Visiting New River Gorge National Park and Preserve: The Complete Guide in 2024

New River Gorge National Park is one of the newest National Parks in the United States. This highlight of this park is the deepest and longest river gorge in the Appalachian Mountains. The park is full of incredible scenery and some of the top hikes in North America.

In this article, we will explore the New River Gorge National Parks in West Virginia. We will provide a brief overview of the park, things to do in the New River Gorge National Parks, and provide a map of the National Parks of New River Gorge.

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The Quick Guide to Visiting New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Map of New River Gorge National Park

Click on the New River Gorge Map above to download the official brochure map. If you’d like a PDF copy of this New River Gorge Map click here.

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Basics

Region: Northeast / Mid-Atlantic

State: State of West Virginia

Park Size: 748,436 acres (1,169.43 sq miles) (3,028.81 sq km)

Location: Fayette, Raleigh, and Summers counties, West Virginia

Closest Cities: Beckley, West Virginia

Busy Season: May to October

Visitation: 1,195,721 (in 2019)

Official Website: NPS.gov

How much does New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Cost?

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve does not charge an entrance fee.

When is New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Open?

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is open year-round.

Are dogs allowed in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve?

Yes, pets are welcome in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Leashed pets are allowed on the trails in the park. Please review the New River Gorge Pet Policy before bringing your dog to New River Gorge.

Where are New River Gorge National Park and Preserve’s visitor centers?

Canyon Rim Visitor Center – Open Year Around

Sandstone Visitor Center – Open Year Around, limited winter hours

Thurmond Depot Visitor Center – Open June to August

Grandview Visitor Center – Open Memorial Day to Labor Day

Land Acknowledgments for New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

The National Park is known as New River Gorge National Park and Preserve sits on Moneton, Tutelo, S’atsoyaha (Yuchi), ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Cherokee, East) land.

Thank you to the Native Land Digital for making the Indigenous territories accessible to all. They have mapped the known territories to the best of the current knowledge and is a work in progress. If you have additional information on the Indigenous nations boundaries, please let them know.

Native Land Digital is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization with the goal to creates spaces where non-Indigenous people can be invited and challenged to learn more about the lands they inhabit, the history of those lands, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together.

Fun Facts about New River Gorge National Park

• The highest point in New River Gorge National Park is Swell Mountain which is 3,291 feet (1,003 m) above sea level.

• The lowest point in New River Gorge National Park is New River which is 900 feet (270 m) above sea level.

• New River Gorge National Park is only place in the National Parks where BASE jumping is allowed.

Fun Facts about the New River

• The New River is 320 miles long. Only 53 miles of the river is within New River Gorge National Park.

• The New River flows south to north. Only a handful of rivers in the world due this including the Nile.

• It is estimated that the New River is about 360 million years old and is one of the oldest rivers in the world.

Fun Facts about New River Gorge Bridge

• The New River Gorge Bridge is 876 ft tall and 3,030 feet.

• It is the largest single span steel arch bridge in the United States and 5th largest in the World.
  • It held the title as the largest single span steel arch bridge from 1977 to 2003 when Shanghai’s Lupa Bridge opened.

• The bridge took 3 years to build (1974-1977) and cost $37 million dollars in 1970’s (about $192 million adjusted for inflation)

• The New River Gorge Bridge weighs 88 million pounds.

How to Get to New River Gorge National Park

Getting to New River Gorge depends on where you live and how much time you have for your visit. If you live within 6-8 hours of New River Gorge National Park, you are better off driving to the park. Outside of the 6-8 hour radius, flying may be your better option time-wise.

I recommend weighing the time you have versus the costs before deciding to fly vs. driving.

Where is New River Gorger National Park Located?

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is located in south-central West Virginia.

What kind of rental car do you need to visit New River Gorge National Park?

All of the major roads in New River Gorge National Park are paved and accessible to all vehicle types so you can pick any type of rental vehicle you’d like. During the winter, ice and snow do accumulate on the roads so during a winter visit you might want a 4WD vehicle.

I book most of my rental cars through RentalCars.com. They have a great selection of rental cars from most major agencies and the best prices – check prices here.

Things to do in New River Gorge National Park

Hiking in New River Gorge National Park

New River Gorge has a range of amazing hiking trails that explore the different regions of the park. Some of the most popular trails include:

• Grandview Rim Trail
• Endless Wall Trail
• Canyon Rim Overlook Boardwalk

Learn more about the best hikes in New River Gorge National Park

BASE Jumping in New River Gorge

New River Gorge National Park is the ONLY National Park that allows BASE Jumping. New River Gorge has been granted explicit permission under 36 CFR 2.17(3) and the 2006 NPS Management Policy 8.2.2.7 to allow BASE jumping from the New River Gorge Bridge on the third Saturday in October.

