About New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
A rugged, whitewater river flowing northward through deep canyons, the New River is among the oldest rivers on the continent. The park encompasses over 70,000 acres of land along the New River, is rich in cultural and natural history, and offers an abundance of scenic and recreational opportunities.
Plan a Visit
Core visitor information on this page is sourced from the National Park Service. NPD proximity sections use NPS reference coordinates and straight-line distance. Local source bundle updated Sep 27, 2026. View the official NPS page.
Weather & Conditions
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.
NPS Reference Location
Park state / territory membership: West Virginia. This map uses the National Park Service reference coordinate. It may represent an administrative or reference point rather than a park entrance, trailhead, visitor center, or the nearest access point. Use the official NPS directions below when planning travel.
Operating Hours
The park itself is open 24 hour a day, year round. The park's two main visitor centers at Canyon Rim and Sandstone are open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day). There are two seasonal Visitor Centers located in Thurmond and Grandview. They are typically open Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Activities
Current Alerts
WV Department of Highways is working on a paving project outside of Canyon Rim Visitor Center. Over the coming few days (starting September 15) the entrance to the visitor center from Rt 19 may be closed periodically. If the entrance is closed, visitors can access the visitor center by driving to the next road north (Lansing Edmond Road). Make a right turn, then turn right at the next intersection onto Fayette Station Road. Immediately bear right at the fork, then stay right at the next intersection.
The Burnwood group campground will be closed from October 5 through mid November due to a construction project to replace water lines. During that time restroom facilities will be closed at the Burnwood Trailhead.
The Rend Trail is closed for trail Improvements that will include a new parking area, restroom, and a small picnic area overlooking Arbuckle Creek at the Minden trailhead, structural improvements to five historic railroad trestles along the trail, and full trail surface rehabilitation. Additionally, construction of a large accessible ramp over the ‘big rock’ will replace a stairway, resulting in the only fully accessible earthen surface trail located within the park.
The Church Loop Trail in the Thurmond area of the park is temporarily closed due to downed trees.
From June 15 through November 19 the upper part of the Kaymoor Miners Trail (from Kaymoor Top down to the mine site at the junction with the Kaymoor Trail) will be closed Monday through Thursday due to a trail rehab project. The trail is expected to be fully open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Getting There
To reach Park Headquarters take Route 19 North from Beckley to the Glen Jean exit. Upon exiting Rt 19, make an immediate left turn. At the next intersection, turn right. Park Headquarters will be straight ahead on the right. GPS Coordinates for Headquarters: 81.15587W, 37.92775N PLEASE NOTE: Third party search and map apps may direct you to an potentially inaccessible area of the park with no amenities or rangers stations. Please refer to the Visitor Center or Park Headquarters addresses for directions.
View Official DirectionsContact & Address
The NPS-listed address may be an administrative office, visitor center, mailing/contact location, or other park facility rather than a park entrance.
Topics & Themes
Things To Do
Trail Run Grandview Rim Trail
Trail run that is 3.1 miles. This is an out and back route that is on different compositions. It is…
Hunting in the Park
Hunting is permitted in any areas designated as National Preserve. Knowing your location and rules for that area are the…
Trail run at Endless Wall
Endless Wall Trail is and excellent place for a trail run but due to the volume of other hikers, this…
Trail Run or hike the Little Laurel Trail
The 4.0 mile roundtrip trail run or hike is strenuous. The terrain is crushed rock for most of the trail,…
Castle Rock Hike
Amazing hike that brings you right next to the layers of rocks that make-up the gorge. The trail is uneven…
Bicycling at New River Gorge
New River Gorge National River offers over fifty miles of mountain bike trails, varying from easy to difficult in terrain…
More Things to Do
Additional activities and experiences from the National Park Service.
Stroll on the Sandstone Boardwalk
Stroll along the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk.
Sandstone Falls Overlook
Wildlife Observation Nature Observation
Brooks Overlook
Brooks Overlook is a favorite viewing spot for visitors and locals. There is a pair of Bald eagles that reside, year round,…
Grandview Main Overlook
The Grandview Main Overlook is located about two football fields in distance from the parking area near the Grandview Visitor Center. There…
View the Overlooks at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center
Canyon Rim Visitor Center overlooks for the New River Gorge Bridge and the New River Gorge
Hike the Grandview Rim Trail
Hike the Grandview Rim Trail
Climbing at New River Gorge
With over 1,400 established climbing routes, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve has become one of the most popular climbing locations…
Fishing at New River Gorge
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve offers many outstanding opportunities for fishing in teh New River and its tributaries.
Whitewater Boating
Whitewater rafting and kayaking is one of the more popular activities at New River Gorge. Boaters can go with an outfitter or…
Scenic Drive on Fayette Station Road
The scenic Fayette Station Road provides outstanding views of the gorge and the river while passing under the New River Gorge Bridge…
Visitor Centers
Grandview Visitor Center
The Grandview Visitor Center is one of our seasonal visitor centers, typically open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Here there are overlooks of the…
Canyon Rim Visitor Center
Canyon Rim Visitor Center is one of the park's primary, year round visitor centers. It is located at the New River Gorge Bridge, just north…
Sandstone Visitor Center
Sandstone Visitor Center is one of the primary visitor centers for New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. It is a green design building where…
Thurmond Depot Visitor Center
Thurmond Depot is a restored railroad depot located in the historic railroad town of Thurmond. Open seasonally (typically Memorial Day to Labor Day), the Depot…
Campgrounds
Brooklyn Campground
This tent only campground is located on the banks of the New River near the Cunard River Access point and Southside Trailhead. It offers 4…
Burnwood Group Campsite
Burnwood is located across Route 19 from Canyon Rim Visitor Center and offers group camping. This site is only for groups of 8 or more…
Army Camp
This campground offers both tent and RV campsites along the banks of the New River at one of its many horseshoe bends. There are 11…
Glade Creek Campground
This forested campground offers both tent and RV sites near the banks of the New River and the Glade Creek Trailhead. There are 6 walk-in…
Grandview Sandbar
This campground offers shaded wooded campsites near the banks of the New River. There are 10 wooded drive-in sites for RVs, campers, car camping, and…
Stone Cliff
This tent only campground located near the historic railroad town of Thurmond offers 7 walk-in sites, 5 on the sandy beach of the New River…
Thayer Campground
This tent only campground is located near the community of Thayer along the banks of the New River. It has 4 walk-in sites. There are…
War Ridge/Backus Mountain Campground
This is the only campground in the park that is not along the river. It is located on a ridgetop near Backus Mountain. There are…
Meadow Creek Campground
This primitive campground located along the New River is only one mile from the Sandstone Visitor Center. It offers 17 sites in an open field.…
Nearby National Park Service Sites
These sites are ordered by straight-line distance between NPS reference coordinates. This is useful for comparison, but it is not road mileage. Trails, parkways, rivers, and distributed units may extend far from their reference point.
Nearby Cities for Trip Planning
These cities are ordered by straight-line distance from the NPS reference coordinate. They are comparison starting points, not official park gateways or road-distance estimates. Trails and other distributed units may extend far beyond this reference point.
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