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.
Quick Facts
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
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
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…
Trail run the Grandview Rim Trail at the Grandview Location. Total Distance 3.1 miles. Approximate change in elevation is about…
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…
Hiking This hike is heavily trafficked and many visitors are drawn to this location. The drawback to this being a…
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,…
Are you looking for a challenge? The Little Laurel Trail is an amazing trail run, bike, or hike down to…
Castle Rock Hike
Amazing hike that brings you right next to the layers of rocks that make-up the gorge. The trail is uneven…
The Castle Rock Trail is an opportunity for a hiker to see an enormous rock wall and an exposed coal…
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…
Visitor Centers
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…
Hours: Canyon Rim is open year round from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.
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…
Hours: Visitor Center open Friday through Sunday (closed Monday through Thursday) from Memorial Day through abor Day 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed fall, winter, and spring.
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…
Hours: Sandstone Visitor Center is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.
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…
Hours: Open June through August, (closed Monday Tuesday) and weekends in September and October
Campgrounds
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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