Best time to visit New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
The short answer
Best months to visit New River Gorge National Park & Preserve: September. Daily highs run around 75°F, with about 65% of July's visitors.
Hardest months: December–March, mostly because of cold weather.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve month by month
Park-wide averages across 5 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Snow | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | 40° / 24°F | 2.7 in | 8.0 in | Quiet | – |
| February | Poor | 46° / 27°F | 4.2 in | 7.4 in | Quiet | – |
| March | Poor | 53° / 32°F | 3.6 in | 6.1 in | Quiet | – |
| April | Good | 62° / 41°F | 4.7 in | 1.5 in | Moderate | – |
| May | Fair | 70° / 52°F | 5.0 in | – | Busy | – |
| June | Fair | 77° / 59°F | 5.0 in | – | Busy | – |
| July | Fair | 81° / 64°F | 4.8 in | – | Peak | – |
| August | Good | 79° / 63°F | 4.0 in | – | Busy | – |
| September | Best | 75° / 58°F | 3.3 in | – | Busy | – |
| October | Good | 65° / 47°F | 4.3 in | – | Busy | – |
| November | Fair | 52° / 35°F | 2.8 in | 1.3 in | Quiet | – |
| December | Poor | 46° / 31°F | 3.6 in | 4.0 in | Quiet | – |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Park-wide (center of the park)
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37°F | 21°F | 2.6 in | 8.7 in |
| February | 43°F | 24°F | 4.2 in | 8.2 in |
| March | 50°F | 30°F | 3.6 in | 6.7 in |
| April | 59°F | 39°F | 4.8 in | 1.9 in |
| May | 67°F | 50°F | 5.0 in | – |
| June | 74°F | 57°F | 4.8 in | – |
| July | 78°F | 61°F | 4.7 in | – |
| August | 76°F | 60°F | 3.9 in | – |
| September | 72°F | 55°F | 3.1 in | – |
| October | 62°F | 45°F | 4.4 in | – |
| November | 49°F | 32°F | 2.8 in | 1.7 in |
| December | 43°F | 28°F | 3.4 in | 5.0 in |
Canyon Rim
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40°F | 24°F | 3.1 in | 8.7 in |
| February | 46°F | 28°F | 4.4 in | 7.8 in |
| March | 53°F | 33°F | 3.9 in | 6.6 in |
| April | 63°F | 42°F | 4.9 in | 1.7 in |
| May | 71°F | 53°F | 5.6 in | – |
| June | 77°F | 60°F | 5.5 in | – |
| July | 81°F | 65°F | 5.6 in | – |
| August | 79°F | 63°F | 4.5 in | – |
| September | 75°F | 59°F | 3.4 in | – |
| October | 65°F | 48°F | 4.4 in | – |
| November | 53°F | 36°F | 3.0 in | 1.5 in |
| December | 47°F | 32°F | 3.9 in | 4.2 in |
Thurmond
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43°F | 27°F | 2.8 in | 7.7 in |
| February | 48°F | 30°F | 4.2 in | 6.6 in |
| March | 56°F | 35°F | 3.6 in | 5.8 in |
| April | 65°F | 44°F | 4.4 in | 1.3 in |
| May | 73°F | 55°F | 4.8 in | – |
| June | 80°F | 62°F | 5.0 in | – |
| July | 84°F | 67°F | 4.7 in | – |
| August | 82°F | 65°F | 3.9 in | – |
| September | 78°F | 61°F | 3.2 in | – |
| October | 68°F | 50°F | 4.1 in | – |
| November | 55°F | 38°F | 2.8 in | 1.0 in |
| December | 49°F | 34°F | 3.6 in | 3.5 in |
Grandview
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38°F | 22°F | 2.5 in | 7.6 in |
| February | 44°F | 26°F | 4.1 in | 7.3 in |
| March | 51°F | 31°F | 3.4 in | 5.9 in |
| April | 61°F | 40°F | 4.4 in | 1.5 in |
| May | 69°F | 51°F | 4.7 in | – |
| June | 75°F | 58°F | 4.7 in | – |
| July | 79°F | 62°F | 4.4 in | – |
| August | 77°F | 61°F | 3.8 in | – |
| September | 73°F | 56°F | 3.0 in | – |
| October | 63°F | 46°F | 4.0 in | – |
| November | 51°F | 33°F | 2.7 in | 1.4 in |
| December | 45°F | 29°F | 3.3 in | 4.2 in |
Sandstone
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42°F | 25°F | 2.5 in | 7.1 in |
| February | 47°F | 28°F | 4.1 in | 7.1 in |
| March | 55°F | 33°F | 3.6 in | 5.3 in |
| April | 64°F | 42°F | 4.9 in | 1.2 in |
| May | 72°F | 53°F | 4.8 in | – |
| June | 79°F | 60°F | 4.9 in | – |
| July | 84°F | 65°F | 4.8 in | – |
| August | 82°F | 64°F | 3.9 in | – |
| September | 77°F | 59°F | 3.5 in | – |
| October | 67°F | 48°F | 4.4 in | – |
| November | 54°F | 35°F | 2.7 in | 1.1 in |
| December | 48°F | 32°F | 3.6 in | 3.3 in |
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a mixed time to visit New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 53–70°F and lows 32–52°F. Expect about 4.4 in of rain a month and 2.5 in of snow, with up to 1 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 30–64% of the busiest month, which is moderate by this park's standards.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is a good time to visit New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 77–81°F and lows 59–64°F. Expect about 4.6 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 78–100% of the busiest month, which is peak by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a good time to visit New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 52–75°F and lows 35–58°F. Expect about 3.4 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 33–64% of the busiest month, which is moderate by this park's standards.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a difficult time to visit New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 40–46°F and lows 24–31°F. Expect about 3.5 in of rain a month and 6.5 in of snow, with up to 2 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 13–15% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours, trails, camping and things to do, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
Weather in the Appalachian Mountains can be unpredictable and can change quickly. Always be prepared for the possibility of sudden storms. Weather in the mountains is often cooler and wetter than the surrounding area. On average, the warmest month is July. The maximum average precipitation also occurs in July.
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 5 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
