New River Gorge is the longest, deepest gorge in the Appalachian Mountains. As the New River cut the deep gorge through mountains it exposed layers of limestone, shale, and bituminous coal. In fact, the smokeless, bituminous coal is considered some of the best in the world. Its discovery lead to mining and railroad activity throughout the gorge. New River Gorge was added to the national park system in 1978 when it was designated New River Gorge National River. In 2020, the Park was reclassified and renamed New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
New River Gorge is Dog Friendly!
We were excited to explore one of America’s newest national parks with our dog, Liberty! New River Gorge was actually the 14th national park that Liberty has visited. She enjoyed exploring Sandstone Falls, sniffing around under the New River Gorge Bridge, and watching the trains in Thurmond. The variety of recreation opportunities available in New River Gorge make it a great place visit with a dog.
Ranger Kyle even presented Liberty with a B.A.R.K. Ranger Certificate! Visit Ranger Kyle and the other rangers at the Canyon Rim Visitors Center to learn more about the B.A.R.K. Ranger program.
New River Gorge Bridge
The New River Gorge Bridge is the most easily recognized landmark in the park. Construction of the bridge began in 1974 and was completed on October 22, 1977. It stands 876 feet above the New River making it one of the highest vehicular bridges in the world. “Bridge Day” is held annually on the third Saturday in October to celebrate the bridge. Hundreds of people gather on the bridge for the celebration which includes BASE jumping into the gorge below. Visitors can view the bridge from the observation platforms behind the Canyon Rim Visitors Center, but we enjoyed the views of the bridge from the Fayette Station Road and the Endless Wall Trail the most.
Fayette Station Road
The historic Fayette Station Road winds below the New River Gorge Bridge and traces the old route between Lansing and Fayetteville. Learn about the area’s mining history and enjoy fun views of the New River Gorge Bridge by listening to the free self-guided audio tour offered by the National Parks Service through this link. The self-guided tour begins just behind the Canyon Rim Visitors Center, crosses the historic Tunney Hunsaker Bridge, and ends across the river in Fayetteville.
Nuttalburg Coal Mining Complex
An English pioneer named John Nuttal established the Nuttalburg Coal Mine on the side of the gorge in 1870. A town sprung up around the mine by the time the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad was built through the gorge. In the 1920s, Henry Ford leased the mine as part of his plan to vertically integrate all aspects of automobile production, but eventually regulations made transporting the coal to Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan plant too expensive. The mine eventually ceased operations and was sealed in 1958. The ruins of the town, including the Ford’s impressive conveyor belt and tipple, became part of the park in 1998.
Sandstone Falls
Sandstone Falls is located at the south end of the National Park near the town of Sandstone. The falls are the tallest on the New River, but only drop between 10 and 25 feet. They are divided by islands that can be accessed by a boardwalk. Liberty loved exploring the cool, sandy islands in the river and listening to the peaceful sound of the falls.
Thurmond
Visiting the Thurmond Historic District was one of the highlights of our trip! The town of Thurmond was incorporated in 1900. It was once the most prosperous town in the area. In 1995, the historic train depot was renovated and converted to a visitors center for the national park. The Thurmond Historic District includes the railroad depot, historic town buildings along the railroad tracks, and the historic coaling tower. It was fun exploring as the CSX coal trains rolled by.
Hiking in New River Gorge National Park
We hiked several trials in New River Gorge National Park. Our favorites were the Endless Wall Trail near Fayetteville and the Castle Rock Trail in the Grandview area.
Endless Wall Trail
The Endless Wall Trail begins at the Fern Creek parking area. It is classified as easy to moderate. The trail follows Fern Creek through the forest. The most prominent viewpoint on the trail is Diamond Point, which offers a great view of the Endless Wall – an exposed limestone ridge that runs along the top of the gorge. Diamond Point is a good spot to turn around. Using the Endless Wall Trail as an out-and-back trail to Diamond Point results in about a two mile hike. On the way back to the Fern Creek parking lot, we took in the view of the New River Gorge Bridge from the viewpoints along the trail.
Castle Rock Trail
The Castle Rock Trail is much shorter at only .6 miles, but it is more strenuous. The trail begins near the Main Overlook in the Grandview area. It dips down next to the tall limestone cliff atop the gorge. Although a short hike, this trail was a lot of fun! The Castle Rock Trail ends at the Grandview Rim Trail, which we took back to the Main Overlook. The Grandview Rim Trail is lined with Rhododendrons – the state flower of West Virginia. It also leads to the Turkey Spur Overlook.
Turkey Spur
Turkey Spur is a tall rock formation that sits atop the gorge. Hikers can access it from the Grandview Rim Trail, or visitors can simply drive to it. One hundred fifty wooden stairs lead to the top of Turkey Spur where a platform provides 360 degree views of the surround forests.
Tunnel Trail
The Tunnel Trail also begins near the Grandview Main Overlook, but goes the opposite direction from the Castle Rock Trail. This trail is about a half mile long and passes by and under some interesting rock formations. Most of the tunnels are actually closed for safety purposes, but it was still fun to hike around the rock formations and explore some of the crevasses.
Burnwood Trail
Liberty still loves getting out and about in the national parks, but at 15 years-old her hips aren’t always up for strenuous trails. We asked a ranger for advice on a nice easy hike for her, and he recommended the Burnwood Trail. It is located across U.S. Route 19 from the Canyon Rim Visitors Center. It is 1.2 miles in length and loops around the old Laing family farm. It was a pleasant walk through the woods. We loved all of the blooming daffodils along the trail and Liberty appreciated the shade!
Where to eat?
While visiting New River Gorge our favorite spots to grab a bite were:
Pies and Pints – Great pizza and interesting beer menu near the New River Gorge Bridge.
Cathedral Cafe – Traditional breakfast in a lovely renovated church in historic downtown Fayetteville.
Tamarack Marketplace – For something totally different and unique visit Tamarack in Beckley and explore arts and crafts from around West Virginia. The marketplace is completely dog friendly – Liberty even sat in the restaurant with us.
Click here for more National Parks and monuments on Land of Liberty Explorers! If you enjoy hiking, check out our Trails of the Year page to see if your favorite trial has won our annual award! We’d love it if you would follow us on Facebook or Pinterest!
