New River Gorge in Fayette County, West Virginia, is the newest National Park, having only been given this designation in 2020. As the Country’s 63rd protected land, New River Gorge is now attracting more families and thrill seekers. The New River, beneath the Appalachian Mountains, offers class I – V rapids and stunning mountain views. The New River Gorge Bridge, built in 1977, is a single span arch bridge that is just over 3,000 feet long and 876 feet above the New River. An engineering feat to see unto itself, the bridge attracts thousands of visitors for the annual “bridge day” event in October, when it’s closed to vehicles and open for BASE jumping and rappelling. It also offers a bridgewalk underneath its span (we were not daring enough to do this). The trip below details a 3-day itinerary with kids ranging from ages 7 to 12 on Labor Day weekend. 

The Practical Takeaways

• New River Gorge is a great destination for families seeking outdoor adventure and is an easy five-hour drive from the Washington, DC region. There are activities for ages 6+, 12+, and 16+, which makes it a great place to visit with your kids multiple times for different age-based experiences. (If your kids are under 6, I’d recommend waiting to go until they are older and can participate in activities).
• This is a trip to take in summer or early fall. Expect to be outdoors almost the whole time you’re there. We had one day that it rained for a few hours and our activity options were limited during that time. Once the sun reappeared, we only went indoors to sleep.

Accommodations

We stayed at Adventures on the Gorge (AOTG), which felt like a family sleepaway camp. There are a wide variety of lodging options here, ranging from tent sites, glamping, and cabins, to higher-end rental homes. We chose a “Sunnyside Cabin” that offered well furnished hotel-style amenities in addition to a picnic table and outdoor grill. We requested to have a cabin with a room adjacent to our friends, sharing an outdoor balcony. 

The best part about staying on the AOTG Campus is that it serves as a basecamp for an endless amount of activities, including white water rafting, ropes courses, and guided hikes. There are also three restaurants on site with views of the gorge, and a resort-like pool. It’s conveniently located near the National Parks Service Canyon Rim Visitor’s Center and the town of Fayetteville, WV.

Things to Do at New River Gorge

• White Water Rafting: We signed up for White Water Rafting on the Upper New River through Adventures on the Gorge. Given that this was for ages 6+ we didn’t expect it to be too challenging…ha! There were two people per raft, making it feel more like white water kayaking for five hours. It wasn’t easy (particularly when a rainstorm came through!). The jumping rock also provided some excitement. While our white water rafting experience in New Mexico a few months ago was more relaxing, this was more rewarding given the physical challenge. AOTG offers rafting options for various abilities and ages. 

• Endless Wall Trail: This easy 2-mile hike provided amazing views of the gorge. I’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area. Note that the parking lot fills pretty quickly. Also, the overlook has no railings, which made me nervous with the kids. 

• Fayette Station Audio Tour: On a rainy day we found audio driving tours of New River Gorge Park on the National Park Service App. The Fayette Station tour provides a history lesson and takes you on the route used to cross the gorge prior to the 1977 construction of the bridge. It was a great way to pass the time while waiting for the rain to stop. 
• Canyon Rim Visitor’s Center: There are four Visitor’s Centers in New River Gorge Park. This one is the most visited as it is close to the bridge and Fayetteville. It was a good way to orient ourselves to the park and we enjoyed the nearby overlook.  

• Lost Appalachia Trading Co. & Water Stone Outdoors: If you blink while driving through Fayetteville you may miss it. However, there are two shops I’d recommend stopping for. Lost Appalachia is full of goods sourced in the area and local artwork. Water Stone Outdoors is jammed full of supplies and apparel for all adventures as well as a coffee shop. 

Places to Eat near New River Gorge

• Swiftwater General Store: Our White Water Rafting tour guide recommended we come here for pepperoni rolls. While those were good, the sandwiches and salads were even better. It’s a great place to stop for breakfast or lunch.

• Bridge Brew Works: This place provided space for the kids to run around while we enjoyed smoked BBQ and beer.  
• Pies and Pints: On our first night we came here naively thinking that we’d walk in and get a table – we were so wrong. There was a 2 hour wait for a table and a 1.5 hour wait for take out. We promptly left, but the next night we called in our take out order an hour in advance of when we wanted it and brought pizzas back to a picnic area at AOTG. There is a reason the lines were so long – the pizza is great (and there are limited options in the area). I’d highly recommend this place, but plan in advance. 
• Tudor’s Biscuit World: When we were white water rafting in New Mexico this past summer, our tour guides told us they were planning a trip to New River Gorge to go rafting – they also talked about going to Tudor’s Biscuit World. I’m not sure I’d go across the country for it, but it did seem like a West Virginian cultural experience. 

• Chetty’s & Smokey’s: There are multiple restaurants on the AOTG campus. We had snacks and drinks and Chetty’s and dinner at Smokey’s. Both were convenient with great views and good food, though overpriced. 

• Arrowhead Bike Farm & Cathedral Cafe: These are two places that were on my list but we didn’t make it to…perhaps next time! 

A Few Extra Tips

• If I were to do this trip again and stay at Adventures on the Gorge I would pack snacks, breakfast food, and a wine bottle opener! I hadn’t considered that we would have our own picnic area and grill next to our cabin, in addition to a microwave and fridge inside. This would have saved many trips to the on-site store.

• We did not visit the Glade Creek area of the park, though if we had more time we would have considered a hike to a swimming hole. Babcock State Park also came highly recommended. 
• The roads to get here have many hairpin turns. If your family members are prone to car sickness, pack some dramamine and barf bags!
• To prepare for this trip, I recommend listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Dear Bob & Sue. There are several episodes that mention New River Gorge, but the most thorough is episode 137.
• If you are driving from the Washington, D.C. region along Highway 81, here are some places to consider stopping along the way.