The New River Gorge became a National Park in December of 2020. It is a spot that definitely deserves this designation and I am thankful to have had multiple opportunities to explore this area over the last two years on a number of occasions. One of the many recreational opportunities in the New River Gorge is hiking. There is a wide range of trails for you to choose from with varying levels of difficulty. Hiking trails along the rim of the gorge tend to be fairly easy and provide you with great views of the river below. If you are looking for something a little more difficult pick one of the trails that goes below the rim and you will quickly drop in elevation, knowing that you will soon be climbing back up to get back to your trailhead.
I have hiked here in the winter and summer months, and I have to say that winter is actually my favorite. The foliage here is so dense that in the summer months, the trees will block most of the view. So if you want big vistas try and pick a time between November - April when the leaves are off the trees.
Here are the trails in the area that I have completed. I would do every one of them again. Some are pretty short but take you to great views. Others allow you enough distance to catch your rhythm and really stretch your legs. There are many more hikes in this area that I hope to explore.
Grandview Rim Trail to Turkey Spur
Distance: 3.0
Trail Type: Out and Back
Elevation Gain: 288
Difficulty: Easy
All Trails Map
I have hiked this trail twice now. Once in the winter months and once in the summer. It is a very different hike depending on when you take it. I personally preferred the winter because you the views are much better. During the winter you see down the river much further and you can see how the river is making huge oxbows as it is winding down through the gorge below.
You can also see the town of Prince from the end of the Turkey Spur trail during the winter which during the summer you would not even know the town existed. The rail tracks and yards are also something that you can see much better without the leaves on the tree.
During the summer the wild Rhododendrons are amazing and if you come in late June and early July they are flowering. You feel like you are walking through a tunnel of trees.
The terrain on this trail is pretty easy going with a little bit of up and down in spots. There are just a couple of steeper sections but they are short, and the steepest section has stairs.
Note that this trail will follow the road in spots and you can drive out to the final viewpoint in a vehicle when the road is open. This is a hike that you do because you enjoy the walk along the trail, and not because the location you get to will be exclusive.
Endless Wall Trail
Distance: 2.3
Trail Type: Loop
Elevation Gain: 288
Difficulty: Easy
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The Endless Wall Trail is one of the most popular trails in the New River Gorge area. The endless wall is a massive rock bluff that cuts across the upper portion of the east side of the gorge. There are spots along the trail that have great views of the river and the gorge around it.
This can be done as a loop, but unless you have a shuttle it will require some walking on the road to get back to your car. The trail distance is 2.3 miles officially but turns out to be 2.7 by the time you get back to your car.
During the winter month when the leaves are off the trees you can see this old coal mine down in the gorge. No longer operating the
Lower Nuttalburg Mine sits alongside the railroad tracks that cut through the gorge. The tracks through the gorge are still active with both freight and Amtrack trains going through each day.
The trail goes through a couple of interesting spots including an area that provides access to rock climbers to scale the bluffs. There are numerous overlooks that will allow you to see into the gorge and a couple of spots where you are walking through forests and what can be wetland-like during certain times of the year.
Castle Rock Trail
Distance: 1.0
Trail Type: Loop
Elevation Gain: 400
Difficulty: Moderate
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The Castle Rock trail starts at the same overlook and the Grandrim View trail and can actually be added as an extra loop if you are doing the Grandrim View trail. This trail drops below the rim for about 3/4 of a mile before it comes back up to meet up with the main trail. While below the rim you see the bluffs with a different perspective. You will get to enjoy see the high cliffs and walk under sections that have been undercut below the rims cap.
This trail is more difficult and has a lot of uneven surfaces. You have to pick your way through the rocks in the trail and there is a slight elevation change on this trail, nothing really bit. I am always up for trying to see something different on the way out and on the way back, so I think that the Caste Rock trail is a great alternative.
Tunnel Trail
Distance: 0.5
Trail Type: Lollipop
Elevation Gain: 108
Difficulty: Easy
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The tunnel trail is a short loop that takes you out to some moderately interesting rocks and back out to where you started. This trail also departs from the Grandview Overlook and would be nice if you did not have a lot of time.
The forested areas of this hike are interesting and full of different plants.
Canyon Rim Overlook Boardwalk
Distance: 0.6
Trail Type: Out and Back
Elevation Gain: 300
Difficulty: Easy Plus
All Trails Map
I am not sure if this can really be considered a trail, but it is more of a path to the bridge overlook. The trick here is the stairs, On the way out you will descend the stairs to be able to get to the overlook, and as the old hiking adage goes, what goes down has to come back up. The stairs are not as bad as they might seem and there are benches along the way if you want to take a break on the climb. If you have bad knees or ankles and have a hard time going up the stairs in your house I would not recommend them.
The little bit of effort it takes to climb the stairs is worth the view. You can really see the bridge and the gorge together from the viewpoint. The New River Gorge is the third tallest bridge in the United States with a height of 876 between the top of the bridge and the river below. It is also the longest steel arch bridge in the western hemisphere, so you are looking at a record-setting bridge from here. For more check out my post on the 10 highest bridges in the United States.
Trails Yet to be Explored
There are a lot of other trails that I want to explore in the New River Gorge. Some trails that are still on my bucket list include:
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