[$] No entrance fee
The park does not charge an entrance fee. Entrance passes are not sold here.
FIELD GUIDE / SUMMER 2026
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
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Conditions change. Follow signs and ranger orders.
Current conditions
Cell service is unreliable in the gorge and phone maps can direct you onto rough roads, so use official visitor center addresses and allow extra time. The Rend Trail is closed from both trailheads until December 2027 for trail work.
[CELL] Cell service is spotty
Cell service can fail in the gorge, at campgrounds, and near the river. Public Wi-Fi is at Canyon Rim and Sandstone visitor centers. Open this guide before you leave town.
[X] Rend Trail closed
The Rend Trail is closed from both trailheads until about December 2027 for trestle and trail work. Keeney's Creek Rail Trail is closed above the Conveyor Trail at Nuttallburg.
[ROAD] Cunard Road work through 2027
Cunard Road is open now. From November through March it closes from the Brooklyn Mine Trail parking area to the river. From April through October part of the road is one lane. Expect a wait at the temporary light.
[MAP] Do not trust phone maps
Phone map apps can send you onto rough roads that do not reach a visitor center. Use the official visitor-center addresses. Many park roads are narrow and winding. Allow extra time.
NPS conditions (large page)
Services by place
Major places list all five services. Seasonal services may be closed.
- Fayetteville
Food: Yes Water: Yes Toilets: Yes Fuel: Unknown Signal: Strong - Canyon Rim / New River Gorge Bridge
Food: No Water: Yes Toilets: Yes Fuel: No Signal: Unknown - Sandstone Visitor Center
Food: No Water: Yes Toilets: Yes Fuel: No Signal: Unknown - Grandview
Food: No Water: Yes Toilets: Yes Fuel: No Signal: Limited
Fayetteville ↑
Do this: Buy food, water, and fuel in town before you drop into the gorge.
- Food: Yes. Official park pages list Fayetteville as a gateway town with food and lodging.
- Water, toilets: Yes in town.
- Fuel: Unknown on official park pages. Buy fuel in town before remote roads.
- Signal: Usually better in town than in the gorge.
Fayetteville is the north-district gateway. Canyon Rim is a short drive north on US 19.
Canyon Rim / New River Gorge Bridge ↑
Do this: Get a map and water here. There is no trailhead at the visitor center. Use the boardwalk for bridge views.
- Food: No dependable food. Bookstore only.
- Water: Yes. Drinking water and a bottle-filling station when the center is open.
- Toilets: Yes. Accessible flush toilets.
- Signal: Wi-Fi at the visitor center. Cell service is spotty in the gorge below.
Open daily 9 am to 5 pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Phone 304-574-2115.
Sandstone Visitor Center ↑
Do this: Stop here before the long drive to Sandstone Falls. Get a map. The parking lot closes at 5 pm when the center is open.
- Food: No dependable food. Bookstore only.
- Water: Yes. Drinking water when the center is open.
- Toilets: Yes. Accessible flush toilets.
- Signal: Wi-Fi at the visitor center. Official listing includes cellular signal here.
At I-64 Exit 139. Open daily 9 am to 5 pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Phone 304-466-0417.
Grandview ↑
Do this: Carry water for the rim walks. The visitor center is seasonal. Picnic shelters need a reservation.
- Food: No dependable food.
- Water: Yes at developed facilities when open.
- Toilets: Yes. Accessible flush toilets.
- Signal: Limited. Do not depend on it.
About 1,400 ft above the river. Visitor center usually noon to 5 pm from Memorial Day into fall. Phone 304-763-3715.
Other places
- Thurmond — Fill the tank and buy food before you leave Glen Jean. Do not take a long vehicle down WV 25. Food: No dependable food. · Water: No dependable treated water listed. · Toilets: Yes at the depot when open. Accessible flush toilets. · Fuel: No. Official directions say no automotive services in Thurmond. · Signal: Spotty. The depot is by the river. Seasonal visitor center, usually Memorial Day through Labor Day, 10 am to 5 pm. Weekends in September and October. Phone 304-465-8550.