This BASE jumping event is known as Bridge Day. This event is tightly controlled and all jumpers must be registered. All jumpers must have 100 parachute jumps. The cost is $75 for a jump pass and there are 400-450 jump slots per year. Registration opens on July 1 and runs until October or permits sell out.

If you don’t have the experience to BASE jump, there is the option to tandem jump. These jumps are offered by Tadem BASE. They have 16 spots per year. These jumps cost $1,600 and you must weigh less than 170 lbs on the date of the jump.

If you are a BASE jumper and are looking to BASE jump off New River Gorge Bridge, please do NOT attempt to base jump outside of the official event. This event operates under a special permit and jumps outside of this event could give NPS an excuse to rescind the permit.

Where to stamp your National Parks Passport Book in New River Gorge National Park?

The National Park Passport Book is the BEST and cheapest National Park souvenir. Every National Park Obsessed person should have one of these books.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT stamp your government-issued passport.

There are ten official stamps for New River Gorge National Park. Some of these stamps have the former designation. Here is the list of National Park Passport Stamps you can get in New River Gorge National Park:

• Canyon Rim VC (Park & Preserve)
• Canyon Rim VC (River)
• Grandview VC (River)
• Grandview WC
• Hinton, WV
• NPS Centennial (River)
• Sandstone VC (Park & Preserve)
• Sandstone VC (River)
• Thurmond Depot VC
• Thurmond, WV (River)

Bonus Stamps

• Image of Flower

New River Gorge National Park Passport Stamp Locations

Here are all the locations to find the New River Gorge National Park Passport Stamps. Not every stamp is available at every location.

• Canyon Rim Visitor Center
• Grandview Visitor Center
• Headquarters
• Sandstone Visitor Center
• Thurmond Depot Visitor Center

National Park Obsessed’s Detailed Guides to New River Gorge National Park

New River Gorge National Park Activity Guides

Frequently Asked Questions about New River Gorge National Park

Is New River Gorge National Park worth visiting?

New River Gorge National Park is totally worth visiting. The park is home to some of the best hikes in the National Parks along with a rich history.

Why is New River Gorge a national park?

Politics and sneaking the bill to elevated New River Gorge from a National River to National Park into the completely unrelated Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. New River Gorge has been part of the National Park System since 1978 and has been fully protected since then. The elevation in status had everything to do with scoring political points with the constitutions of West Virginia by the Congressional Officials of West Virginia. This is a common issue without politicians and the National Park Service. They don’t care about them unless it gets them positive press.

Read my open letter to Congress on this.

How long should I spend at New River Gorge National Park?

Depends on how much time you have. If you are looking to do some hiking and whitewater rafting, spending 3 days is sort of the minimum amount of time to spend in New River Gorge. If you aren’t looking to whitewater raft then 1-2 days is plenty of time to explore most of the popular sites in the park.

What town is near New River Gorge National Park?

There are several nearby towns including Fayetteville, Oak Hill, Mt. Hope, Prosperity, Beckley, and Dansese.

Can you walk over New River Gorge Bridge?

Sort of. There are two options for walking across the span of the New River Gorge Bridge. During Bridge Day (the third Saturday in October), U.S. Route 19 is closed to vehicles, and pedestrians are allowed to walk across the bridge. The rest of the year, you can walk under the span of the bridge via the New River Gorge Bridge Walk. These guided tours walk the entire span of the bridge from about 25 ft below the top of the Bridge.

How long is New River Gorge Bridge?

The New River Gorge Bridge is 3,030 feet, 6 inches when measured from center-to-center of end bearings. It is the longest steel arch bridge in the United States.

How much does it cost to jump off the New River Gorge bridge?

It depends on what kind of jumping you’d like to do off New River Gorge Bridge. Bungee jumping is not allowed, but you are allowed to rappel and base jumping. Base jump is allowed during Bridge Day. Bridge Day is every third Saturday in October.

Base jumpers need to have 100 parachute jumps, skydives and/or BASE jumps to jump off New River Gorge. Jump passes are $75 and registration begins on July 1 and there are 400-450 jump slots.

Can you swim in the New River Gorge?

Yes, swimming is allowed within New River Gorge National Park. Swimming within the New River isn’t recommended. The New River is a high-volume river with swift currents, deep holes, and a rocky bottom. It isn’t uncommon for the river to have steep drop-offs and hydraulics undertows.

If you wish to swim in New River Gorge National Park, there are several smaller creeks that offer safer swimming options.

What mountain range is the New River Gorge in?

The New River Gorge is located within the Appalachian Mountain Range.

Final Thoughts on New River Gorge National Park

Do you have any questions about New River Gorge National Park or need help planning your National Park trips. Let me know in the comments or join me in my National Park Trip Planning Community!

Pin for Later: Visiting New River Gorge National Park: The Complete Guide for 2022