New River Gorge National Park - 7/2/2023
Sarah and I took a day trip adventure to New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia. We left the house
headed to Fayetteville at about 8:00am. During our drive it was overcast and an occasional rain shower. The
forecast for the rest of the day didn't look too encouraging, but we pressed on anyway. At Charleston we turned
off of the interstate and followed the more scenic route on the Midland Trail.
We arrived in Fayetteville and crossed the New River Gorge Bridge to stop at the visitor center. The rain had
stopped and the sky was a bit less gloomy. While there we got a scene of our plan for the rest of the day and
picked up a map showing the driving route down to the bottom of the gorge and up the other side. The visitor
center offered two overlooks, one featured views of the gorge itself.
And the other offered up close views of the New River Gorge Bridge.
From the visitor center we followed the map as our route twisted its way down into the gorge. Along the way
we stopped at a couple of roadside pull-offs to park and get out of the car to take in the views. When we made
our first stop, I soon heard voices from above. I looked up and saw the bottom of the New River
Gorge. Again, I heard voices. I looked closer and there were people walking the catwalk on the underside
of the bridge. Apparently it was a guided tour. There is no way I would ever take that tour. The
bottom of the bridge is 876 feet above the river.
Once we reached the bottom of the gorge we crossed the New River on the Tunney Hunsaker Bridge.
Just downstream from this bridge is the Fayette Station rapids, where we climbed out onto the rocks to watch some
whitewater rafters and kayakers go by.
From here we drove our way out of the gorge towards Fayetteville. This one-way scenic route through the
national park is known as the Fayette Station Road Tour. It takes about 45 minutes to drive this 8 mile route
without any sightseeing stops. Our drive took us about an hour and a half. And the weather continued to
improve throughout the day.
We drove through the beautiful town of Fayetteville looking for a local restaurant to eat at. On the edge of
town we found Our House Grill and Pub.
After lunch we made the short drive to the trailhead of Long Point Trail. The trail traverses the forest for
1.6 miles on the way to a rock outcrop (Long Point) with panoramic views of the gorge and New River Gorge
Bridge. For the most part, the trail lazily descends through the woods, but it does include a steep section
just before you arrive at the point. Once we arrived at Long Point and the outcropping narrowed, I became
unsettled by my acrophobia. I gave my camera to Sarah to capture the photos of the gorge and bridge. By
this time some blue skies began to appear.
We made the return hike back to the car and headed home.
I thought that today's trip would be a simple journey to view the new river gorge bridge and a short hike, but it
has turned out to be much more. The massive bridge is much more impressive than I originally thought. The
national park and river are beautiful and more grand than I had imagined. I am pleasantly surprised what a
great day this has turned out to be.
Our journey concluded as we arrived back home just before 7:00pm.
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