Checking Out the New River
Knowing I would be passing through southern West Virginia on a recent trip, I had to check out New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. New River was first designated as a National River in 1978 and, only last year, as a national park and preserve.
This ribbon-like park extends 53 miles, much of it, of course, a gorge with steep, thickly forested hillsides. The river, which drops 750 feet in 50 miles through the park, is itself a frothy, sweeping presence flowing northerly, eventually melding into the Kanawha River, which flows into the Ohio River.
The New is a whitewater kayaking, canoeing and rafting destination river, and I dearly wanted to spend at least a half day paddling. But I only had a day and a half to explore, it was late in the season, and I was unable to schedule anything with the outfitters in the area.
Fortunately, the park is laced with trails, some of them at the top of the gorge with terrific views of the river below.
Susan and I arrived at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, the park’s prime visitor headquarters at the north end of the park, on an October afternoon to find the parking lot nearly full. There have been articles aplenty about the popularity of national parks since Covid-19 changed everything, so I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Park information and trail maps are available, and the big draw at Canyon Rim is a fine view of the New River Gorge Bridge, spanning the mile-wide gorge, from the Canyon Rim Boardwalk trail. A short walk brings visitors to the first boardwalk outlook. From there, visitors decide whether to continue down 178 stairs to another vantage point with an even better view. The ascent back up the stairs is rated by the park as strenuous. If you are reasonably fit, it is worth it, in my view.
The next morning I drove to the park’s Grandview area to hike the Grandview Rim Trail, 3.2 miles out and back following the rim of the gorge, with repeated views of the river far below. This is a mostly gentle undulating trail through mature forest that ends at the Turkey Spur Overlook. At the Overlook is a well-made, nicely designed wooden tower with two observation decks. Great views over great distances.
I happened upon a small group of other hikers several of whom, it turned out, live but a few miles away from my town in Connecticut. We hiked out and back together on a very overcast day with some mist and even sprinkles as we headed back. Not the blue skies I hoped for, but nice enough.
I spent the rest of the day exploring, hiking a short stretch of the steep-in-places Big Branch Trail, and following a short, easy boardwalk trail that took me to multiple views of Sandstone Falls.
Here, at water’s edge, I was reminded that my New River Gorge National Park experience was really not complete. I need not only sweeping views of the river from above - great as they are - but also I need to be on the water, paddling. Next time.
The New River Gorge Bridge, said to be the world’s third longest single span steel arch bridge, as seen from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Click to enlarge.
An easy trail on a boardwalk with multiple observation decks takes visitors to Sandstone Falls on the New River, a popular spot to see the river itself close up. Click to enlarge.
The Grandview Rim Trail is a 3.2-mile out-and-back trail that follows the rim of the canyon, hundreds of feet above the New River. At the north end of the trail, at Turkey Spur Overlook, is a National Park Service observation tower offering especially long views even on a misty, overcast day.