On one hand the New River Gorge National
River in West Virginia is ironically named because the New River
is one of the oldest on the continent. On the other hand the name
is completely justified in that the powerful white-water rapids
and rugged, forest flanked cliffs of this lovely valley continually
offer fresh experiences for outdoor adventurers.
Camping in the gorge is primitive (no water or power), but it’s
also free as long as visitors remember to register at one of the
Visitor Centers stationed along the river. There are four campgrounds
in the gorge for small party camping and two for Group Camping,
though the latter require a Special Use Permit.
“The New” is also fast becoming one of the country’s
most popular climbing sites, drawing thousands of visitors each
year. The gorge’s hard sandstone cliffs range from 30 to
120 feet in height and there are 1,400 established climbing routes
to choose from.
Anglers love the New River Gorge National River for its fantastic
catch and release fishing. The river provides a nice diversity
of fish, including Bass, Carp, Walleye, Crappie and more. A fishing-license
is required.
The biggest attraction to New River is white-water rafting. The
New River has a relatively modest gradient at 20 ft. per mile,
but that number is deceptive. This is one big and brawny river,
with many challenging rapids. The southern stretch of the river
is mostly long pools with fairly easy rapids up to class III.
The northern section, known as the Lower Gorge, is where the New
River opens up into some colossal, boulder-strewn class III to
V stretches that will give even experienced visitors a workout.
The New River Gorge National River encompasses
53 miles of free-floating waterway from the Blue Stone Dam to Hawk’s
Nest Lake as well as 70,000 acres along the valley. The closest towns are Glen Jean, Redstar
and Thurmond, all of which are tiny, friendly, quaint and happy to sell
visitors any supplies they might need. The New River Gorge Bridge, just 30 minutes
north of Beckley West Virginia, is the 2nd longest steel-arch bridge
in the world as well as the 2nd highest in the United States.
