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.
Alerts
- InformationBurnwood Campground and Restroom Closure
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.
- InformationRend Trail Closed through December 2027
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.
- InformationKaymoor Miners Trail Closure
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.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve does not charge an entrance fee.
Hours
| New River Gorge National Park and Preserve | Daily · All Day |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| War Ridge/Backus Mountain Campground | 8 sites | |
| War Ridge Campground is open year round. · 8 first-come | ||
| Stone Cliff | 7 sites | |
| Stone Cliff Campground is open year round. · 7 first-come | ||
| Thayer Campground | 4 sites | |
| Thayer Campground is open year round. · 4 first-come | ||
| Glade Creek Campground | 11 sites | |
| Glade Creek Campground is open year round. · 11 first-come | ||
| Grandview Sandbar | 16 sites | |
| Grandview Sandbar Campground is open year round. · 16 first-come | ||
Show all 9 campgroundsHide
| Army Camp | 11 sites | |
| Campsites at Army Camp are open year round. · 11 first-come | ||
| Brooklyn Campground | 5 sites | |
| Brooklyn Campground is open year round. · 5 first-come | ||
| Burnwood Group Campsite | 1 site | |
| $75 a night · Burnwood is open year round. · 1 reservable | ||
| Meadow Creek Campground ↗ | 17 sites | |
| This campground is generally open year round. Sites are first-come first-serve and do not require reservations. | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Grandview Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
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 New River, five hiking trails, ranger-led walks and talks, summer outdoor dramas, and picnic areas with playgrounds.
- Thurmond Depot Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
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 is an information center and a park store.
- Canyon Rim Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
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 of Fayetteville. A wooden boardwalk provides scenic views of the New River Gorge Bridge and the gorge.
- Sandstone Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
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 visitors can learn about the park and the watershed through exhibits and a park film.
Explore
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 mostly a dirt path with varying degrees of hardness.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hunting in the Park
Hunting is permitted in any areas designated as National Preserve. Knowing your location and rules for that area are the hunter's responsibility.
Opens on the Park Service site - Trail run at Endless Wall60-120 Minutes
Endless Wall Trail is and excellent place for a trail run but due to the volume of other hikers, this trail runner would recommend that this be an early morning location.
Opens on the Park Service site - Trail Run or hike the Little Laurel Trail30-120 Minutes
The 4.0 mile roundtrip trail run or hike is strenuous. The terrain is crushed rock for most of the trail, but there are a few areas that the terrain can be a bit uneven.
Opens on the Park Service site - Castle Rock Hike30-120 Minutes
Amazing hike that brings you right next to the layers of rocks that make-up the gorge. The trail is uneven and requires some scrambling over some of the rock obstacles. The steps are made up of rocks and can be super slippery when wet.
Opens on the Park Service site - 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 and distance.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Stroll on the Sandstone Boardwalk30 Minutes
Stroll along the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk.
Opens on the Park Service site - Sandstone Falls Overlook10 Minutes
Wildlife Observation Nature Observation
Opens on the Park Service site - Brooks Overlook5 Minutes
Brooks Overlook is a favorite viewing spot for visitors and locals. There is a pair of Bald eagles that reside, year round, on Brooks Island and catching a glimpse of them is sure to spark delight.
Opens on the Park Service site - Grandview Main Overlook15 Minutes
The Grandview Main Overlook is located about two football fields in distance from the parking area near the Grandview Visitor Center.
Opens on the Park Service site - View the Overlooks at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center0-30 Minutes
Canyon Rim Visitor Center overlooks for the New River Gorge Bridge and the New River Gorge
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Grandview Rim Trail0-2 Hours
Hike the Grandview Rim Trail
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Webcams
Camera images load live from the National Park Service and partner agencies
Events
- Patio Talk at Canyon Rim Visitor Center10/1410:00 AM · runs through Oct 31 · freeCanyon Rim Visitor Center in Lansing WV
- Shadows on the Trail10/1607:00 PM · free
- Thurmond Walk10/1711:00 AM · runs through Oct 25 · freeMeet at the Thurmond Depot Visitor Center. The road to Thurmond is narrow and winding; RVs and trailers are not recommended on…
News
- Prescribed Burns Planned for New River Gorge National Park and Preserve ↗2026-10-01
This fall, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve will conduct prescribed burns in two designated areas to support ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk in the park and local communities.
