New River Gorge National Park with Kids: What to See, Do, and Explore

It's called the New River, but it might be one of the oldest rivers in North America. Geologists estimate it has been carving through the Appalachian Mountains for tens of millions of years, possibly much longer. The river is so old it may predate the mountains around it, cutting deeper as the rock slowly pushed upward.

Today the New River flows through a gorge over 1,000 feet deep, exposing rock layers that stretch back more than 300 million years.

In 2020, New River Gorge became America's 63rd national park. But the federal government had already been protecting this land since 1978, when President Jimmy Carter designated it a national river. The park stretches 53 miles through southern West Virginia and covers more than 70,000 acres of Appalachian forest, river valleys, and abandoned coal towns.

The gorge's story took a dramatic turn in 1873, when the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway punched through the canyon. Before that, the gorge was nearly impassable. The railroad exposed something valuable buried in the canyon walls: thick seams of high-quality bituminous coal, some of the best in the world.

Mining towns sprang up overnight. Miners, many of them African American and immigrant workers, hacked coal from the gorge for pennies a ton, paid in company scrip that was nearly worthless outside the mining camp. The work was brutal and the conditions dangerous.

One of those towns was Thurmond, now one of the most fascinating ghost towns in the eastern United States. At its peak around 1930, Thurmond had nearly 500 residents, two banks, two hotels, a movie theater, and a jewelry store.

Its 100-room Dun Glen Hotel was a nationally known resort that reportedly hosted what Ripley's Believe It or Not called the world's longest poker game, lasting 14 years. Fifteen passenger trains rolled through each day, and the depot served as many as 75,000 passengers a year.

The town didn't even have a road until 1921. Everything came in by rail.

Then it all collapsed. The Dun Glen burned down in 1930. The Great Depression hit.

Diesel locomotives replaced steam engines, and trains no longer needed to stop for coal and water. By the 1950s, Thurmond was a ghost town. The 2020 census counted just five residents, making it the least-populous municipality in West Virginia.

The New River Gorge Bridge is the park's most famous landmark. Completed in 1977, it stands 876 feet above the river and stretches 3,030 feet long. It holds the title of longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere and ranks as the third-highest vehicular bridge in the United States.

Before the bridge existed, crossing the gorge meant a 45-minute drive on winding mountain roads. Now it takes less than a minute. West Virginia put the bridge on its state quarter in 2005.

Every third Saturday in October, the bridge closes to traffic for Bridge Day. BASE jumpers leap from the deck, rappellers descend the arch, and roughly 100,000 people show up to watch. It's one of the largest extreme sports events in the world.

Families visiting the park should start at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center near Fayetteville. From there, a short boardwalk leads to overlooks with views of the bridge and the gorge.

The first overlook is stroller-friendly, and the second requires descending 178 steps but gets you much closer.

Pick up a Junior Ranger booklet at the visitor center so kids can earn a badge by completing activities throughout the park.

The Fayette Station Road is a scenic drive that winds down into the gorge, passes directly under the bridge, and crosses the river. It's packed with hairpin turns and dramatic views, and it's a good way to see the park without a long hike.

For families who want to get on the water, outfitters run guided whitewater rafting trips on the Upper New River with Class I to III rapids suitable for kids as young as six.

For a dose of history that kids can actually see and touch, hike to the Nuttallburg mining complex. The National Park Service has preserved the old headhouse, conveyor, and coke ovens from what was once a working coal operation. Interpretive signs explain what daily life looked like for miners and their families.

You can also drive to the ghost town of Thurmond and walk among the old bank, depot, and hotel foundations. Trains still run through on the active CSX line, which is a bonus if your kids are into trains.

At the southern end of the park, Sandstone Falls is the widest waterfall on the New River at 1,500 feet across. A boardwalk leads right to the viewing area. The Grandview section offers sweeping overlooks, picnic areas, and a playground, making it a solid stop for families with younger kids who need a break between hikes.

There's no entrance fee to visit New River Gorge National Park.