- Sandstone Falls — Start at Sandstone Visitor Center. Carry water. The last miles follow the river and take time. Food: No dependable food. More in Hinton. · Water: No dependable treated water listed at the falls. · Toilets: Unknown at the day-use area. Use Hinton or Sandstone Visitor Center first. · Fuel: No. Fuel is in Hinton. · Signal: Spotty near the river. Largest falls on the New River. Boardwalk and the 0.5 mi Island Loop Trail cross islands below the drop.
- Nuttallburg — Do not take a large vehicle. Keeneys Creek Road is steep, narrow, and often one lane. You may have to reverse. Water: No dependable treated water listed. · Toilets: Yes at the main parking area. · Signal: Spotty. Do not depend on it. Historic coal town. Keeney's Creek Rail Trail is closed above the Conveyor Trail.
- Cunard river access — Check the Cunard Road dates before you drive. Carry all water. This is a quieter put-in, not a service stop. Water: No. River camps here list no potable water. · Toilets: Limited. Brooklyn Campground has portable toilets. · Signal: Spotty near the river. Road work runs through 2027. Winter closure from Brooklyn Mine Trail parking to the river.
Drive times
Summer estimates without long stops. Traffic, wildlife, weather, and road work can cause delays.
Fayetteville to Canyon Rim
Fayetteville → US 19 north → Canyon Rim Visitor Center
Canyon Rim is just north of Fayetteville on US 19. Buy food and fuel in town first.
Canyon Rim to the river
Canyon Rim → Fayette Station Road → 8 mi winding → river bridge
This old gorge crossing took about 40 minutes before the high bridge. Vehicles over 12 ft high cannot finish the loop under the railroad bridge. Cell service is spotty. Download maps first.
Glen Jean to Thurmond
US 19 Glen Jean exit → 7 mi on WV 25 → Thurmond Depot
WV 25 is narrow and winding. Vehicles over 25 ft and trailers are not recommended. Thurmond has no automotive services.
Beckley to Grandview
Beckley → I-64 east 5 mi → Exit 129B → WV 9 north 6 mi → Grandview
Grandview sits about 1,400 ft above the river. The visitor center is seasonal.
Sandstone to Sandstone Falls
Sandstone Visitor Center → WV 20 south 10 mi → Hinton → River Road 8 mi → Sandstone Falls
This is the park's riverside drive. Start at Sandstone Visitor Center for maps. Hinton has food.
Canyon Rim to Cunard
Fayetteville / US 19 → Cunard Road → river access
Cunard is a quieter river put-in. Check the road-work dates before you drive. No dependable water at the river camps.
Help
Emergency: call 911. Tell the dispatcher your location, direction of travel, vehicle, and problem.
Park information: 304-465-0508
This independent guide is not the National Park Service and is not an emergency service.
Permits
Entrance fee
No entrance pass is required. The park does not sell interagency passes.
Camping
Most park camps are first-come, first-served and free. Stay at most 14 days in any 28-day period. Most sites have no drinking water.
Grandview picnic shelters
Reserve Grandview picnic shelters on Recreation.gov or at 877-444-6777. You can reserve up to 12 months ahead.
Group camping
Burnwood group camp is for 8 or more people and needs a special use permit. Call 304-465-6531. Allow at least 10 business days.
Whitewater
Below Thurmond the New River has Class III-IV rapids for advanced paddlers only. Commercial trips need a park authorization.
Short hikes
Distances are one way unless marked as a loop. Check trail closures.
- Canyon Rim / New River Gorge Bridge / Endless Wall Trail: 2.2–2.6 mi. Overlook hike. Popular lots fill. Have a second hike ready.
- Canyon Rim / New River Gorge Bridge / Long Point Trail: 3.2 mi. Rocky outcrop with a view of the high bridge.
- Grandview / Grandview Rim Trail: 3.2 mi. Rim walk with gorge views. Carry water.
- Sandstone Falls / Island Loop Trail: 0.5 mi. Short boardwalk and island loop below the falls.
- Canyon Rim / New River Gorge Bridge / Burnwood Trail: 1.2 mi. Short woodland loop across US 19 from Canyon Rim.