New River Gorge National Park

The New River Gorge had long been an outdoor enthusiast’s playground before quietly being designated a national park in December 2020. I had been here two times prior to the national park designation to visit Bridge Day, an annual festival where the bridge is closed to traffic so that people can base jump off the bridge. All kinds of vendors fill up the bridge to round out the festival experience.

There is a little bit of everything in this national park. All shapes and sizes of waterfalls, white water rafting, fishing, rock climbing, and a huge network of hiking trails. That are dog friendly too! The park is geographically spread out, and pretty far away from any metropolitan areas, so at the time of my visit in May 2021 the park was still lightly trafficked. I hope it stays that way, although with the national park designation, it’s bound to draw a new and bigger crowd.