SnapshotPlanning Your VisitWhen we visited the park on a summer morning in July. We only were stopping here on a longer driving day, so we saw a very small part of this beautiful gorge and river. Things to Consider 1. The first thing to know is, very long, with limited access across the gorge. Plan accordingly on what you want to see and what order makes the most sense. 2. There are four different visitor centers here to accommodate different areas of the park. 3. There is an amazing bridge walk that allows you to walk (while tethered) under the bridge. It looks amazing for the adventist, but there is an age requirement. 4. Look into taking a guided tour (kayak, canoe, whitewater raft, etc) down the New River. It would be amazing to see the park from this viewpoint. 5. There is a beautiful scenic drive in the northern corner of the park along Hwy 60 along the Kanawha River and New River. It is worth the drive, and there is also Hawks Nest State Park in that area, which looked stunning. How to Get 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. Where to Stay Inside the Park Camping There are only primitive campgrounds in the park. They are first-come, first-serve and do not cost anything to stay there. There are 8 primitive camping areas. They have no drinking water, no hookups, no electricity, and limited restroom facilities. Plan accordingly if you plan to stay within the park. Outside the Park Adventures on the Gorge This adventure resort and outfitter provides a variety of lodging, guides, and experiences in the area. They are located 1.5 miles from the New River Gorge Bridge and Canyon Rim Visitor Center. They have camping options, cabins, as well as accommodations for large groups. You can also work with them to book different experiences (biking, whitewater rafting, etc). ACE Adventure Resort This is where we were going to stay until we had to cut our trip short by two days. This resort is 12 miles from the New River Gorge Bridge and Canyon Rim Visitor Center, but offers cabins for any group size depending on your need. They also have camping for tents and RVs available. They offer packages, experiences, and guided trips through their resort as well. The big seller for my family was the waterpark they had onsite as well as multiple restaurants and food options. Everything was conveniently located within the resort and cuts on down on driving or making plans. Fayetteville If you are looking for more traditional lodging options, Fayetteville, WV is the closest town (about 3 miles) to the New River Gorge Bridge. This town will have the most options available for lodging. What We Did This was the shortest amount of time we have spent at a National Park. We only were stopping here to stretch and get some movement on a longer driving day on our way home. The thing we wanted to do most was see the New River Gorge Bridge. We decided to go to the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, which is on the east side of the bridge. There is a great green space here to move around, walk to some of the overlooks, and have a picnic here. We walked around the visitor center grounds, and went out to the two different outlooks here. The kids had no problems with these overlooks, but there are really high on a rock cliff, and I did not make it out to the end. If you are afraid of heights, you might want to keep your distance. We also walked over to the sign. This was up on a hill, and the kids loved climbing up, then rolling down the hill. We laughed and laughed while they did this until they were out of breath. Inside the visitor center, we walked around the exhibits and learned about different areas of the gorge and the history of the park. This is the newest park in the NPS system, so we learned a little about the process to preserve this area of the country. There are also amazing floor to ceiling walls and rocking chairs for your to sit and enjoy the views of the New River and Gorge. We watched kayakers doing down the river for a while and talked about coming back some day to do a trip down the river when the kids were older. The last thing we did was drive along Hwy 60 to Kanawha Falls. This drive was so beautiful along the New River and Kanawha River. There were small towns, state parks, and bluffs all along this drive. I could see us exploring this part of the country more in the future. We eventually made it to Kanawha Falls, and enjoyed the serenity there before heading to our hotel. Where this fit in our Road Trip This was the last stop on our way home from a 2.5 week vacation. We had two long days of driving to make it home, so this was a good stopping point to let the kids get out and walk around a little. We only spent about an hour at the park, and barely scratched the surface of what there is to do here. This would be a great place to explore with older kids. NPS App and All Trails Maps I highly recommend using the National Park Service (NPS) App, as well as the All Trails App for hiking. There is limited service in the park, so planning ahead is helpful. These two apps allow you to download sights, maps, and trails so that you can access information anywhere. The NPS app also links to the full National Parks Website, with a plethora of information. Don't forget to follow along on Instagram @wanderlust_with_three
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