New River Gorge

New River Gorge in West Virginia, upgraded from National River to National Park and Preserve in 2020, is a 70,000-plus-acre destination for adventure.

Spanning one of the Eastern United States most unfragmented forests undisturbed by urban development, New River Gorge offers picturesque terrain and the perfect outdoor playground for bikers, hikers, rafters, BASE jumpers and more. It’s also one of the most biologically diverse regions in all of Appalachia, with over 1,500 species of plants due to the New River—one of the world’s oldest rivers—that cuts north through the mountains.

“The gorge itself is the deepest and tallest in the Appalachian Mountains,” said Dave Bieri, district supervisor at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. “The 1,400 foot elevation accompanying it is a big reason for the biodiversity here. The river runs north through the mountains, which allows for an easier migration of species. There’s a lot of trees and plants in the region that are primarily southern species that have migrated due to their seeds flowing up the gorge. It’s a big reason why the gorge ended up becoming a part of the national park and preserve system.”

In total, 53 miles of the New River flows through the park. It is home to some of the most intense whitewater rafting you’ll find anywhere, ranging from more mild class three rapids to class five rapids full of large boulders, cross currents and other attractive obstructions.

The area is also one of the most appealing rock climbing destinations in the east, with over 1,400 established rock climbs. The park features over 100 miles of hiking trails and over 50 miles of bike trails, including single-track mountain paths and abandoned railroad grades.

The Bridge

Then there’s the bridge. With construction wrapping up in 1977, the New River Gorge Bridge not only reduced a 40-minute drive through narrow mountain passes to cross the river to less than a minute, but also quickly became the most photographed destination in the state. At 876 feet tall, the bridge is the second highest in the country, and is a magnet for adrenaline seekers from around the world.

On every third Saturday of October, the Fayette County, West Virginia, Chamber of Commerce hosts “Bridge Day.” According to Bieri, the event draws an average of 350-400 BASE jumpers annually who make a spectacle of launching off the side of the bridge. In addition to jumpers, “Bridge Day” attracts as many as 70,000 spectators each day, making it the largest extreme sporting event in the world.

BASE is an acronym for buildings, antennas, spans and earth—the four fixed objects from which one can leap. Participants jump from the aforementioned fixed object, deploying a parachute after a free-fall delay.

“The last two years we had to cancel Bridge Day due to COVID-19, but we’re excited to bring it back in 2022,” Bieri said. “We get BASE jumpers and repellers coming in from all over the world wanting to participate. It’s our signature event here at the park, and probably the biggest extreme sporting event held annually in the world.”

Hidden History and Nature

High-octane thrills aren’t all the park offers with it’s annual gatherings, though. The New River Gorge hosts the Spring Nature Fling every April and May, when the park partners with West Virginia state parks to host a series of interpretive programs and guided hikes as a way of explaining the region’s biodiversity.

The New River Gorge has also hosted Hidden History Weekend for the past 13 years on the final weekend of September. During it, the park once again partners with state parks to highlight some of the area’s lesser known heritage and historical sites.

Although many of these smaller sites are featured during these three events, they can all be explored year-round. This includes Thurmond, a near ghost town that was once the busiest stop on the C&O Railroad, according to Bieri. Although it’s sparsely populated now compared to its heyday, you can still wander around the town’s old train depot, now used as a visitor’s center.

The park has created an African American Heritage Auto Tour to tell the stories of Black coal miners, railroad workers and others in the community who’ve helped shape its history. The self-guided driving tour takes visitors to 17 sites throughout the park to uncover it’s untold stories piece by piece.

With it’s newly minted distinction, Bieri says he’s noticed an influx of people coming to visit the nation’s 63rd national park, particularly it’s visitor centers. He estimates a 10 percent increase in visitation to the park in 2021, compared to 2019’s pre-pandemic numbers. He also said that guests are staying longer, too, three to four days on average, as the gorge turns from more of a day trip to a destination. The extended stays have helped provide a boom to all facets of the local economy, as well.

“We saw an increase in people visiting the park throughout 2020 leading up to the National Park designation, due to everyone wanting to get outside after being cooped up at home for so long due to COVID-19,” Bieri said. “With the park’s re-designation, visitation numbers exploded even more last summer. As word about the park continues to spread, I expect the numbers will continue to rise.”

Sharon Cruikshank, mayor of Fayetteville, West Virginia, and a retired 24-year veteran of the New River Gorge Convention & Visitors Bureau, said that in many cases the jump in attendance was higher. “With the national park distinction we were expecting a 10-15 percent increase in park attendance, but for most of 2021 we actually noticed a 30 percent jump,” Cruikshank said. “For most of our local businesses, last year was the best they’ve had in a long time, and some cases, ever, despite the ongoing pandemic.”

'So Much to Do Here'

One of those businesses that is thriving is Pinheads, a bowling alley, restaurant and bar opened in 2015 by Alison Ibarra inside a condemned bowling alley built in 1962. Pinhead’s typically would see most of its business during the winter months, but Ibarra says the script has flipped since the park earned national park status.

“Usually in April our business is at 50 percent of what it is in March, due to tourists not arriving yet and the locals beginning to get outside more,” Ibarra said. “This past year our April revenue was 50 percent more than March. Revenue continued to climb in the months following, to almost double what it used to be during our slow summer months. The best part is, there’s no indication of things slowing down.”

After receiving government funds early on in the pandemic, Ibarra invested in Pinhead’s kitchen by purchasing upgrades that tripled its food output, a move which quickly began to pay off when the National Park designation came just a few months later. Soon thereafter, capacity restrictions in the state were lifted as well, allowing the business to operate full steam ahead with it’s 12 bowling lanes, 100+ beer varieties, and more.

According to Ibarra, she’s seen just as many locals visiting Pinhead’s for the first time as she has out-of-state travelers. She thinks many of them are beginning to take more notice of what the New River Gorge and surrounding area have to offer since it earned its designation.

“Our philosophy at Pinhead’s has always been, if we can get you in the door we’ll make you a customer for life,” Ibarra said. “I think the same philosophy applies to the New River Gorge. There’s so much to do here. Once you discover it, you’ll want to keep coming back.”

Cruikshank agrees. She hopes the New River Gorge will turn its visitors onto other nearby attractions in West Virginia, like Sandstone Falls, the largest waterfall on the New River; Gauley River National Recreation Area and its Class 5+ whitewater rapids in Glen Jean; Summersville Dam, the second-largest rock-fill dam in the Eastern United States, with everything from boating to rock climbing and scuba diving; the new marina coming to Montgomery; Winterplace Ski Resort in Ghent; and more.

“When I travel, I love to explore not only where I’m going but the area surrounding it as well, and I know I’m not the only one,” Cruikshank said. “We want to capitalize on this by helping people discover what else West Virginia has to offer that makes it so wonderful.”