Kristi

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve – West Virginia – A Storied and Jaded Nile

Oh, green majesty and restless river deep, you have carved the mountains and created unimaginable depths. Though opposite your name, you dear New River are amongst the oldest in the world. For far too long, your secret beauty has been hidden from most. Along your path you have established the wonders of waterfalls and alcoves. Your smaller sisters gush towards you, carving their own paths splashing fish, including even rainbow trout, into your waters.

You create a haven in the summer to cool and splash, and you carry away the burdens from those who live along your banks in the spaces you have carved.

Trains run along your endless bank-side meandering paths, as there is nowhere else for them to travel along hilly boundaries. Those trains blast sounds into the otherwise trilling quiet of your splashing. You’ve given a place for the miners to bathe, to water their families, and export the bounties of the mountains through which you meander.

You provide habitat for the abundance of animals who call you and your riparian areas home.

Now, you are preserved for perpetuity and given as a gift to this nation.  Let your beauty provide a living to those that live alongside you – that have known you for all their lives. Continue to flow in your northerly direction, joining the mighty Ohio, and carry all the memories formed along your banks all the way to the sea.

Extra Tips:

National Park Visitor Centers are the necessary first stop at every national park, and this park has four! Due to the rugged terrain of the area, and the gorge itself dividing the topography, this is critical to providing information needed to visitors. Our first stop was Sandstone Visitor Center, and then we enjoyed the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, which is an absolute must stop. The beautiful Canyon Rim Visitor Center is located near the scenic New River Gorge Bridge.

This park is about topography and the river. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the water and vendors to provide abundant adventures. Adventures on the Gorge is also located near the Canyon Rim Visitor Center and this vendor provides a selection of activities including rappelling and rock-climbing tours, stand-up paddle-boarding trips, kayaking trips, hiking and horseback rides. Most especially, they offer whitewater rafting adventures! We opted for a ½ day fishing float trip, and it was exactly what we needed. We love to fish, our guides made sure that we all caught one, and we enjoyed viewing the gorge from the river! Don’t forget to tip your guides!

People have called this area home for a long time – be respectful of local culture and residents. The area was established as a National River in 1978, but it wasn’t until 2020 that it received the designation of New River Gorge National Park. The area is still adjusting to this new attraction. Many homes in this rugged terrain have been established in an isolated or secluded manner. We found it helpful to go with our Adventures on the Gorge guides. The rangers at the Sandstone Visitor Center were also abundantly helpful in guiding us towards hiking areas we would both enjoy and feel safe visiting.

Water temperatures and depths vary substantially by season. Understanding and enjoying the park to the fullest means getting on the river – early to mid summer is best!

Car sickness may apply along the winding roads to and from access points along the river. The bus trip down to the river was a lot for me. It was a long, winding dirt road and I was definitely feeling a bit queasy by the time we got to our launch site. Restroom facilities were limited to a rough outhouse – the men took to the woods.

Whitewater here is incredibly dangerous. Only go with experienced guides and do detailed research. Families with young children need to be especially aware of the dangers. This is a national park, not an amusement park. There are no guarantees of a safe whitewater rafting trip. Any guiding company will require you to sign a liability waiver. Choose an activity appropriate for your family, age group, and most especially your risk tolerance. While our older kids would have loved it, we felt with a recent surgery in our family whitewater was not worth the risk – and we had a fantastic time on our calmer fishing float trip.

Junior Ranger Badge:

  • Fun with Maps
  • Animal Sounds
  • Geology
  • Night Sky
  • Coal Mining
  • Safety on the River
  • Hiking and Leave no Trace
  • National Park Symbols

Where to Stay:

When we visit national parks, we prefer to immerse ourselves as much as possible. Backpacking is our premier choice of accommodation, and then it’s park campgrounds or cabins. After that, we prefer local vendors in their campgrounds or cabins – last is the dreaded hotel.

We stayed at Adventures on the Gorge in the Sportsmen 3 Bed Cabin, which was perfect for our family of four! It contained all linens and kitchen supplies. They have many different options for accommodation including higher end lodges and camping. While they offer dining options, the small kitchenette and the fire pit allowed us cost effectiveness, enjoyment and efficiency in cooking our own meals. We picked up groceries on our drive to the park. There aren’t a lot of shopping options within the immediate vicinity, so plan your grocery shopping stop in advance. We booked several activities through this resort (fishing float trip and ropes course), and staying on-site was convenient.

How to Get There:

Access this park via auto. The nearest airport is 70 miles away in Charleston, West Virginia. We drove from Kentucky during our 5 parks in a week trip (Congaree, Great Smoky Mountain, Mammoth Cave, New River Gorge, Indiana Dunes).

Where to Eat:

Plan your groceries in advance, including snacks and beverages. For restaurant dining, we loved eating at Smokey’s on the Gorge on the deck one evening. The food was delicious, but the view and ambience are what made this place truly extraordinary.  I’m a self-acknowledged purist when it comes to enjoying our parks – usually I am content with nature in it’s finest, and that usually means a backpacking meal where possible. There are some commercial experiences that can also reflect the goodness of a place, and I think this restaurant is a perfect example.

Where to Go:

What to Bring:

Sunscreen, hats, and UV coverups. The sun is intense on the water, and you want all of your skin as covered as possible.

Remember:

At the posting of this article, there are significant funding changes being implemented by our new administration. Regardless of your political position, if you endeavor to enjoy our public lands, you are beholden to financially support them. Admission fees and collection sites vary by park. Some parks collect fees upon entrance, and others do not charge unless you park your vehicle in certain locations. It is my incredibly strong opinion that regardless of how a park charges, they NEVER charge their worth. I hope it always stays that way so that it is affordable for EVERYONE to visit. But to do so, they must have our DONATED financial support. There is usually a clear donation box at all visitor centers. You can also donate to foundations established for the support of individual parks. Information about these foundations is usually available in the visitor center. Lastly, you could simply write a check and mail it to the park headquarters, as suggested on New River Gorge National Park donation website.

Donations to the National Park Service and the National Parks Foundation are both tax deductible!

If you want ranger patrols and response for your safety, clean restrooms, safe trails, informative visitor centers, ranger led programs, and parking – please do your part and DONATE!

Itinerary

Please see attached 2 night itinerary. We could have easily spent at least 2 more nights in this park, but this itinerary was sufficient to enjoy the essentials.

New River Gorge 2 night IntineraryDownload

Posted March 7, 2025

Visited June 2024

Leave a comment