New River Gorge Itinerary: 1, 3 & 5 Days, Built in Order
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
Pick your days. The trails are grouped in order.
Day 1 is the one-day plan, built around the bridge and Canyon Rim. Each extra day adds the next cluster of trails, so a 3-day trip is days 1 to 3 and a 5-day trip is all five.
How many days do you have?
Showing all 7 days. Pick a length to see only the days that fit.
Last updated October 15, 2026 How we research
Named pins show available locations. Lines are schematic, not driving directions; this map may not include every stop.
The first three days use separate geographic outings: Canyon Rim and the Fayetteville area, Nuttallburg, then Grandview. Drive to each area’s chosen trailhead. Longer versions add Sandstone Falls and Glade Creek; other original trail guides remain independent alternatives.
Every stop below links to its own page on this site with photos and directions. New River Gorge doesn’t yet have a published field-note guide on this site, so this order is built from the park’s trail network rather than a first-hand account — check current NPS pages for hours, fees, and any closures before you go.
Day 1 · Canyon Rim and Fayetteville area
One day in New River Gorge: Canyon Rim and a Fayetteville-area hike
Canyon Rim and Fayetteville area: choose local routes and confirm the separate driving approach.
- Choose a routeCanyon Rim and Fayetteville area
- Separate trailheadsdrive transfers, not invented foot links
- Flexiblealternatives replace a primary outing
Alternative routes and access — replacements, not extra required hikes
View the Overlooks at the Canyon Rim Visitor CenterEasy paved boardwalk to New River Gorge Bridge overlooks. 15-30 minutes, fully accessible walkways, optional 178-step descent….Open the stop →Endless Wall Trail2.4-mile moderate hike, 427ft gain. Dramatic cliff views 1,000ft above New River. Parking fills early—arrive by 7am. Unguarded…Open the stop →Bridge TrailBridge Trail: 0.86-mile strenuous scramble passing under the New River Gorge Bridge. Rocky, steep, exposed. Our guide covers…Open the stop →Tunnel TrailTunnel Trail: 0.5-mile shaded forest walk through sandstone rock and beneath stone overhangs. Moderate, minimal elevation….Open the stop →Fayetteville Trail3.96-mile strenuous gorge connector with creek crossing and relentless elevation. Limited parking requires dawn arrival….Open the stop →Kaymoor TrailHike Kaymoor s 8.6-mile moderate trail with 1,297ft gain through New River Gorge. Historic coal mine, solitude. Limited…Open the stop →Kaymoor Miners TrailKaymoor Miners Trail: 1mi strenuous descent, 900ft drop to coal mine ruins. Steep stairs and switchbacks in New River Gorge….Open the stop →Craig Branch TrailCraig Branch Trail: 2.4 miles, 209ft gain, moderate gravel hike through New River forest. Connects to historic Kaymoor coal…Open the stop →Butcher Branch TrailHike Butcher Branch Trail s 0.8-mile moderate route with steep terrain and stream crossing. Connects Kaymoor Top to Long Point…Open the stop →Burnwood TrailBurnwood Trail: 1.2-mile easy loop through protected old-growth forest. See 300-year-old trees, unique forest structure, and…Open the stop →
Start with the Canyon Rim overlooks, then drive to the trailhead for one Fayetteville-area hike such as Long Point or Endless Wall. They are choices for the day, not an instruction to complete every listed route.
Fayetteville is a separate town stop reached by the appropriate road access. Town Loop and its connector are Nuttallburg trails on the next day, not a foot connection from the rim to downtown.
Kaymoor Trail, Kaymoor Miners and Craig Branch remain independent alternatives in the broader Fayetteville-area menu. Use each named trailhead; no link from Kaymoor to Nuttallburg or Brooklyn Mine is promised.
With kids: choose a short local route after checking its actual access and conditions. Do not combine every alternative into the same day.
Where to sleep after day 1
Prince is one of two gateway towns used in this plan. Use it as tonight’s base and pick up anything you need before heading out tomorrow.
Day 2 · Nuttallburg
Day 2: Nuttallburg, with its own driving approach
Nuttallburg: choose local routes and confirm the separate driving approach.
- Choose a routeNuttallburg
- Separate trailheadsdrive transfers, not invented foot links
- Flexiblealternatives replace a primary outing
Alternative routes and access — replacements, not extra required hikes
Town Loop Connector TrailHike the 0.3-mile Town Loop Connector through Nuttallburg s historic ruins. Moderate difficulty, perfect for a short history…Open the stop →Tipple TrailWalk through Nuttallburg s coal mining heritage. See Henry Ford tipple system and coke ovens on this easy 0.6-mile trail….Open the stop →Seldom Seen TrailWalk 0.3 miles through ruins of Seldom Seen, a former coal company town. Easy grade, flat terrain, 30 min round-trip. Connect…Open the stop →Keeneys Creek Rail TrailKeeneys Creek Rail Trail: 3.3-mile easy rail-bed hike with trestle bridges over scenic streams. Historic railroad line, 4%…Open the stop →Headhouse TrailThe separate Headhouse approach starts at Short Creek Trailhead off Beauty Mountain Road near Lansing. It is a steep, strenuous descent to the Nuttallburg headhouse, not a Kaymoor connector.Open the stop →Conveyor TrailTackle the 0.8-mile Conveyor Trail with 655ft elevation gain over loose coal debris. Strenuous coal mine hike in New River…Open the stop →
Town Loop, Tipple, Seldom Seen, Conveyor and the Headhouse connection belong to Nuttallburg, not downtown Fayetteville, Kaymoor or Grandview. Choose the trailhead for the route; do not treat separate park areas as one connected walking network.
