New River Gorge Escape

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Easy hikes at New River Gorge for families and first-timers

By New River Gorge Escape

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A walker crossing a steel footbridge toward the islands below Sandstone Falls, under bare winter trees
The footbridge to the Sandstone Falls islands. Photo: NPS / Dave Bieri, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · resized.

Many New River Gorge trails drop steeply into the gorge, and every step down has to be climbed back up. Many of the best views, though, sit on short, gentle walks along the rim or the river. Below are the easiest ways to see the gorge, plus a few harder extensions, each clearly marked with the park’s own rating. Distances are the ones the National Park Service publishes.

Everything here comes from the park service’s own trail pages. We haven’t walked these routes for this post.

Canyon Rim boardwalk: the shortest bridge view

Starting from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center parking lot on US 19 in Lansing, this boardwalk is about a tenth of a mile long. A fully accessible ramp reaches the first viewing point, with views of the gorge and the New River Gorge Bridge. The lower overlook is 178 steps down, so skip that part if anyone in your group struggles with stairs. The visitor center itself is fully accessible and open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. all year.

Sandstone Falls Boardwalk: a waterfall without the climb

At the south end of the park, a boardwalk of about a quarter mile crosses two bridges to islands and viewing decks below Sandstone Falls, the largest waterfall on the New River. The river is about 1,500 feet wide here and drops 10 to 25 feet. The park describes the boardwalk as suited to most mobility aids, including wheelchairs, and there is a vault toilet (a toilet without running water) at the parking area. The half-mile Island Loop Trail adds a little more walking.

Keep children well back from the river. The park warns that the water around Sandstone Falls has been the site of several drownings and advises a life jacket for anyone in or near it.

To get there from the Sandstone Visitor Center at exit 139 on I-64, take Route 20 south about ten miles to Hinton, then follow River Road downstream about eight to nine miles. Park pages give slightly different figures.

Grandview: the overlook

The Main Overlook at Grandview looks out from about 1,400 feet above the river, with up to seven miles of the New River in view on a clear day. The overlook has a viewing platform for wheelchair users, but the park notes that the 500-yard path from the parking lot to it is made of large, uneven stones. Watch your footing and allow extra time. The Grandview visitor center is seasonal, generally open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Optional moderate extension: the Grandview Rim Trail. This trail starts at the Main Overlook and runs 1.6 miles to Turkey Spur. The park rates it moderate, not easy, and mentions several small steep hills near Turkey Spur. It is not one of the easy walks in this post. If you try it, turn back whenever your group has had enough.

Skip Castle Rock with young children. The 0.6-mile Castle Rock Trail, which also starts near the Main Overlook, is short but rated strenuous. The park does not recommend it for young children because of uneven footing and steep drop-offs.

Endless Wall to Diamond Point: the step up

When your group is ready for a little more, the Endless Wall Trail is rated easy to moderate. Walking from the Fern Creek Trailhead to the Diamond Point overlook and back is about two miles, with the river almost 1,000 feet below the cliff edge. The Fern Creek lot is small. If it is full, use the Nuttall Trailhead about half a mile farther on rather than parking on the road, where cars can be towed.

Other short, easy trails

The park’s hiking page groups several trails as short and easy: Island Loop (0.5 miles), Woodland Loop (0.6 miles), Big Buck (0.9 miles), Timber Ridge (1.0 mile), Park Loop (1.1 miles) and Burnwood (1.2 miles). Ask at a visitor center for directions and current conditions.

Before you set out

  • Pets are welcome on all park trails on a leash 6 feet or shorter, but not inside visitor centers.
  • Rim overlooks such as Long Point have unprotected cliff edges. Keep children close.
  • Wear shoes with good grip and check the park’s alerts page for closures the morning you go.

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