Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
The New is old.
Really old.
West Virginia’s magnificent New River is one of the oldest rivers in the world.
"Second oldest,” says Becky Sullivan, executive director of the New River Gorge Convention and Visitors Bureau adding, “The Nile is older.”
But wait, there’s more.
“The New River Gorge is among the newest national parks, and the New is one of the very few rivers that flows to the north,” she said.
It’s a very special place all right. Those “wow” facts, as impressive as they are, take a back seat to the sheer beauty of this wild river that plunges, churns, rolls, boils, whirls and sometimes even seems to rest as it courses below the deep steep rocky forested ramparts that hold it in.
It’s mile after mile of stunning scenery that’s – as John Denver put it – “almost Heaven.”
You’ll have to take your time exploring the gorge, even if you’re driving. There’s hardly a section of road that isn’t winding, switch-backing, climbing, or dropping –– sometimes all of those in a short distance.
Then there are all manners of length and difficulty for trail walkers and hikers to choose from.
“The Endless Wall is our most popular trail,” Sullivan said. “It’s a fairly easy, mostly flat trail along a cliff with some very nice views of the New River and the gorge.”
That trail is 3.2 miles long. At trail’s end, the more adventurous can continue on a more difficult 2-mile trail to Diamond Point Overlook. Also popular among the many choices are Long Point Trail, Kaymoor Miners Trail, Castle Rock Trail and Grandview Rim Trail.
Whether on land or water, New River Gorge is a place to experience firsthand, fully immersed in nature with boots on the ground or on the water with paddle in hand. Either way there’s real satisfaction and a true sense of wonder to be experienced in the gorge.
Many visitors – over 200,000 each year – choose to ride the river, climbing into a kayak or joining an experienced guide in a raft. Virtually anyone and everyone is welcome and can tailor their experience to their group and level of expertise.
The upper New River is ideal for beginners, offering easy to moderate rapids to introduce first-timers to the experience and provide some thrills shooting rapids rated as easy to moderate. An experienced guide oversees the experience, calling out instructions to safely maneuver through challenges. In between, calm waters welcome anyone who wants to take a quick cooling dip.
The rapids of the lower New are much more challenging, with big waves and some rated Class IV plus. This lower New River route ends within sight of the impressive New River Bridge, our country’s longest single span steel arch bridge.
Overnight accommodations are plentiful and varied. Some like Adventures on the Gorge, part of a much more comprehensive resort setting that offers activities and services that range from a rafting livery, to rope, canopy and zipline courses. Also available in the region are state park lodges, such as Hawks Nest State Park, which offer dining and overnight accommodations overlooking spectacular views of the gorge. Bed and breakfast offerings are also available.
For more information, the best place to start is with the New River Gorge Convention and Visitors Board at www.NewRiverGorgeCVB.com. Find information about New River Gorge National Park and Preserve at www.NPS.gov. Visit www.AdventuresontheGorge.com for additional trip-planning ideas.
Find more information on Hawks Nest State Park Lodge with rooms overlooking the New River and gorge at www.wvstateparks.com.
