New River Gorge National Park

Despite its name the New River is one of the oldest rivers on the continent, and it has cut a gorge more than three hundred metres deep through the Appalachian plateau in southern West Virginia. Designated a national park in 2020, the newest in the system, it is really an adventure park: the whitewater below Thurmond is among the best in the eastern United States, with big volume rapids in the lower gorge, and the sandstone cliffs along the rim carry thousands of climbing routes on famously good rock. The New River Gorge Bridge spans the whole thing in a single steel arch, and once a year on Bridge Day the road closes and people jump off it with parachutes. Trails run the rim and down to abandoned coal towns swallowed by forest.

What you actually see

• The bridge - the single steel arch spanning the gorge, seen from the overlook.
• Whitewater rafting - the big rapids of the lower gorge.
• Rock climbing - thousands of routes on the sandstone rim.
• The ghost towns - abandoned coal settlements along the river, reached on foot.

When to go

April to October for rafting and climbing, with the lower gorge biggest in spring; October brings Appalachian colour and Bridge Day, when the span is closed to traffic and opened to jumpers. Winter is quiet and many outfitters close.

Honest expectations

The lower gorge whitewater is genuinely serious and not a family float; the upper section is the gentler option. It is an adventure destination first, so visitors expecting scenic drives and easy overlooks will find fewer than in a western park. Services cluster in Fayetteville and thin out quickly beyond it. Bridge Day brings enormous crowds.

Nearby

The Gauley River, famous for autumn dam releases, is close; Charleston is an hour northwest.