The United States just got a new National Park, bringing the total to 63 U.S. National parks.
New River Gorge is about an hour’s drive from Charleston, West Virginia. It encompasses about 7000 acres marked with trailheads and visitor centers. White-tailed deer, river otters, and bald eagles can be spotted regularly. The gorge is the largest in the Appalachian Mountains, while the New River is among the oldest rivers on the continent. Within the gorge is a wealth of historically significant abandoned ruins. Some ruins date back to the late 18th and early 19th century where people lived supplying coal and lumber to the region.
The park’s past, hidden in the forest, tells the stories of earlier life in the Appalachian Mountains. There are displays of remains of historic coal mining structures and coke ovens associated with over 50 company-owned towns. Visit the old railroad depots, rail yards, rail grades, timber trestle bridges, railroad equipment, archeological sites and associated towns, like Thurmond, developed to support the railroad. The area’s rich cultural history is an example of subsistence farms, former community sites, homesteads and other places in the park where the ancestors of families associated with the New River lived and worked.
West Virginia’s New River Gorge offers 53 miles of free-flowing whitewater that cuts through sandstone cliffs towering as high as 1000 feet. It boasts Class III through V rapids and plenty of boulders to keep even the most experienced rafters excited. Beginners can use the calmer upper part of the river. For rock climbers, the area offers more than 1500 climbing routes and a 12.8-mile system of mountain bike trails built by the boy scouts. The cliffs at “The New” are located just below the rim of the gorge and made of a very hard Nuttail sandstone. The rock has unique features with an abundance of crack and face routes, with occasional large roofs. Most climbs are one pitch long and range from 30 to 120 feet in height. Meaning that most routes are for advanced climbers.
The park is getting the recognition it deserves after always being an underrated adventure hub. This new national park will become a most treasured playground and tourist attraction. We invite you to browse National parks tours 2021 including river rafting and hiking trips.
