New River Gorge National Park & Preserve

Canyon Rim

At the north end of the gorge, beside the New River Gorge Bridge, this area serves as the anchor for the park's trails. Hiking and mountain biking routes thread through this section, which also holds Fayette Station Road and some of the park's best-known lookout points. The Canyon Rim Visitor Center stands right at the gorge's rim. Inside, visitors can browse exhibits, pick up information, and watch the park film before heading out. Outside, a wooden boardwalk and short, easy paths lead to overlooks where the bridge and the New River below come into view. Across the park, trails range from flat, smooth walks to steep, challenging climbs, so choose one to match your plans.

Thurmond

This former coal boomtown earned more freight money than any other stop on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, and its banks ranked among the richest in West Virginia. The restored Thurmond Depot now serves as the visitor center, an information point and park store. The National Park Service walking tour covers nine sites in the historic district, where hotels, boarding houses, saloons and banks still stand. Hikers can follow old roads and railroad grades on easy to moderate trails, including the Rend Trail, an easy 6.4-mile route along an old rail line. The short Church Loop, which starts from the Rend Trail, visits the First Baptist Church of Thurmond.

Grandview

The deepest section of the gorge is the highlight, with the New River curving through a horseshoe bend about 1,400 feet below the rim. The Grandview Main Overlook sits on a large, mostly flat rock that gives an open look down into the canyon, and in late spring and summer visitors may spot white water rafters on the river. Hikers can choose from easy paths or demanding climbs across six miles of trail, and the routes can be hiked whole or in shorter stretches. The Castle Rock Trail and the Grandview Rim Trail are two popular choices. Wildlife along the trails includes deer, foxes, wild turkeys, raptors and ravens, and birdwatchers value the clear sightlines over the treetops. Photographers come for sunrise, and stargazers come too. The Grandview Visitor Center offers ranger-led walks and talks, plus picnic areas.

Sandstone

Sandstone Falls is the largest waterfall on the New River, and the quarter-mile Sandstone Falls Boardwalk runs out along it, open to all ages and abilities. The boardwalk gives close views of the river, and many photographers and birders come to it. Higher up, the Sandstone Falls Overlook has a landscaped picnic area and looks down over the falls and river from above. The drive to the falls is a scenic one: heading south on WV-20 toward Hinton, you pass several overlooks, including Brooks Overlook, and Hinton is a historic town worth a stop. From there, New River Road leads north to the falls. Before setting out, stop at the Sandstone Visitor Center, a green building with exhibits on the watershed, a native plant garden and picnic areas.