We are excited to help you decide what to do in New River Gorge National Park & Preserve as well as share ideas for how to spend four days in New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. We had the opportunity to spend nearly two weeks in this beautiful park in October 2022. This guide will help you prioritize what you want to see and do in the park no matter how much time you have. Oh, and did I mention there is no entrance fee?
Are you looking for an adventure filled get away? Or, maybe a long weekend to hike and enjoy nature photography is more your speed. New River Gorge National Park & Preserve (NRGNPP) has you covered! Located in the hills of West Virginia, NRGNPP earned the “national park” designation at the end of 2020 as the 63rd national park in the United States.
The New River Gorge Express Itinerary
You can see the top park sights even if you are just driving through in a day or less. Here is a suggested express itinerary, assuming you are coming into the park from the north. You could reverse the order if you are coming in from the south.
- Stop at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center in Lansing, WV. Take in the views from the back deck, and watch the video if you time it right. Walk down to the short boardwalks for great views of the bridge and gorge.
- Grab a meal in Fayetteville, maybe Cathedral Cafe or Tudor’s Biscuit World.
- Drive 45 minutes to Grandview and go to the dramatic main overlook. After the overlook, hike the .5 mile easy Tunnel Trail, or walk along the rim trail for more overlooks.
- Drive 20 minutes to the Sandstone Visitor Center to learn more about the area.
- Drive 25 minutes to Sandstone Falls, and enjoy overlooks of the falls and river along your drive. Walk the boardwalk to the main falls, or do the 1 mile easy Island loop.
- Drive 15 minutes to Hinton and grab a meal at The Market Courthouse Square.
If You Have More Time
We hope you have more time to explore this park! We have broken out the top things to do in the Canyon Rim/Fayetteville, Grandview, and Sandstone areas by day.
Day One: Fayetteville & Canyon Rim Area
Our introduction to NRGNPP started off blustery with some snow showers even in mid-October! We arrived just after the annual Bridge Day (third Saturday in October each year) and had just missed peak fall foliage. However, the fall colors were still gorgeous. We grabbed breakfast at Tudor’s Biscuit World, a MUST when you are in the area, and headed to the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. We got our national park passport book stamped (our 6th national park this year!) reviewed area maps, and took photos with the NPS sign. After a quick stop at the Visitor Center we headed outside to the boardwalks for the bridge and river views. Some require quite a bit of steps, so keep that in mind.
From there we enjoyed the scenic Fayette Station Drive, and were able to get a parking spot at the old bridge to walk out and get some great views of the river and new bridge. There are much larger parking areas, so don’t worry if you aren’t able to park before the crossing the bridge. I would budget about 1.5 hours for this scenic drive.
By now we were ready to hike and headed to Long Point trailhead. Our adventure pup was excited to hike with us in the park! If you have visited other national parks, dogs are not typically permitted on hiking trails. We were thrilled to learn our (leashed) dog could hike with us as we planned our stay.
Long Point is a popular, easy 3-mile out-and-back hike with great views. The trail does become a bit more technical (rocky with tree roots) for about the last .2 miles before the point, but otherwise this trail is fairly level and a walk through the forest. We would definitely recommend hiking Long Point trail.
Afterwards we sat in the sun on the patio at nearby Bridge Brew Works and had a beverage. We finished the day at Pies & Pints in Fayetteville, which is an awesome place for pizza and drinks. We liked it so much we actually went twice during our visit!
If you find yourself with extra time, or want to add another excellent hike in this area, check out Diamond Point Overlook via Endless Wall Trail. This is a 2.4 mile out-and-back “moderate” hike to a beautiful overlook that has views of the bridge and river. There are lots of rocks and tree roots on the trail.
This is a popular trail, and the trailhead parking lot is fairly small. If the lot is full you can park along the road, just ensure your vehicle is entirely off the road. This is a very scenic hike with various overlooks into the gorge, as well as bridge views from Diamond Point. You can continue on the Endless Wall Trail, but note that part of the trail will have you walk along the road you parked on. We decided to make this an out-and-back instead of a loop to avoid walking on the main road. Our pup enjoyed this hike, and we saw lots of leashed dogs along the way.
