Three Must Do's in New River Gorge National Park West Virginia
New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia was designated as the 63rd US National Park in the US. New River Gorge National Park is world renowned for its whitewater rafting but in this article we share three must do outdoor adventures NOT on the water!
View from the Endless Wall Trail.
New River Gorge National Park gets all the love for its rafting scene (and certainly deserved) but there is so much more to do in terms of outdoor recreation in this area. We recently went for our second winter visit to this park and while some of the seasonality can affect what you do it makes for a truly peaceful and serene experience!
Three Must Do’s in New River Gorge National Park!
Hiking.
Our three favorite trails in this park for first-time visitors are:
The Endless Wall Trail. Dog friendly. 4.8 Miles Round Trip. Slight elevation. Epic views!
Long Point and Timber Ridge Trail. Dog friendly. Round Trip length depends on your route but you can go anywhere from 3.2 miles up to 7 or 8 if you add in Kaymoor. Slight elevation. Bridge views. Rhododendron Tunnel!
Hawks Nest Rails to Trails. Dog friendly. Decline first. Incline to finish. A MUST for waterfall lovers. 4 or 5 miles round trip depending on where you park.
2. Mountain Biking.
You can rent bikes from our friends at Arrowhead Bike Farm or you can bring your own.
Some of the trails even have bike racks on them for the spots that you can only access towards the cliffs via foot!
Here’s a full list of All Trails favorites.
Arrowhead also has Mountain Bike Tours and Clinics depending on your levels of experience.
Overall this is a very mountain bike friendly US National Park.
3. Rock Climbing.
Hawks Nest State Park is located down the river from New River Gorge National Park. This is a gem for the climbers in the area. We have friends from Central Ohio that road trip to the NRG area often for the bouldering in Hawks Nest and other climbing options in the area.
We have only bouldered here but here’s a nice list of available routes for climbers of all levels in both Hawks Nest and beyond in the region!
Wall Mural of the Gauley Bridge at Free Folk Brewery in Fayetteville West Virginia.
While New River Gorge has become famous in the WW Rafting World and people come from all over to pack the area and the river every year there’s more here for outdoor adventurers than just going on a river trip.
New River Gorge certainly lives by the old West Virginia Tourism tagline of “Wild and Wonderful.”
Next time you are looking for a place to hike, mountain bike, and/or rock climb don’t sleep on the 63rd US National Park!
Thanks for reading, share your favorite trails and routes from NRG in the comments.
Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R