Best Hikes in New River Gorge National Park. (Recommended by a Park Ranger)

Are you searching for the best hikes in New River Gorge National Park for your one-day visit? I get you covered here.

Three days before Christmas, my family and I visited New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia for a day. We hiked, visited historical places, and did a scenic drive.

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I tried to do one or two hikes when visiting a park because that’s one way to enjoy it at its best. It means I could only do a short hike, but that’s fine.

The best person to ask for the best hikes in the park is the Park Ranger.

We started our visit at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center in Lansing. It is one of the four park visitor centers and is open year-round.

I told the ranger that we would spend a day in the park. We traveled with a dog, asked for things to do, and looked for must-do hikes in New River Gorge National Park for a day visit. 

So, here are the two best hikes in New River Gorge National Park for a one-day visit. It’s based on our experiences and recommended by the Park Ranger.

2 Best Hikes in New River Gorge National Park for 1 Day Visit

1. Endless Wall Trail: 2.4 mi/3.9 km one-way: elevation change 220 feet

2. Long Point Trail: 1.6 mi/2.6 km one-way: elevation change 272 feet

Endless Wall Trail

This easy-to-moderate trail starts from Fern Creek Trailhead or Nuttall Trailhead. You will walk from one trailhead to the other and back. You can make it a loop by continue walking on the road to where you started. Or, make it an out-and-back trail once you get to the Diamond Point. That’s what we did.

We started from Fern Creek Trailhead. The trail was level, and we walked through a forest. There wasn’t snow on the trail. We could leave our crampons in the car. 

Then we got to a creek with a one-person wooden bridge to cross. It looked beautiful! Snow on the trail edges and covering the leaves.

After the creek, the trail ascended until we got to the cliff edge. It is where you will get great views of the gorge.

There are several overlook points but use only the established ones. There is one where you can see the New River Gorge Bridge in the distance.

Diamond Point is a good turnaround spot. It was where we turned around and hiked back to Fern Creek Trailhead.

The trail was leveled with gravel and dirt from the trailhead to the creek. After the creek, it changed to dirt, rocks, and roots. Watch out for your steps because the roots intersect the trail everywhere.

Some of the best rock climbing in the eastern United States is on this trail. There’s an arrow pointed to the area, but we didn’t check it out.

We finished the hike in about an hour.

Trailhead facilities: parking spots, trash can, and toilet.

How to get to the trailhead: From the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, turn right onto US-19 N. Turn right at the first cross street onto Lansing-Edmond Rd. Fern Creek Trailhead is about 1.3 miles down this road. The Nuttall Trailhead is 0.5 miles farther on this same road. The road is narrow and passes private properties. When no parking spot is available at both trailheads, come at another time. Roadside parking is discouraged, and you can’t park on road pavement.

Combine this hiking trip with the Fayette Station Road Driving Tour.

Long Point Trail

It is a favorite for many to see the panoramic views of the gorge and New River Gorge Bridge. 

The trail traverses fields and forest on the way to the rock outcrop (Long Point.) It’s a moderate trail with a steep section closer to the outcrop.

The walk begins on a flat trail and lazily descends to the rock outcrop. The trail is spacious until you get to the steep part.

There are roots intersecting the steep part of the trail. You must pay attention to your steps.

Then, the trail turns to the rock outcrop. Be careful when you walk to the end of the rock outcrop, where you can see the gorge and the bridge in the distance. The cliff edges are not protected.

There are potholes on long points, and they were covered with ice during our visit. Please don’t step on them when visiting in the winter.

Mountain bikers can paddle on all but the last 0.2 miles of the trail.
 
We finished the hike in about one hour.

Trailhead facilities: parking spots, trash can, toilet.

Directions to the trailhead: From the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, turn left onto US-19 S. Drive for about 2.5 miles and turn left onto WV-16 S/N Court St. through Fayetteville. Turn left on Gatewood Road (sign indicates Kaymoor and Curnard.) Follow Gatewood Road for 1.9 miles, and turn left on Newton Road. The trailhead parking area is 50 yards on the left.

You will see two trails from the parking. Long Point Trail is the one to the right.

Don’t Miss This Rim Trail

There is a Canyon Rim Boardwalk from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. It’s an easy 0.1 mi/0.2 km one-way.

When you drive to the parking, you will see people walking on the paved trail on the right. That’s the one.

The rim trail offers scenic views of the gorge and New River Gorge Bridge. 

There is a fully accessible ramp that leads to the first scenic view.

You can stop here or take 178 strenuous steps to descend to the lower overlook. You will be rewarded with one of the best views of the bridge.

The steps were covered with snow during our visit. Fortunately, there was no ice.

Many people went to the lower overlook that morning. Our dog Snoopy made it, too. If you have no physical problem, don’t skip it. It’s easier to do when you just started your day.

Conclusion

These hikes are for those who want to do or see other things in the park. It’s not for visitors who only want to explore New River Gorge hiking trails. So, which of these best hikes in New River Gorge National Park do you want to do on your one-day visit? 

Read more: Explore a different side of the gorge. Visit the grist mill at Babcock State Park, the most photographed mill in West Virginia and the world.

Check out Quality Inn New River Gorge in Fayetteville for dog-friendly accommodation. It’s where we stayed with our dog Snoopy and we weren’t disappointed. It’s only 3.4 miles from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center.