Day Two: Grandview
After coffee and breakfast at our campground, we packed up to head to Grandview for the day. We planned for several hikes, and made sure we had all of our hiking essentials. We always take our trusty day backpack, my smaller waist pack (yes, really a fanny pack!), our go-to hiking boots, water bottles, and some essentials for the pup, including his harness and super convenient water bottle.
Grandview is a gorgeous area. The sunny, mild weather didn’t hurt either. The visitor center was closed for the season during our visit in October, but there were open (clean!) bathrooms, plenty of picnic tables, a playground for kiddos, and lots of wide open green space. We ate a quick picnic lunch of PBJ sandwiches, and took in the views from the stunning main overlook.
There are two awesome hiking trails right next to the main Grandview overlook. First we did the Castle Rock trail, which was our favorite hike during our stay. This is a 1 mile loop where you start off hiking below the huge rock cliffs. The trail is rated “moderate” for difficulty, and we found the trail to be fairly technical for the first .5 mile. Our pup did great. There are many narrow areas of the trail with significant drop offs so be sure to keep pets and kids close. The trail connects to the Grandview Rim Trail which has more beautiful overlooks as you make your way back to the parking area. I would plan for about an hour to complete this trail.
Next up we did the Tunnel Trail, a very short half-mile, “easy” hike. There are some steps, but the scenery is worth it. If you are short on time in the Grandview area, take in the main overlook and hike the Tunnel Trail. The trail will lead you to a ballfield, close to the parking area.
Day Three: Hinton & Sandstone Falls
We woke up to another gorgeous day. Despite the snow showers and frigid weather when we first arrived in the area, altogether the weather during our stay was awesome for spending time outside. We packed up and drove to Hinton, WV, about a 1.5 hour drive on more curvy, hilly back roads. We grabbed lunch at The Market Courthouse Square. I must say, this was one of our best meals. We split a black bean burger and Cobb salad with chicken. The food was excellent, fresh, and very affordable, plus we were able to eat outside with the pup. If you visit the Sandstone area, plan to eat a meal at this local eatery.
From the restaurant we drove along the river to Sandstone Falls. Sandstone Falls has a large parking area with pit toilets. We headed clockwise on the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk and Island Loop Trail, an easy 1 mile loop. There is a section of the trail before the main falls where you can go down to the shore along the river, which would be nice in warm weather. Our pup accidentally ran into the water, and then proceeded to get the zoomies, so that was fun. Needless to say the wet, sandy pup got a bath later that day!
You will quickly discover why this area should be on your list of “must do’s” as you walk through the forest, along the river, over bridges, and of course all the waterfalls. The views were simply gorgeous, enhanced by the sounds from all the waterfalls and running river.
We stopped by the Sandstone Visitor Center, right off the interstate, on our way back to the campground. This is a newer facility, and does have seasonal hours. Be sure to check their hours ahead of time if you visit during the off-season.
We finished off the day at Freefolk Brewery, a dog friendly place with craft beer, mixed drinks, and food. It was windy and cold that evening, so we sat inside with our pup, but they have a large outdoor area when the weather is nicer. I highly recommend the pepperoni rolls and their burger. Despite the small menu, we enjoyed the food more than the craft beer!
Day Four: Babcock State Park & Cathedral Falls
We were excited to have extra time on this trip to explore nearby Babcock State Park (about 30 minutes from Fayetteville). One of the reasons we love to travel and explore is photography. I love photographing all the beautiful places we visit. If you love photography too, or want a heart-pumping hike while you’re visiting NRGNPP, put Babcock State Park on your list. Bonus, no entry fee and leashed dogs are allowed on trails!
This state park is famous for the Glade Creek Grist Mill, which is one of the most photographed images in West Virginia. As you can see we did miss the peak foliage, but we still had a beautiful clear day. The mill is located right across from the parking area at the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center has a gift shop, bathrooms, and a platform off the side of the building right along the creek, which has more beautiful views of the mill with some small waterfalls.
