The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve offers a variety of stunning trails that showcase the area's deep canyons, historic sites, and panoramic overlooks. Here are a few of our favorite trails.

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1. Endless Wall Trail

• Distance: 2.4 to 2.8 miles (Loop or Round Trip)

• Location: Canyon Rim Area (near Fayetteville)

• Highlight: Widely considered one of the best hikes in the gorge, the trail winds through an old-growth forest and along the cliffside of the Nuttall Sandstone wall. It leads to the breathtaking Diamond Point Overlook, offering stunning views of the gorge and the New River 1,000 feet below.

• Pro Tip:  Get there early, the parking lots fill up fast.  We suggest picking a parking lot and hiking out and back.  The last leg of the loop is on a fairly busy road without much of a shoulder.

2. Long Point Trail

• Distance: 3.0 to 3.2 miles (Round Trip/Out-and-Back)

• Location: Canyon Rim Area, Trailhead on Newton Road

• Highlight: This relatively easy hike leads to the park's most iconic viewpoint, providing a spectacular, front-row perspective of the New River Gorge Bridge.

• Pro Tip:  This is another popular trail in the park with limited parking.  If you finish your hike in time for dinner, stop at the Handle Bar grill at Arrowhead Bike Farm or Cantrell Rafting on the way back.  These spots will have shorter waits than popular places in town. 

3. Kaymoor Miners Trail

• Distance: 1.6 to 2.0 miles (Round Trip/Out-and-Back)

• Location: Canyon Rim Area (off Fayette Station Road)

• Highlight: This is a strenuous hike that combines fitness with history. The trail descends into the gorge via switchbacks and an estimated 819-step wooden staircase to the historic Kaymoor coal mining site, including the old mine entrance and ruins from the early 20th century.

4. Grandview Rim Trail

• Distance: 3.2 miles (Round Trip)

• Location: Grandview Area, Trailhead at Grandview Visitor Center

• Highlight: Offers some of the most spectacular and accessible views in the entire park. The trail follows the edge of the gorge and ends at Turkey Spur Rock, which provides panoramic views from layered rock platforms.

5. Headhouse Trail

• Distance: 1.4 miles

• Location: Nuttallburg Area

• Highlight: A shorter trail that is part of the network focusing on the historic coal mining town of Nuttallburg, allowing visitors to explore its ruins and historic sites.

• Pro Tip:  There are some climbing spots along the trail on your right, they are worth exploring.  When you get down to the headhouse the mine opening is gated off, however, the air coming out of the mine is around 55 degrees all year.

6. Mann's Creek Gorge Trail

• Distance: Approximately 2 miles (One Way)

• Location: Babcock State Park (adjacent to New River Gorge National Park), Trailheads across from Campsite 26 and at Camp Washington Carver

• Highlight: Located in the nearby state park, this trail features Mann Creek Falls and climbs moderately up the side of the scenic gorge, weaving among sandstone cliffs and thickets of mountain laurel and rhododendron.

• Pro Tip: During the summer, we like to park at Babcock and hike to the falls.  In the fall and winter we park at Washington Carver and hike to the falls.  In the fall and winter there are great views from the top of the mountain; you don’t get those in the summer.  This is an out and back hike.

7. Canyon Rim Boardwalk to Bridge Overlook

• Distance: 0.6 miles (Round Trip)

• Location: Canyon Rim Visitor Center

• Highlight: This is the most accessible and shortest option for a rewarding view of the New River Gorge Bridge.