- New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Begins Repair of Historic Rend Trail and Bridges ↗2026-09-01
Trail Improvements Funded by Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund
- Rend Trail Rehabilitation Project Begins on August 3 ↗2026-08-03
Great American Outdoors Act funding of $11.8 million will revitalize and improve access to historic park trail
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for New River Gorge National Park & Preserve and the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Best Easy Day Hikes New River Gorge National Park and PreserveJohnny Molloy, 2023Find at Bookshop.org- Visitor's Guide to the New River Gorge National ParkAmanda Ashley and Robert Legg, 2022Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthAmerican Black Bear 2× · North American River Otter 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 191 birds, 51 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican kestrel · Black vulture · Cooper's hawk · barred owl · broad-winged hawk · eastern screech owl · golden eagle · great horned owl · northern harrier · northern saw-whet owl · osprey · peregrine falcon · red-shouldered hawk · red-tailed hawk · rough-legged hawk · sharp-shinned hawk · turkey vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican black duck · American coot · American wigeon · Canada goose · blue-winged teal · bufflehead · common goldeneye · common loon · common merganser · double-creasted cormorant · great blue heron · green heron · green-winged teal · hooded merganser · horned grebe · lesser scaup · little blue heron · mute swan · northern pintail · pied-billed grebe · red-breasted merganser · ring-necked duck · ruddy duck · wood duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican woodcock · Bonaparte's gull · Wilson's snipe · common tern · greater yellowlegs · herring gull · killdeer · lesser yellowlegs · ring-billed gull · solitary sandpiper · spotted sandpiper · willet
Gamebirds & dovesmourning dove · rock dove · ruffed grouse · wild turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · northern flicker · pileated woodpecker · red-bellied woodpecker · red-headed woodpecker · yellow-bellied sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftschimney swift · ruby-throated hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian flycatcher · American crow · American goldfinch · American redstart · American robin · American tree sparrow · Bald ealgle · Baltimore oriole · Bank swallow · Barn swallow · Bay-breasted Warbler · Black-and-white warbler · Black-billed cuckoo · Black-capped chickadee · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Black-throated Green Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue-gray gnatcatcher · Blue-winged Warbler · Canada Warbler · Canvasback · Cape May Warbler · Carolin wren · Carolina chickadee · Cerulean Warbler · Chestnut-sided Warbler · European starling · Hooded Warbler · Kentucky Warbler · Lincoln's sparrow · Louisiana Waterthrush · Magnolia Warbler · Mangrove Warbler · Myrtle Warbler · Northern Parula · Orchard oriole · Philadelphia vireo · Pine Warbler · Prairie Warbler · Savannah sparrow · Swainson's thrush · Swainson's warbler · Tennessee Warbler · Wilson's warbler · Yellow-throated Warbler · belted kingfisher · blue jay · blue-headed vireo · brown creeper · brown thrasher · brown-headed cowbird · cedar waxwing · chipping sparrow · cliff swallow · common grackle · common nighthawk · common raven · common yellowthroat · dark-eyed junco · dickcissel · eastern bluebird · eastern kingbird · eastern meadowlark · eastern phoebe · eastern towhee · eastern wood-pewee · evening grosbeak · field sparrow · fox sparrow · gadwall · golden-crowned kinglet · golden-winged and blue-winged warbler hybrid · golden-winged warbler · grasshopper sparrow · gray catbird · great-crested flycatcher · hermit thrush · horned lark · house finch · house sparrow · house wren · indigo bunting · least flycatcher · mallard · marsh wren · mourning warbler · northern cardinal · northern mockingbird · northern rough-winged swallow · northern waterthrush · olive-sided flycatcher · ovenbird · palm warbler · pine siskin · purple finch · purple martin · red-breasted nuthatch · red-eyed vireo · red-winged blackbird · redhead · rose-breasted grosbeak · ruby-crowned kinglet · rusty blackbird · scarlet tanager · song sparrow · summer tanager · swamp sparrow · tree swallow · tufted titmouse · veery · vesper sparrow · warbling vireo · whip-poor-will · white-breasted nuthatch · white-crowned sparrow · white-eyed vireo · white-throated sparrow · willow flycatcher · wood thrush · worm-eating warbler · yellow-bellied flycatcher · yellow-billed cuckoo · yellow-breasted chat · yellow-throated vireo
Small mammalsAllegheny woodrat · American beaver · American pygmy shrew · Cinereus shrew · North American deermouse · common muskrat · eastern chipmunk · eastern cottontail · eastern fox squirrel · eastern gray squirrel · eastern mole · field mouse · golden mouse · hairy-tailed mole · house mouse · long-tailed shrew · northern short-tailed shrew · pine vole · red squirrel · smoky shrew · southern bog lemming · southern flying squirrel · southern red-backed vole · white-footed deermouse · woodland jumping mouse
PredatorsAmerican black bear · American mink · North American river otter · bobcat · coyote · fisher · gray fox · long-tailed weasel · raccoon · red fox · striped skunk
Hoofed mammalswhite-tailed deer
BatsIndiana bat · North American Hoary Bat · Virginia big-eared bat · big brown myotis · eastern red bat · eastern small-footed myotis · little brown myotis · northern long-eared bat · silver-haired bat · tricolored bat
Also on the checklistVirginia opossum · domestic dog · domestic/feral cat · groundhog
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Rock climbing in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 42 activitiesHide
Questions people ask
Does New River Gorge charge an entrance fee?
No. New River Gorge is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is New River Gorge open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in New River Gorge?
Yes. The Park Service lists 9 campgrounds in New River Gorge: War Ridge/Backus Mountain, Stone Cliff, Thayer, Glade Creek, and Grandview Sandbar, and more. 1 takes reservations through Recreation.gov.
Do any New River Gorge campgrounds have hookups or showers?
No. None of the 9 listed campgrounds report showers, electric hookups, or a dump station.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at New River Gorge right now?
3 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Burnwood Campground and Restroom Closure; Rend Trail Closed through December 2027; and more.
Source: Alerts
How busy is New River Gorge?
1,958,440 recreation visits in 2025, number 45 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
When was New River Gorge established?
2020. It covers about 114 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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