New River Gorge
May 10, 2024
We spent four days exploring New River Gorge National Park, with our first stop at the Visitor Center to learn about the Park and plan our activities.
One afternoon, I had booked us on the Bridge Walk, where we walked the 24-inch catwalk 25 feet underneath the entire 3030-foot length of the 876-foot-high NRG bridge (that’s almost 3 Statue of Liberty’s tall!)
It was exhilarating to be so high above the Gorge yet so safe as we were harnessed and clipped on an overhead cable. Our fearless leader:
We enjoyed the bird’s eye view of the Gorge and would love to repeat it during fall colors.
Another day, we hiked 2 miles out to Diamond Point with a view of the Gorge and Endless Wall, but I must say the view from the Bridge Walk was hard to beat!
Larry drove the mostly one-lane gravel and paved road down the Gorge to tour the abandoned mine town of Nuttalburg. We were impressed by the old Coke ovens and the covered conveyor that ran from the closed mine at the top of the hill down to the tipple where the rail cars were loaded. The NPS did an excellent job with old photos explaining old foundations so you could see how it was when people lived there. Nuttalburg is a less visited area of the new Park, but an NPS ground crew was busy trimming and maintenance to prepare for summer visitors.
The Old Grist Mill at Babcock State Park was another fun stop at the second most photographed place in West Virginia!
On the third day, we headed to the Grandview area of the Park, where we hiked to the Turkey Spur Overlook and then below the rim on CastleRock and Grandview Rim Trails.
It was a delightful morning, and the rhododendrons are in full bloom in this section of the Park.
Many schools are taking advantage of the last week of school to bring students to the Park during the midday for field trips—they have so much energy to burn! For the afternoon, we went to the nearby Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, where we took an excellent underground tour with Curt, a lifelong miner with experiences to share with us.
Though we have been on mine tours before, each one is different, and we are always learning something new.
There was also a tiny museum, miner homes, and a pioneer village.
My favorite little house:
A visit to the Thurmond Historic District involved driving down to the river, where there were a few buildings, including a cool train trestle and even a train on the active tracks.
Pumpernickel had a veterinary checkup where his bloodwork and exam revealed what we already knew but didn’t want to admit—that he is slowly failing. The veterinarian suggested treatment modifications, which seem to be helping his appetite.
We left on Friday with several short stops for errands such as fuel. Larry lucked into a 30-day, 30 cents off-a-gallon deal at Sheetz stations, so we’re hitting those as we travel this region. He’s also been using the Mudflaps app, which is nationwide and meant more for truckers, so for the discount he must use those lanes at fuel stations participating in the program. We ended our visit to the New River Gorge National Park with a stop at the Sandstone Visitor Center, where the floor maps the Gorge and River! Larry drove several hours on winding, narrow, two-lane roads to our campground for the next two nights. Although all the campsites appeared reserved, we had the Seven Mile Seneca State Park campground primarily for ourselves, and our site tucked into the very back was secluded. We walked a mile on the road back to the ranger station, where we found Wi-Fi and showers (and laundry if needed) for the next night. We spent the rest of the day prepping for our 80+ mile bike ride the next day, though we’ve already confirmed the return shuttle and consulted with a local bike shop about the rail to trail. We’ve charged up the batteries for the headsets and bikes, set out gear, filled the Camelbacks, and loaded the backpacks—fingers crossed that the weather holds!
Next we adventure on the tracks by bike and train.
John Denver nailed it when he sang, “West Virginia, Mountain Momma, take me home country roads.” We love West Virginia for its beauty and outdoor opportunities, but the many closely knit mountain ridges make for roads that follow the rivers and valleys running like thin ribbons between them. We take it slow, enjoy it, and figure the time it takes is at least double the miles on the route.
