The badly named New River Gorge National River is not just for tourists. The National Park Service (NPS) says the gorge and its awesome bridge are among West Virginia’s most popular tourist attractions, but West Virginians love it too, enough to have chosen it as the symbol on the state’s quarter.
Despite its name, NPS says the New River is one of the oldest rivers in the world, an estimated 345 million years. It is also one of only two rivers in the world that flow south to north, starting in North Carolina and running through Virginia before it reaches West Virginia
National Park Service
The New River Gorge park attracts an estimated million people a year. The National Park Service recent purchase of a critical parcel of land along the river assures that its natural beauty will be preserved for a long time.
It was designated as a national river in 1978, but only the riverbed itself was considered federal land. Most of the bordering slope was privately owned and subject to housing, condo, shopping center and hotel development.
Some of the private land has since been purchased by NPS from owners concerned about the future of the area. A key parcel just downstream from the bridge was bought in September 2010 for $1500 an acre.
Grand Canyon of the East
The gorge averages 1,000 feet in depth, a mile in width and is sometimes called the “Grand Canyon of the East.” The tall trees that line its banks add to the beauty of the gorge. Kelly Bastone wrote in National Parks Magazine recently that “the temperate deciduous forests found here are some of the most diverse on Earth.”
The gorge area has remnants of the once thriving coal mine industry, including abandoned mines, company towns and coke ovens.
Thurmond Was Coal Boom Town
One of the most visited places in the area is Thurmond, once a booming coal and railroad town. Its population has diminished drastically and there are few modern developments in the town. The Park Service says Thurmond is “a link to our past and a town with many stories to tell.”
The New River Gorge offers opportunities for white water rafting, bird watching, hiking, warm water fishing, picnicking, cycling, canoeing, camping, stunning photography, recalling another era of American history and just enjoying some of nature’s most beautiful scenery.
The gorge from Hinton to Thurmond provides Class I-III rapids for rafting. Downstream from Thurmond, the river offers Class III to Class V rapids. NPS says the rapids are “big, brawny and bodacious.”
West Virginia’s Route 19
According to the Park website, the New River Gorge bridge is the longest steel arch span in the western hemisphere and the second highest in the nation. It was opened in 1977 as part of Route 19 and is traveled by over 16,000 vehicles per day. The bridge is 876 feet above the river water level, 3030 feet long, 70 feet wide and is itself a major tourist attraction. It cost $37 million, which would be a tremendous bargain today.
BASE jumping and rappelling from the bridge are allowed only on Bridge Day, which is called “the largest extreme sports event in the world.” It is held the third Saturday in October (Oct. 15, 2011).
Canyon Rim Visitor Center
The Canyon Rim Visitor Center is probably the best place to start your visit to New River Gorge. In addition to exhibits and visual presentations, the center offers a two-mile view of the park, including the gorge and the bridge, from its observation deck. A short hiking tour also begins at the center.
Entrance to the park is free, but there are fees for reserving picnic shelters. See the park website for more information about times, dates housing and other attractions in the area.
The park is located in the southwest corner of the state in Fayette County near Beckley. The closest major airport is at Charleston, 70 miles to the north. Amtrak’s Cardinal stops at Hinton, Prince and Thurmond on its Chicago-New York route. Route 19 can be accessed from Interstate 77.
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