New River Gorge National Park
I’ve been dying to visit New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia for years now and we finally visited during peak/near peak fall foliage! We had this trip planned for several months but were nervous about what we could expect from the national park during a government shutdown. My social media algorithm was flooded with concerning messages and fear-mongering. “The parks are closed, visitor centers won’t be open” “Visitors will trash the parks, facilities will be closed” “Visiting a national park during a government shutdown is disrespectful, even shameful”.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. The park was open, clean, and seemed to be operating with essential staff. At least one of the several visitor centers was opened and the staff and rangers were so friendly and helpful. The visitors were courteous of the park and of one another- LIKE ANY. OTHER. DAY. I don’t get why people continue to expect the absolute worst out of humanity during stressful times. It often seems to be quite the opposite. I realize this may not be the case for all national, public land and facilities during this time but we were fortunate to be met with a very pleasant experience.
We really enjoyed staying in Fayetteville, WV, dubbed one of the “coolest towns in America”. I believe it, it’s a really special place. On day 1, we started our morning at a local coffee shop and enjoyed breakfast. During our trip we shopped or ate at 5 different local businesses and I cannot stress how important it is to support the local economy while traveling!
Our first stop after the visitor center was their Endless Wall Trail. The day started out with a pretty dense fog so we were worried we wouldn’t get clear views of the gorge or bridge, but it ended up clearing up as the afternoon went on. We fell in love with giant cliff faces, streaked with color; and the deep gorge. From the cliff we could see the river’s dark blue water and hear the rapids below from where we were standing. After the hike, we set off to the visitor center’s boardwalk for some unobstructed views of the infamous New River Bridge.
Overall, we thought the park would be more crowded than it was so that was a pleasant surprise. The views were stunning and EVERYONE should add this National Park to their fall bucket list! I know Blake and I would love to go back during the summer and experience some whitewater rafting… or even a bridge walk (a guided tour where you get harnessed up and walk on the catwalk under New River Bridge) if I can convince him!!
