New River Gorge National Park & Preserve

West Virginia · Established December 27, 2020

An ancient river carving through Appalachian sandstone and coal country

Area: 7,021 acres
Established: December 27, 2020
Recreation visits: 1,958,440 / yr
State: West Virginia
River length in park: 53 mi (85 km) of the New River
Gorge depth: Nearly 900 ft (275 m) below the Canyon Rim overlook

New River Gorge Weather Forecast

Loading the National Weather Service forecast for New River Gorge…

Seven-day outlook at the park's reference point (37.869, -81.000). Elevation changes everything in the mountains — expect colder, windier and wetter conditions on high ground.

Map of New River Gorge National Park & Preserve

The Park

The New River does something unusual for an Appalachian stream: it flows north, cutting straight across the grain of the mountains through a canyon of sandstone cliffs and dense green forest. In southern West Virginia, its gorge is the heart of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, a place of world-class whitewater, rock climbing, abandoned coal towns, and one of the most famous bridges in America.

Protected as a national river in 1978, the area was redesignated on December 27, 2020, as America's newest national park and preserve. Its 53 miles of river and surrounding slopes shelter a remarkable diversity of plants and animals, including rare salamanders on its cliffs and warblers in its forests.

Geography

The park and preserve cover about 72,808 acres along the New River from just downstream of Hinton to near Hawks Nest State Park. About 7,021 acres around the deepest part of the gorge are national park, while the rest is national preserve, where traditional uses such as hunting continue. The river drops about 750 feet through the gorge, producing big rapids in its lower section.

From the rim near the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, the valley walls fall almost 900 feet to the river, and the full gorge is deeper still in places. The river is lined by forested slopes, rock cliffs, and small tributary valleys where creeks such as Glade Creek tumble in over ledges. The New River Gorge Bridge, completed in 1977, spans the canyon 876 feet above the water.

Landmarks

New River Gorge BridgeAreaA steel arch bridge 876 feet above the river, once the longest single-span arch in the world.
Canyon Rim Visitor CenterAreaOverlooks and boardwalks offer classic views of the bridge and gorge.
Fayette StationRiverA winding road descends to the river beneath the bridge, passing old bridge crossings and rapids.
Endless WallCanyonA long line of Nuttall sandstone cliffs popular with rock climbers and hikers.
Diamond PointCanyonA dramatic overlook along the Endless Wall, high above the river.
KaymoorAreaThe remains of a coal mining town and mine facilities on the gorge's slopes.
NuttallburgAreaA preserved coal town with a conveyor and tipple beside the river.
ThurmondAreaA historic railroad town where the restored depot serves as a visitor contact station.
GrandviewAreaA high overlook where the river loops around a broad bend, famous for rhododendron blooms.
Glade CreekRiverA tributary valley with a riverside trail, clear pools, and small cascades.
Sandstone FallsWaterfallThe New River spills across a wide ledge of sandstone, the largest waterfall on the river.

Geology

The walls of the New River Gorge are a stack of sedimentary rock about 4,000 feet thick, recording a time when the region was a lowland near sea level. In the Late Mississippian, shallow seas and coastal plains left the shales, sandstones, and conglomerates of the Mauch Chunk Group, which appear in the southern part of the gorge. In the Early and Middle Pennsylvanian, rivers and vast swamps built the Pottsville Group, whose sandstones, shales, and coal seams form the upper gorge. Altogether, these rocks accumulated roughly 330 to 320 million years ago.

The most striking layer is the Nuttall Sandstone, a hard, quartz-rich rock at the top of the New River Formation that forms the vertical cliffs of the Endless Wall and other climbing areas. Beneath and between the sandstones lie coal seams that brought railroads and mining towns to the gorge in the late 1800s. The rock layers tilt gently to the northwest, so older rocks appear at river level in the south and younger rocks toward the north.

The New River itself is a puzzle. It flows north across the Appalachian ridges, apparently following a course older than the mountains' present shape, and part of its path follows the ancient Teays River. Geologists' estimates of its age vary widely, from about 3 million to 320 million years, but many consider it one of the oldest rivers in North America. As the region rose, the river cut steadily downward, carving the gorge into the plateau.

Deep time

About 330 to 325 million years agoLate Mississippian seas and coastal plains deposit the Bluefield, Hinton, Princeton, and Bluestone formations.
About 325 million years agoThe Mississippian-Pennsylvanian boundary marks the shift to river and swamp environments.
Early PennsylvanianRivers and swamps lay down the Pocahontas and New River formations, including the Nuttall Sandstone and coal seams.
Middle PennsylvanianThe Kanawha Formation accumulates as the youngest layer exposed in the gorge.
Late PaleozoicThe collision that forms the Appalachian Mountains uplifts and tilts the region.
Millions of years to the presentThe north-flowing New River cuts downward through the rising plateau, carving the gorge.

