New River Gorge
Hello from New River Gorge, West Virginia, America’s newest National Park.
The park’s icon is the majestic New River Gorge Bridge which was completed in 1977, cutting travel time between banks from 45 minutes to just a few seconds.
The park protects a long stretch of the New River, known to be among the best whitewater rafting rivers in the world and it also preserves the cultural heritage of the area, namely for its role in fueling the American Industrial Revolution through coal mining from the late 1870’s through the 1930’s.
Our first afternoon in the park, we took a recommended drive along Fayetteville Station Road to learn more about the history of the park and to catch views of the bridge from several angles.
Unfortunately, a stalled freight train at the bottom of the gorge forced us to hang out for around 45 minutes before we could proceed. Our spirits remained pretty high though as we chatted with fellow stuck travelers on the one-way road.
The next morning, we took a short hike to a point that offered sweeping views of the bridge and then took a siesta at camp to avoid the worst of the heat-dome induced high temperatures.
Then, in the late afternoon, I signed us up to complete the bridge walk. This is a guided activity where you get harnessed up and walk the catwalk under the bridge, originally intended for maintenance purposes.
The surprising part of this activity wasn’t the height, though Eli wasn’t a big fan, it was the vibrations. As heavy trucks cruise along at 70 mph above, the whole bridge vibrates with their movement.
The walk gave great perspective on the bridge’s construction and also a bird’s eye view of whitewater rafters below. We all gave it high marks as a family activity.
The next day, we took a full day whitewater trip along the New River. The trip had the usual fun of navigating class 3 and 4 rapids and because it was so hot, the guides offered plenty of opportunities to get out of the raft and float/swim in the river, which was essential to staying cool.
Our boat included two other kids, ages 11 and 14, and Ben had an especially good time riding up front with them, swimming around, and jumping off big rocks along the shore.
Overall, I think Eli and I both agree that we enjoyed our experience of New River Gorge, but we find its national park designation a little bit dubious. Is it pretty and interesting – yes, for sure. But, is it a jewel of America like Glacier, Yosemite, or Yellowstone? Not quite.
To mark the conclusion of our trip, Ben finished off the last of our pickles (I think he consumed six jars in two weeks) and we made plans to head home for the 4th.
