Best Hikes and Trails in New River Gorge National Park
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New River Gorge National Park is West Virginia’s newest national park! This 70,000-acre park in south-central West Virginia is full of scenic views and some awesome hiking trails!
One of the best ways to experience New River Gorge is by taking a hike in the National Park! Most of the best trails in New River Gorge National Park are shorter than 3-miles. You can easily hike multiple trails within one day! Here are our favorite hikes and trails in New River Gorge National Park!
Tips for Hiking in New River Gorge National Park
Before we get into the best hikes to explore New River Gorge National Park, let’s go over some tips so you can have the best hiking experience in the park!
- Make sure you have your hiking day bag packed with all the essentials!
- Map out your routes on All Trails or use a map on the National Park Service App
- Arrive to popular trailheads early to secure parking. Have a backup plan in case you can’t get parked
- Check the weather before you leave, pop up showers are common in the mountains
- New River Gorge National Park is open year-round and is FREE to enter!
- Don’t forget your National Park Passport!
What is the National Park Passport Program?
The National Park passport program allows you to get dated stamps anytime you visit a National Park! This collector’s item is a great way to remember and commemorate your trip. We love getting our National Park Passport Book stamped anytime we visit a park!
Best New River Gorge Hiking Trails
Long Point Overlook Trail
If you want to get one of the best views of the New River Gorge Bridge, hike the Long Point Trail! This 3.0 mile out-and-back trail takes you to a scenic overlook where you can view the New River, Fayette Station, and the bridge!
Long Point Trail often gets busy, especially during the summer and fall months, so if you want to beat the crowds, try to show up before 9 AM. Mountain bikes are allowed except on the last 0.2 miles of the trail. There is a bicycle rack where you can park your bike!
- Length: 3.0 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Type: Out-and-back
Endless Wall Trail and Diamond Point Overlook
Endless Wall Trail and Diamond Point Overlook is our favorite hike in New River Gorge. This trail takes you through the lush forest and along the Canyon Rim to an overlook where you can see why the trail is named what it is! At Diamond Point, you get an awesome view of the sandstone cliffs that run along the Gorge. Here you’ll be almost 1000 feet above New River, where you can see the railroad tracks and maybe some whitewater rafters below. Endless Wall is also a hotspot for rock climbers!
Please use caution when near cliff edges!
The Endless Wall Trail can either be a loop or an in-and-out trail. As a loop, park in one of two parking areas, Ferm Creek or Nuttal, and hike to the end of the trail. From there, you will have to hike the road to get to your car. Or you can park and hike to Diamond Point Overlook and then hike the same way back to your car. Either way, you will make it to Diamond Point Overlook; however, getting on the trail at the Fern Creek Parking Area is the shorter hike.
Like Long Point Trail, the Fern Creek parking area fills up quickly. If it is full, you can park at the Nuttal Parking area and get on the trail from the other end of the trail!
- Length: 2.3 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Type: Out-and-back or Loop
Learn more about the best things to do in New River Gorge National Park!
Town Loop, Seldom Seen, and Tipple Trails at Nuttalburg
Nuttalburg is one of New River Gorge’s most unique and historic places. Nuttalburg is the most intact remaining coal mining complexes in West Virginia. Here, you get a peak of what life was like in a coal mining town in New River. The conveyor and coal tipple are still intact. And you can see a range of remaining structures, including businesses, homes, coke ovens, railroad tracks, and more by hiking the Town Loop, Seldom Seen, and Tipple trails. These trails can be accessed by taking Kenneys Creek Road, which ends at the parking area. It’s easy to spend a half day exploring these easy trails!
As of August 2022, the road to drive to Nuttalburg is closed, so the Seldom Seen and Tipple Trails are only accessible via the Conveyor Trail from the top of the gorge, which is very steep and challenging.
- Length: 2 miles total
- Difficulty: Easy
- Type: Out-and-back
Kaymoor Miner’s Trail
The Kaymoor Miner’s Trail is one of the most difficult hikes in New River Gorge National Park. If you hike the entire trail, you’ll descend XX feet into the Gorge! The first half-mile is a series of switchbacks that will lead you to the Kaymoor Mine opening and sign. The second half of the hike features a staircase of over 800 steps that takes you down into the Gorge to the Kaymoor coal processing plant. This hike is not easy, so be prepared.
Once at the main mine site at the bottom, you can see the remains of the conveyor, tipple, and other processing structures. Be careful exploring the area, these structures are historic and only maintained enough to preserve them. Even though the hike is a challenge, it’s worth it!
- Length: 1.6 miles
- Difficulty: Hard
- Type: Out-and-back
Grandview Rim Trail
After a stop at the Grandview Overlook, hike along the Grandview Rim Trail. Along this trail, you’ll get more beautiful views of Grandview. At the turnaround point, you’ll be at the Turkey Spur overlook. Make sure to climb up Turkey Spur to get more panoramic views of the Gorge!
- Length: 3.2 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Type: Out-and-back
Castle Rock Trail
If you want to get some awesome views of the cliffs below Grandview, hike the Castle Rock Trail! This trail can be accessed to the left of the Grandview overlook. You will see the trailhead as you are walking toward the overlook. Once you get to the end of the trail, make a left onto the Grandview Rim Trail and hike back to the parking area to make a loop!
- Length: 1.1 mile
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Type: Loop
Sandstone Falls Boardwalk
The Sandstone Falls boardwalk is one of the easiest hikes at New River Gorge National Park, but is extremely worth it! At the end of this trail, you’ll get a great view of Sandstone Falls from one side of the river to the other. Park at the Sandstone Falls parking area, and the boardwalk trailhead is at the parking area. The Island Loop Trail is another option for hiking at Sandstone Falls!
- Length: 0.5 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Type: Out-and-back
Thurmond Walking Tour
While this hike isn’t a true hike, we felt we needed to include Thurmond on this list of best hikes in New River Gorge. Thurmond is a historic railroad town located within the National Park. This once booming town was a hub for passengers and local industry. Today, with a population of 5 people, few of the remaining buildings stand and serve as a living time capsule for what life was like in New River Gorge decades ago. Take some time to learn about this interesting town by taking a ranger-led walking tour or self-guided tour.
- Length: 0.5 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
Recommended Reading for New River Gorge National Park
Check out our book recommendations (plus a map!) from Bookshop.org, which supports local bookstores!