The rocks

Kanawha FormationMiddle Pennsylvanian
Gray shale, siltstone, and sandstone with coal, capping the northern gorge rim.
New River FormationEarly Pennsylvanian
Sandstone, shale, and coal up to about 900 feet thick, topped by the Nuttall Sandstone.
Nuttall SandstoneEarly Pennsylvanian
A hard, quartz-rich sandstone that forms the gorge's famous climbing cliffs.
Pocahontas FormationEarly Pennsylvanian
Coal-bearing sandstone and shale up to about 400 feet thick.
Bluestone FormationLate Mississippian
Shale and siltstone up to about 650 feet thick.
Princeton FormationLate Mississippian
A coarse conglomerate about 60 feet thick.
Hinton FormationLate Mississippian
Marine and freshwater shales up to about 1,100 feet thick in the southern gorge.

Trees, Plants & Ecosystems

2,005vascular plant species recorded

Riverside and floodplainRiver level
Sycamore, river birch, and flood-scoured rocky bars support plants adapted to periodic flooding.
Mixed mesophytic forestMoist slopes and coves
Tulip-poplar, sugar maple, basswood, buckeye, and beech form one of the most diverse temperate forests in the world.
Hemlock-rhododendron ravinesShaded tributary valleys
Eastern hemlock and dense rhododendron thickets keep streams cool and shaded.
Oak-hickory and pine forestDry upper slopes and rim
Chestnut oak, hickories, and Virginia and Table Mountain pines grow on thin, sunny soils.
Cliffs and rimrockSandstone cliffs
Lichens, mosses, stunted pines, and green salamanders inhabit crevices in the sandstone walls.

Trees

Tulip-poplarLiriodendron tulipiferaA tall, straight tree of moist slopes.
Northern red oakQuercus rubraCommon on slopes throughout the gorge.
Chestnut oakQuercus montanaA dominant tree of dry, rocky ridges.
Sugar mapleAcer saccharumColors the coves orange in October.
Eastern hemlockTsuga canadensisShades cool ravines, now threatened by the hemlock woolly adelgid.
Sweet birchBetula lentaIts twigs smell of wintergreen.
American basswoodTilia americanaA tree of rich coves with fragrant summer flowers.
Yellow buckeyeAesculus flavaAn Appalachian tree with large, shiny nuts.
Fraser magnoliaMagnolia fraseriBears huge leaves and creamy spring flowers.
Table Mountain pinePinus pungensAn Appalachian pine with prickly cones on dry rimrock.
Virginia pinePinus virginianaGrows on thin soils along the gorge rim.
American sycamorePlatanus occidentalisWhite-barked trees along the river.

Wildflowers, shrubs & other plants

Great rhododendronRhododendron maximumDense evergreen thickets blooming white and pink in early summer.
Mountain laurelKalmia latifoliaClusters of pink-and-white flowers on dry slopes in late spring.
Flame azaleaRhododendron calendulaceumOrange blossoms brighten open woods in spring.
Large-flowered trilliumTrillium grandiflorumBig white flowers carpeting rich woods in April.
BloodrootSanguinaria canadensisOne of the first wildflowers of spring.
Virginia bluebellsMertensia virginicaBlue flowers along the river floodplain.
RampsAllium tricoccumA wild leek of rich coves, a treasured Appalachian spring food.
Pink lady's slipperCypripedium acauleAn orchid of acidic oak and pine woods.
Turk's-cap lilyLilium superbumTall orange lilies in moist summer meadows.
Wild columbineAquilegia canadensisRed-and-yellow flowers on rocky ledges.
GoldensealHydrastis canadensisA rare medicinal plant of rich woods.
Jack-in-the-pulpitArisaema triphyllumA hooded woodland plant with red berries in autumn.
White turtleheadChelone glabraLate-summer flowers along streambanks.

Wildlife

51mammals
192birds
20reptiles
29amphibians
48fish

Mammals

White-tailed deerOdocoileus virginianusCommon throughout the park.
American black bearUrsus americanusActive in the forests, especially near berry and acorn crops.
BobcatLynx rufusA secretive predator of forests and rocky slopes.
Gray foxUrocyon cinereoargenteusClimbs trees and hunts in dense cover.
North American river otterLontra canadensisSeen along the river and its tributaries.
American beaverCastor canadensisActive in quiet backwaters.
FisherMartes pennantiA forest-dwelling member of the weasel family.
Allegheny woodratNeotoma magisterA declining rodent that nests in rock outcrops and cliffs.
Virginia big-eared batCorynorhinus townsendiiAn endangered bat that roosts in caves and old mines.
Indiana batMyotis sodalisAn endangered bat that forages over forest and streams.
Southern flying squirrelGlaucomys volansGlides between trees at night.
WoodchuckMarmota monaxCommon in fields and along roadsides.
RaccoonProcyon lotorForages along streams and riverbanks.