If you are up for a more strenuous hike, check out the Skyline, Rocky, Narrow Gauge Loop trail in the state park. This 4.4 mile loop is rated “moderate” but there are some more strenuous sections of this trail, including some elevation gain. This trail will get your heart pumping. We did this hike counterclockwise and enjoyed the first half of the hike, with a steep incline in the beginning, and then a steep rocky decline about half way through. Be prepared for all trail conditions and have the right gear and plenty of water. Plan for 2-3 hours to complete this hike.
If you haven’t seen enough waterfalls yet, after Babcock State Park take a drive to Cathedral Falls (about a 40 minute drive). Located right off the road, the water falls over 60 feet from above. There is a small parking area and a very short trail if you want to get closer to the waterfall. This could also be a quick stop to stretch your legs when you first enter or leave the park. Kanawha Falls is also right up the road.
Other Popular Things to Do Near the Park
We spent our time in the park mostly hiking and enjoying the scenic drives. This was an intentionally lower-key visit for us. We didn’t want to be rushing around with jam-packed activities. However, because it was lower-key we did skip many highly rated activities in the area. Here are some top activities we missed, and the official NPS website for a list of all the things you can do in the park.
Bridge Walk
You can literally take a guided tour and walk underneath the bridge! Although this was highly recommended and the reviews look great, we put this on our list for next time. Learn more about the guided Bridge Walk tour here.
Whitewater Rafting
Our visit to the park was in late October, just after the whitewater rafting season ended. Whitewater Rafting is a very popular and highly rated activity in the park, and we are bummed we did not get to experience this. If you are visiting between April-October, put this on your list. The National Park Service has a list of licensed commercial outfitters to help you experience whitewater rafting. Check it out and make sure to read reviews!
Rock Climbing
Did you know NRGNPP has over 1400 established rock climbs? We didn’t either! While we aren’t experienced rock climbers, this may be important to you. This NPS page has more information on climbing in the park.
Map of the Park & Key Areas
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve is spread out. If you have visited other national parks this is not unusual. However, prior planning is even more important. To get the most out of your visit, plan to group things to see and do based on the geographic area. Looking at the map below, the main park areas are highlighted in the dark green blocks.
- Canyon Rim Visitor Center area is where you will find the iconic gorge and bridge views, various hiking trails, Fayette Station scenic drive, as well as the cute towns of Fayetteville and Lansing. You will also find nearby state parks including Babcock State Park, and Hawk’s Nest State Park.
- Grandview offers amazing views of the landscape and and river. The cover photo was taken from the main Grandview overlook. You will also find several top hiking trails from the visitor center, as well as a great setting for a picnic.
- Sandstone Visitor Center and Sandstone Falls (about a 30-minute drive from the Sandstone Visitor Center) are located in the southern area of the park, and well worth the drive. Sandstone Falls offers a short boardwalk to view the falls, or a 1-mile loop on the Island Loop Trail.
- Thurmond Historic District is a preserved railroad town due to the booming coal industry in the early 1900’s. The unoccupied town remains, and trains still pass through the town daily. In this area you can do a walking tour, and there are several hiking trails. We did not make it to this area of the park.
Where to Stay Near New River Gorge National Park
We traveled to NRGNPP in our RV, and stayed at Rifrafters Campground in Fayetteville. We were very happy with the campground and location to explore the park. Fayetteville is right across the river from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, has great restaurants, is close to popular hiking trails, and even has some local breweries. Located in the northern section of the park, Fayetteville is not the most central to other areas in the park though. From our campground it took about 45 minutes to drive to Grandview, and nearly a 1.5 hour drive to Sandstone Falls and Hinton, so keep that in mind as you decide where to stay.
Beckley, West Virginia could be a more centralized option for your stay. You will also find more restaurant and hotel options.
If you are seek more of a resort feel, check out Ace Adventure Resort, which offers a waterpark, onsite dining, cabin rentals, as well as guided adventures for rafting, ziplining, kayaking, etc.
Just Go!
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve is truly a choose-your-own-adventure type park. It’s truly an awesome area. We hope you’ll add it to your top list of national parks to visit!
Have you been to NRGNPP? What was your favorite part? Tell me more in the comments below!
Related blog posts: