cabins near new river gorge national park

There are several former mine sites within the national park that you can visit, including the “ghost town” of Thurmond at the bottom of the gorge. The first coal mine in the area was established by Joseph Beury in 1872, one year before the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad would reach the area and turn coal mining into a major industry. You can also learn about more modern history at the New River Gorge, which includes the history of coal mining and the railroads. Here you can see stone spear points called Clovis points that are some of the oldest remaining artifacts, at least 11,000 years old. There's an exhibit at the Sandstone Visitor Center that talks about the area's original Indigenous inhabitants. But considering the river has been around since before the dinosaurs, I guarantee those fur traders were not the first to set eyes on it. The New River Gorge was first “discovered” in 1671 during a fur trading expedition. Interested in the history of the New River Gorge? There are several great places to learn about it: Indigenous history 25-mile boardwalk offers up great views, and connects to the half-mile Island Loop Trail just below the falls.īeauty Mountain sunset views 5. Sandstone Falls Boardwalk and Island Loop Trail – Head down to the southern part of the park to visit Sandstone Falls, a 1500-foot-wide waterfall on the New River.Grandview Rim Trail – This 3.2-mile trail in the southern part of the park connects the Main Overlook at Grandview with Turkey Spur, offering up some of the most stunning views of a horseshoe bend in the New River.(Rated moderate, but I'd say the majority of it is easy!) 3 miles, when it gets a bit steep and filled with roots to climb over. Long Point Trail – The other popular Fayetteville trail is the 3.2-mile Long Point Trail, which leads out to a rocky outcrop that overlooks the New River Gorge Bridge.You can do this hike as a 2-mile out-and-back from the Fern Creek parking area to Diamond Point (which is what Elliot and I did), or you can do it in a 2.7-mile loop – but if you do the whole loop, note that you'll have to walk a half-mile back to your car along a road. Endless Wall Trail – This Fayetteville trail is one of the most popular in the park, offering up excellent views of the gorge and the “Endless Wall,” which is an area popular with rock climbers.The most popular trails in the New River Gorge include: Since the park stretches along 53 miles of river, there are several different sections with trails. Most of the trails are fairly short (perfect for someone like me who doesn't consider herself a “hiker”), but many can be connected if you're looking for a longer trek. Within New River Gorge National Park, there are about 100 miles of hiking trails, ranging from easy to challenging. You can definitely get your hike on here! If you want the cooler temperatures of fall but want to avoid any potential leaf-peeping (or Bridge Day) crowds, then September might be a better fall month to plan your visit. The famous Bridge Day also takes place in October every year, when adventurous base jumpers jump off the New River Gorge Bridge. October is the best month for spotting fall colors in the New River Gorge, though some activities (like whitewater rafting) start slowing down this month. The forests here don't change all at once like in some other parts of the country, but that just means there's a longer display of fall foliage here.

Fall in the New River GorgeĪutumn is another great time to visit this national park, especially if you love fall colors. Summer is also when things get a bit hot and sticky in this part of West Virginia (the humidity is no joke!), but thankfully there are plenty of water-based activities to partake in. All the activities and camp resorts are open and running, and it's the time of year when you're likely to find more crowded trails and less lodging options (especially if you're planning to visit on the weekend). Summer is the busiest time of year in the New River Gorge. Bring a jacket and you'll be fine! Summer in the New River Gorge

Cabins near new river gorge national park