Birds

Cerulean warblerSetophaga ceruleaA sky-blue warbler of tall hardwood forests, declining across its range.
Swainson's warblerLimnothlypis swainsoniiA secretive warbler of rhododendron thickets.
Louisiana waterthrushParkesia motacillaBobs along rocky streams.
Worm-eating warblerHelmitheros vermivorumNests on steep, leafy slopes.
Wood thrushHylocichla mustelinaIts flute-like song fills forest hollows.
Scarlet tanagerPiranga olivaceaA red-and-black bird of the canopy.
Peregrine falconFalco peregrinusHas been restored to the gorge's cliffs.
Bald eagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusFishes along the river.
OspreyPandion haliaetusDives for fish in the river.
Belted kingfisherMegaceryle alcyonRattles along the riverbanks.
Ruffed grouseBonasa umbellusDrums from logs in spring forests.
Wild turkeyMeleagris gallopavoCommon in open woods and clearings.
Pileated woodpeckerDryocopus pileatusA large woodpecker of mature forests.
Turkey vultureCathartes auraSoars on thermals rising from the gorge.

Reptiles & amphibians

Green salamanderAneides aeneusA lichen-patterned salamander that lives in sandstone cliff crevices.
Wehrle's salamanderPlethodon wehrleiA woodland salamander of the Appalachian Plateau.
Seal salamanderDesmognathus monticolaLives along rocky, fast-flowing streams.
Spring salamanderGyrinophilus porphyriticusA large salamander of cold springs and seeps.
Red-spotted newtNotophthalmus viridescensIts bright orange eft stage wanders the forest floor.
Timber rattlesnakeCrotalus horridusA venomous but shy snake of rocky slopes.
Eastern ratsnakePantherophis alleghaniensisA long, black climbing snake.
Eastern box turtleTerrapene carolinaA land turtle of forests and fields.

Fish

Smallmouth bassMicropterus dolomieuThe river's most sought-after sport fish.
WalleyeSander vitreusA popular sport fish of deeper pools.
Flathead catfishPylodictis olivarisA large predatory catfish of the river.
Rock bassAmbloplites rupestrisCommon among rocks in the river.
Variegate darterEtheostoma variatumA colorful darter of swift riffles.
Rosyface shinerNotropis rubellusA small minnow of clear, flowing water.

Insects & other invertebrates

Diana fritillarySpeyeria dianaA large butterfly of Appalachian forests; males are orange and females blue-black.
Giant stonefliesPteronarcysLarge aquatic insects that indicate clean, well-oxygenated streams.
Dobsonflies and hellgrammitesMegalopteraTheir fierce-looking larvae hunt under rocks in the river.

Species totals are the park's certified NPSpecies checklist (occurrence: present).

Climate & When to Visit

New River Gorge has a humid, four-season Appalachian climate, but its topography makes the weather notably changeable. The mountains are often cooler and wetter than surrounding lowlands, and storms can develop quickly, especially on summer afternoons. July is typically the warmest month and also the wettest, as thunderstorms bring heavy downpours that can raise the river quickly.

The gorge creates its own microclimates. Cool air settles into the canyon on calm nights, producing morning fog that often fills the valley below the rim, while south-facing cliffs heat up in afternoon sun. Winters bring a mix of rain, snow, and ice, with snow more common on the plateau rim than at river level, and spring and autumn offer the most comfortable conditions for climbing, hiking, and paddling.

Spring
Wildflowers and higher river flows arrive; weather swings between warm days, cool rain, and late frosts.
Summer
Warm and humid, with July the warmest and wettest month; afternoon thunderstorms are common.
Autumn
Crisp, clear days and brilliant foliage peaking in October make this a favorite season, including Bridge Day.
Winter
Cold and changeable, with snow and ice on the rim roads and quiet trails.

Weather hazards

Rising water: Heavy rain upstream can raise the New River quickly, making rapids more powerful and dangerous.
Sudden thunderstorms: Summer storms can bring lightning, strong winds, and flash flooding in tributary valleys.
Cliff edges: Stay back from unfenced cliff edges and overlooks, especially when rock is wet or icy.
Winter roads: Steep, narrow roads into the gorge can be icy and may close in winter.
Fog: Dense morning fog can reduce visibility on gorge roads and overlooks.

New River Gorge Questions

When is the best time to visit New River Gorge?

Autumn is a favorite for its fall color and comfortable temperatures, peaking in October. Spring brings wildflowers and whitewater, while summer is popular for rafting despite the heat and afternoon storms.

How old is the New River?

No one knows for sure. Geologists' estimates range from about 3 million to 320 million years, and many consider it one of the oldest rivers in North America.

How high is the New River Gorge Bridge?

The bridge's deck is 876 feet above the river, and the bridge is 3,030 feet long. When it opened in 1977, its 1,700-foot arch was the longest single-span arch in the world.

What kind of rock forms the gorge's cliffs?

The cliffs are mainly Nuttall Sandstone, a hard, quartz-rich rock from the Pennsylvanian Period. It forms the vertical walls that attract climbers from around the world.

What wildlife lives in the park?

Look for white-tailed deer, black bears, river otters, and bald eagles along the river. The park is also known for its salamanders and for breeding warblers, including the cerulean and Swainson's warblers.

What is the difference between the park and the preserve?

About 7,021 acres around the deepest part of the gorge are national park, where hunting is prohibited. The rest of the unit is national preserve, which allows regulated hunting and other traditional uses.

More parks in the East

← Mount Rainier National Park North Cascades National Park →

Sources: www.nps.gov · www.nps.gov · www.wvgs.wvnet.edu · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · irmaservices.nps.gov · Official NPS site