When our son turned 10 years old, he asked us if we can go to the New River Gorge National Park for his birthday. Naturally, we thought this was a fantastic idea, and immediately went to work on planning our road trip for a long weekend down in the heart of Appalachia!

Nowhere else in the West Virginia is the beauty of the state so apparent as it is in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The massive gorge cut by the ancient New River features steep cliffs, lush forests, and a rich history of mining that once made this area a boomtown. Now, over 73,000 acres of this region is protected to ensure generations to come can enjoy the excitement of this rugged National Park.

The signs for the park clearly let you know that you have made it!

Our 7 hour drive along I-81 S and I-68 W, and then through the mountains of West Virginia brought us right across the famous New River Gorge Bridge and to our Airbnb in the quaint and eclectic town of Fayetteville, WV. This is a perfect home base for anyone looking to explore this expansive park as you are near countless trails, the Canyon Rim Visitors Center, the New River Gorge Bridge, and a variety of excellent shops and restaurants.

New River Gorge National Park is chilly in February

In terms of food, Pints and Pies just off the main road in Fayetteville is absolutely fantastic for some local pizza (we highly recommend the grapes and gorgonzola pizza). For breakfast, the very cool Cathedral Cafe is a must for anyone in the area (and offers an amazing selection of coffee). We also really enjoyed many of the local shops such as Lost Appalachia Clothing Co, and for the climbers, Water Stone Outdoors is an incredible outfitter for gear!

Kaymoor Miners Trail New River Gorge — The incredible Kaymoor Miners Trail was just minutes from our Airbnb

Our first introduction into the rugged wilderness that is the New River Gorge was the Kaymoor Miners Trail. This is an incredibly cool trail that takes you down (like way down!) to the abandoned Kaymoor One mine. Be sure to check out more details on this trail on our Hiking page!

Beware that frosty, wet wood is very slick, which can make the walk up and down the hundreds of stairs a bit more treacherous than one might expect.

After the Kaymoor Miners Trail, we felt we could use a bit of an easier hike, and made our way to the Canyon Rim Visitors center just down the road from the Kaymoor trailhead. The Canyon Rim Boardwalk Trail starts right off the back of the visitors center, and offers incredible views of the New River Gorge Bridge. Once again, the wet, partially frozen wood made this short walk more exciting than we planned for!

New River Gorge Bridge — Excellent view of the bridge from the Canyon Rim Boardwalk Trail

After checking out the Bridge from the boardwalk trail, we took a short drive down Fayette Station Rd; a tight and narrow road which takes you below the bridge and behind the Canyon Rim Visitors Center. Once you get right below the bridge on Fayette Station Rd, you will arrive at the short 0.1 mile Bridge Buttress Trail. This is an excellent little trail that leads you to a variety of climbing routes as well as short rope climb up to a boulder for an impressive view of the Bridge and Gorge.

Next, we ventured over to the Lansing area of the park to hike the incredible Endless Wall trail. This 2.4 mile (one way) hike still stands as one of our favorite trails from any Park. The trail has moderate elevation gain as it weaves through the rich, dense forest, and crosses over Fern Creek. Parking is located at the Fern Creek trailhead lot, which is quite small, and fills up quickly, so plan accordingly.

Endless Wall Trail New River Gorge — Genevieve enjoying the rushing water of Fern Creek

While some hikers will take the trail from Fern Creek to Nuttall, many will choose to turn around at Diamond Point, where the overlook of the New River Gorge is second to none, and where the trail gains its namesake.

The next day, after a quick fill up at the Cathedral Cafe, we set out on the Long Point Trail for the iconic view of the Bridge. The trailhead for the Long Point Trail is located off of Newton Rd, and has a large parking lot. This is an easy-moderate difficulty trail that leads you to a narrow rock outcropping perched high above the New River with a fantastic view of the Bridge. Getting to Long Point in the morning as the early fog fades really made for an awe inspiring experience!

Long Point New River Gorge — Good morning from Long Point at New River Gorge National Park

Thanks to our early start, we were able to head to a few other regions of the Park before beginning our journey home. Leaving the Fayetteville region, we worked our way south towards Thurmond Station, an almost perfectly preserved ghost town within the park! The Thurmond Station region of New River Gorge National Park is a welcome change from the rugged and mountainous landscape of the Fayetteville region.

Thurmond Station New River Gorge — The Thurmond Post Office at Thurmond Station

After exploring this incredible area, we headed towards the Sandstone Falls region of the park. As with most areas of New River Gorge National Park, you can feel pretty isolated from the outside world, and the Sandstone Falls region was no different. Getting to this area is over an hour drive from the Fayetteville region, but the bridge walk and view of the falls are well worth it!

Sandstone Falls New River Gorge — Sandstone Falls at New River Gorge National Park

After viewing the falls and exploring the Sandstone region a bit more, we headed to the Sandstone Falls visitors center for some National Park Passport stamps and information. Having spent 2 full days hiking and exploring this fantastic park, it was time to head home on our own “Country Road” and bid farewell to the New River Gorge National Park.

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