridge and gorge.

100,000 people watch BASE jumpers leap off the bridge

Every third Saturday in October, the bridge shuts down to traffic for Bridge Day, the largest single-day festival in West Virginia. Hundreds of BASE jumpers step off the edge and fall 876 feet into the gorge.

It’s one of the only times BASE jumping is legal anywhere in the National Park System. The first Bridge Day took place in 1980, and by 2025, the crowd hit over 120,000.

Rappellers drop from the catwalk while food and craft vendors line the roadway above.

Pick your rapids from Class I to Class V

The New River gives you more than 50 miles of whitewater split into two sections. The Upper New River runs calmer, with Class I through III rapids that work well for families and first-timers.

The Lower New River Gorge picks up fast, throwing Class III through V rapids at you as the river passes directly beneath the bridge. Over the course of the park, the river drops more than 750 feet in elevation.

Multiple outfitters run guided half-day and full-day trips all season long.

1,400 climbing routes on ancient sandstone walls

Rock climbers come here for the Nuttall sandstone, a hard rock loaded with cracks, face holds and the occasional massive roof.

The gorge has more than 1,400 established routes, ranging from 30 to 120 feet high, and most of them land in the advanced range. Spring and early fall bring the best conditions.

If you’ve never climbed outdoors, several local outfitters run guided trips for all skill levels, so you can still get on the rock without years of experience.

Hike to Diamond Point on the Endless Wall Trail

The Endless Wall Trail covers 2.4 miles through forest, across Fern Creek and along the cliff edge.

Diamond Point is the highlight, where the gorge opens up below you, the river sits nearly 1,000 feet down and the bridge peeks into view. Rhododendron thickets line the path and bloom in early summer.

You might spot climbers scaling the vertical sandstone right beside the trail. For a head-on view of the bridge, take the Long Point Trail instead, about 3.6 miles round trip.

Sandstone Falls stretches 1,500 feet across the river

Sandstone Falls is the biggest waterfall on the New River, and it doesn’t drop from a cliff. It spreads 1,500 feet wide across the river, broken into sections by small islands.

Each section drops between 10 and 25 feet. A short, accessible boardwalk takes you to multiple viewing platforms right at the edge.

This is where the New River changes character, going from a broad, calm waterway to a narrow mountain river that charges into the gorge.

The Sandstone Visitor Center at the park’s southern end covers the natural and cultural history of the area.

Thurmond once moved more coal than Cincinnati

Captain William D. Thurmond received 73 acres here in 1873 and gave the town his name.

By the early 1900s, Thurmond was a booming coal and railroad hub, and more coal passed through it than through Cincinnati. The town had no road access until 1921, so everything moved by rail.

Today, fewer than a handful of people still live here, and the National Park Service owns about 80 percent of the buildings.

The restored railroad depot serves as a seasonal visitor center, and the whole town sits on the National Register of Historic Places.

Descend 800 steps to a coal mine at Grandview

The Grandview area sits about 1,400 feet above the river, and from the overlooks, you’re staring down into the deepest section of the gorge.

Trails wind through thick stands of rhododendron before reaching the cliff edge.

If you want to earn it, the Kaymoor Miners Trail drops steeply with more than 800 steps to a historic coal mine complex near the river.

Dogs can join you on every trail in the park as long as they’re on a leash no longer than six feet. Four visitor centers spread across the park’s 53 miles: Canyon Rim, Thurmond Depot, Grandview and Sandstone.

Fall color peaks here in mid-October

Most major East Coast cities sit within a day’s drive of the park.

The nearest airport is West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston, about an hour and a half away. Fayetteville, the gateway town, has locally owned shops, outfitters and restaurants.

Fall foliage hits its peak between mid-October and early November, which makes autumn one of the busiest seasons.

Between free admission, free primitive camping and ranger-led programs, this is one of the most affordable national park trips you can take.

Visit New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia

You can start your trip at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center near Fayetteville, which stays open year-round. The park stretches across Fayette, Raleigh and Summers counties in southern West Virginia.

From the south, take Interstate 64. From the north, U.S. Route 19 brings you right in.

There’s no entrance fee and no reservation needed for general access.

Check the official National Park Service website for New River Gorge before you go for seasonal hours and program schedules.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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