How To Spend One Day In New River Gorge National Park (My Exact Itinerary!)

West Virginia’s New River Gorge boasts dramatic cliffs and lush forests, all sculpted by the powerful New River. It’s the stunning focal point of one of the nation’s newest national parks, New River Gorge National Park.

After visiting every East Coast national park, I can say with confidence, this is one of the best parks in the eastern United States.

Planning a day trip to New River Gorge National Park?

While one day isn’t enough to see the whole park, you can still see quite a few of the highlights.

This is the exact itinerary I followed during my one day in New River Gorge National Park.

Itinerary For One Day In New River Gorge National Park 

Endless Wall Trail

There are several sections within New River Gorge that offer fantastic hiking for people of all skill levels. Trail options range from a quarter mile, up to 7 miles and many can be looped together to create longer excursions.

We started our visit with one of these hikes: Endless Wall Trail.

Endless Wall Trail is 3.2 miles with a 318 foot elevation change and is rated easy. The hike has beautiful wooded sections and along the cliff edge, excellent views of the New River and surrounding gorge.

It was the perfect hike to start the day with.

New River Gorge Bridge & Canyon Rim Visitor Center

Next up, we headed to Canyon Rim Visitor Center where there’s a great viewpoint of the New River Gorge Bridge, the park’s most famous feature. 

The New River Gorge Bridge was constructed in the late 1970’s and is now the longest steel span bridge in the western hemisphere, and the third tallest in the United States. It’s one of the most photographed sites in West Virginia for good reason.

The bridge spans the impressive New River Gorge, which is also incredibly beautiful, especially in the warmer months when it’s lush and green.

From Canyon Rim Visitor Center, a short walk takes you to the New River Gorge Bridge Overlook, where you’ll find upper and lower overlooks. In my opinion, these are some of the best vantage points in the park.

After checking out the viewpoints, stop by the visitor center. Here you’ll find unique park information, interactive displays, and fun gifts or souvenirs.

Park rangers are on site and know a great wealth of information, if you have questions regarding the park, they can help!

Scenic Drive Through The Gorge: Fayette Station Road

Next up was one of my favorite parts of the day, a scenic drive along Fayette Station Road.

Fayette Station Road takes visitors down into the gorge and offers great views of the river, bridge, and surrounding landscape.

The one-way road is only 8 miles, but requires about 45 minutes due to steep, narrow roads and hairpin turns. Be sure to allow extra time for stops and photos, there are parking areas throughout the drive.

During the drive, we spotted rock climbers and kayakers, and were able to get out and walk near the river.

Note: The road is not suitable for oversized vehicles or trailers. Additionally, no matter your vehicle, do not attempt this drive in inclement weather.

After our visit, I learned the visitor centers offer an audio tour CD, which would be a great way to learn about the park while exploring the sites. You can also download the transcript for free through the Fayette Station Road Audio Tour.

See The Horseshoe Bend Of The East: Grandview Overlook

Up until this point, all park attractions have been in one condensed area, but we’ll now head to the Grandview section of the park, about 40 miles away. 

Our first stop was The Horseshoe Bend Of The East.

Ever heard of the famous Horseshoe Bend near the Grand Canyon? While the Colorado River’s dramatic bend in northern Arizona may get all the fame, New River has one that’s strangely similar.

Swap the harsh, red rocks for lush, green trees and you’ve got yourself the Horseshoe Bend of the East.

Grandview Overlook is where we chose to take in the views. From the parking lot it’s just a short walk to a spectacular overlook.

Since we visited in winter, the trees were all bare, but for a majority of the year this overlook is either bright green or showing off with spectacular shades of orange, yellow, and red during fall. 

Castle Rock Trail

For our final activity of the day, we hiked Castle Rock Trail, which starts right at Grandview Overlook.

This hike is 1.1 miles with a small 173 foot elevation change and is rated moderate. Be aware, there are a few spots with steep drop offs.

The views and rocky outcroppings here are excellent, a number of people recommended this hike and I can easily understand why.

See The Historic Mining Sites

If time allowed, we would’ve stopped to see one of the park’s historic mining sites.

New River Gorge was once among the largest producers of coal in the United States, and the dangerous work made a large impact on the area’s history. 

The park’s visitor center provides a lot of information regarding this history, but if you wish to see some of the mining sites yourself, head to Nuttallburg or Thurmond.

It would be best to add Nuttallburg to the front half of this itinerary, it’s located about 10 miles (25 minute drive) from the Endless Wall Trailhead, where we began the day.

Thurmond is a bit more remote, I’d probably stop here on the way to the park’s Grandview section, after driving Fayette Station Road.

Additional Things To Do In New River Gorge National Park

Looking for more things to do in New River Gorge National Park? There’s tons to do here, consider some of these popular options:

• Go rock climbing.
• Go for a white water rafting tour.
• Walk the catwalk of the New River Gorge Bridge.
• Do some more hiking.

For more ideas and information, check out the Top Things To Do In New River Gorge National Park.

New River Gorge National Park Cost

New River Gorge National Park is free to all visitors.

Getting To New River Gorge National Park 

Located in the Appalachians of southern West Virginia, America’s newest national park is easily reached from Interstates 64, 77, and 79, and from U.S. Route 60 (Midland Trail Scenic Highway).

The closest major city is West Virginia’s capital, Charleston. Charleston is located 1 hour and 10 minutes (60 miles) away.

The closest major airport is West Virginia International Yeager Airport, in the previously mentioned city of Charleston.

Getting Around The Park

There is no shuttle within the park, so you’ll need a car to see New River Gorge National Park.

How Much Time Do You Need In New River Gorge National Park?

It’s possible to see most highlights in one day, but since the park is large and spread out, 2 days is best. Plan for additional time if you wish to participate in outdoor activities such as whitewater rafting or rock climbing. 

Lodging Near New River Gorge National Park

Fayetteville is the closest town, located just outside the park, but has limited lodging options.

Beckley is just 35 minutes (25 miles) away and has a wider variety of places to stay.

• Tru by Hilton (Beckley) — this is where we stayed.
• Country Inn & Suites by Radisson (Beckley)
• Courtyard by Marriott (Beckley)
• Hampton Inn (Beckley)
• Comfort Inn New River (Fayetteville)
• Quality Inn New River (Fayetteville)

Camping Near New River Gorge National Park 

There are 9 camping areas, plus backcountry sites, within New River Gorge National Park. All are first come, first serve and do not accept reservations. All campsites are free.

Check out the New River Gorge Camping New River Gorge Camping for more information regarding camping in the park.

Additionally, there are ample camping areas surrounding the park. Below are a few popular options but know there’s many in addition to these:

• Babcock State Park
• Little Beaver State Park
• American Alpine Club
• The Outpost
• Hawks Nest State Park

New River Gorge National Park is one of my favorite parks on the East Coast and is absolutely worth a visit, even if you only have a day!

I hope you’ve found this helpful in planning your trip, have the best time!

Any questions? Please leave a comment below or reach out on social media!

Looking for more ideas? Check out my additional West Virginia guides below or head on over to New River Gorge NPS.

More Information For Your Trip To New River Gorge National Park: 

• New River Gorge National Park: Best Things To Do

Additional Information For Your West Virginia Vacation:

• Charleston, West Virginia Guides