Kristen Walker
Even in the winter, there’s a lot to see and do at the National Parks. Our debut trip in December was to New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia. Though there’s no camping in the winter at the park, there were several AirBnB locations within 20-30 miles of the park, and we stayed at a tiny house about 20 minutes away with a welcoming host who baked a cherry cake for us.
On this trip, I went with Diamon Clark. We really enjoyed our time in New River Gorge. This park has no entry fee. The park itself was not too crowded, and everyone we ran into was extremely friendly and helpful. The park rangers were informative, and the tour guides were very cheerful. I would love to visit this area again in the fall to see the foliage, and do a sunrise hike at the tip of the gorge!
In spite of a few upsets on our first trip – like a major ice storm on our path to the park from Baltimore – what really stood out to me was the ease and flexibility of folks in communion with nature. Our AirBnb host had no problem adjusting our reservation to the next day to accommodate us for the storm, and the guides at the Bridge Walk were also happy to do the same. It just goes to show that the rigidity that we face in our everyday lives with schedules, deadlines and quotas can all be healed with a little nature.
Beginner Friendly: Yes!
Where to Stay: There are several options for homestays and rentals during seasons when the campsites are closed.
What to Do:
- Bridge Walk
- An amazing experience on the longest single-span steel arch bridge in the United States! At 800 feet in the air with just a harness, we felt like we were on the edge of the world. Breathtaking views, definitely a must for any adventurer.
- Bridge Day brings thrill seekers from all over the country to participate in base jumping, repelling, and other extreme sports for one day of each year in October.
- Canyon Rim Visitor’s Center
- Stamp your National Park passport here!
- The visitor’s center has a viewing deck which is situated for a perfect view of New River Valley. There are several exhibits which explain the coal mining history of the area and the park, and a movie theater which shows a film by request that lasts about 15 minutes with more details about the park.
- Fayette Station Road Tour
- You’ll get an up close and personal view of the bridge with spectacular views of the valley and river as well. The road leads you to several starting points for the area hikes.
- Kaymoor Trail
- We hiked a few miles of this trail. There’s a beautiful waterfall near the beginning that has to be mentioned. It definitely resembled something from a fairytale and is a must see!
- We also came across ruins of the former mining industry and had some meaningful reflections about what it meant to be Black in this area at that time. We saw a few trail markers with a little history written on them denoting race relations during the time where coal was king in New River Gorge. Blacks and whites worked together in the mines, but their supervisors didn’t want them collaborating above ground to stymie any talk of unionizing for better working conditions.
- Long Point Trail
- The beginning of this trail is flat and accessible, facing the back of some homes in a neighborhood, but then becomes more difficult to traverse with thick bushes of mountain laurel and rhododendron. Watch out for exposed roots!
Where to Eat:
- Breakfast at Tudor's Biscuit World
- A local breakfast chain serving larger than life biscuits with a side of southern charm
- Dinner at Cafe One Ten
- Most restaurants do not open until after 4 p.m. Be prepared to have a snack or something else available until then.
- Cafe One Ten had a large selection of sandwiches, entrees and sweets with a diner-style feel.
- Groceries at Grant's Supermarket
- There are limited items available, so if you NEED hummus for your weekend adventures, purchase that before you reach the town of Oak Hill. Otherwise the store is well stocked with essentials and friendly staff.
- We had an almost 20-minute long conversation with the cashier who thought Diamon was one of her distant cousins.