Nuttallburg’s Keeneys Creek Road access is narrow, winding and steep. Use the specific NPS driving directions for the chosen trailhead, not a walking shortcut from another area.
NPS describes Nuttallburg’s Town Loop as a 1.3-mile route including the Tipple Trail, not an additional full Tipple hike. Allow the published 2–3 hours for the combined historic route.
Choose the Town Loop historic route, or the shorter Tipple option if that better fits the group. Seldom Seen is an optional Nuttallburg extension. Keeneys Creek Rail Trail is another route choice, not a link to Kaymoor.
The separate Headhouse approach starts at Short Creek Trailhead off Beauty Mountain Road near Lansing. It is a steep, strenuous descent to the Nuttallburg headhouse, not a Kaymoor connector.
Conveyor is the steep Nuttallburg connector between the Headhouse and Keeneys Creek routes. Do not add the whole Headhouse/Conveyor outing on top of every townsite walk; choose a route and its actual starting point.
With kids: choose a short local route after checking its actual access and conditions. Do not combine every alternative into the same day.
Where to sleep after day 2
Prince is an existing overnight option, not a claim that it is closest to this trailhead. Compare the actual drive from your booked base.
Day 3 · Grandview
Day 3: Grandview’s own rim and woodland trails
Grandview: choose local routes and confirm the separate driving approach.
- Choose a routeGrandview
- Separate trailheadsdrive transfers, not invented foot links
- Flexiblealternatives replace a primary outing
Alternative routes and access — replacements, not extra required hikes
Drive separately to Grandview. Grandview Rim and Woodland Loop are the local choices here; the trail-run version is the same Grandview Rim route at a different pace, not an extra full hike.
Seldom Seen is at Nuttallburg and belongs with that day, not Grandview. Polls Plateau, Butcher Branch and Burnwood are not presented as an invented connected Grandview circuit. Open the independent route guides below for their own access.
With kids: choose a short local route after checking its actual access and conditions. Do not combine every alternative into the same day.
Where to sleep after day 3
Beckley is the other gateway town used in this plan, and a reasonable base for the Grandview cluster.
Other original trail choices — independent outings
These guides remain available, but are not assigned as walking connections inside the three-day clusters. Choose a trailhead and a separate driving transfer before adding one.
Arbuckle Connector Trail0.3-mile strenuous connector with 352ft gain linking Rend and Southside trails. Loose rocky scramble past Wee Win mining…Open the stop →Bicycling at New River Gorge50+ miles of mountain bike trails from easy to difficult at New River Gorge. Multi-use system, no fees, pets on leash. Trail…Open the stop →Big Branch TrailStrenuous Big Branch Trail: 2-mile loop with stream crossings, steep descent, ridge views, and spring wildflowers. Vault…Open the stop →Big Buck TrailEasy 0.9-mile forest loop at New River Gorge with tree identification signs. Family-friendly, no elevation gain, rolling…Open the stop →Brooklyn Mine TrailBrooklyn Mine Trail: 2.7mi moderate hike with 421ft gain through forest to historic coal mine. River views, solitude, old road…Open the stop →Gwinn Ridge TrailGwinn Ridge Trail: 3-mile strenuous ridge loop with navigation challenges. Constant elevation, winter views, exposed ridge…Open the stop →Island Loop TrailIsland Loop Trail: flat 0.5-mile boardwalk at New River Gorge. 30-45 min, no elevation gain, free access. Beginner-friendly…Open the stop →Kates Falls TrailTackle Kates Falls Trail: 0.2mi strenuous spur with steep exposure in New River Gorge. Access via Glade Creek Trail. High…Open the stop →Little Laurel TrailHike 2.6 miles to the New River with 1,400-ft elevation loss. Strenuous descent on old road with spring wildflowers and coal…Open the stop →Polls Plateau TrailPolls Plateau Trail: 4.9-mile moderate hike with creek crossings and tricky route-finding through upland forest. Southern…Open the stop →Rend TrailEasy 3.4-mile historic railroad trail crossing five trestles over the New River gorge. Great for families and beginners. One…Open the stop →Southside TrailSouthside Trail: 7-mile easy riverside hike past three ghost towns in New River Gorge. Brick coke ovens, mining ruins, river…Open the stop →Stone Cliff TrailStone Cliff Trail spans 2.7 miles along the New River with old-growth forest access and scenic gorge views. Easy-moderate…Open the stop →Timber Ridge TrailEasy 1-mile one-way walk on forest roadbed. No sweat required, restrooms at trailhead. Connects to bigger Fayetteville trails.Open the stop →
Day 4 · Sandstone Falls
Day 4: Sandstone Falls, then choose independent extras
Sandstone Falls: choose local routes and confirm the separate driving approach.
- Choose a routeSandstone Falls
- Separate trailheadsdrive transfers, not invented foot links
- Flexiblealternatives replace a primary outing
Alternative routes and access — replacements, not extra required hikes
Use the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk as this day’s anchor. The separately titled boardwalk listing is an alternative description of a falls visit, not a second mandatory full outing.
Other original trail choices remain below as independent options. Plan a separate drive to any additional trailhead; the schematic does not draw walking connections between park areas.
With kids: choose a short local route after checking its actual access and conditions. Do not combine every alternative into the same day.
Where to sleep after day 4
Beckley works again tonight for the Sandstone Falls cluster.
Day 5 · Glade Creek
Day 5: Glade Creek, with a separate trailhead approach
Glade Creek: choose local routes and confirm the separate driving approach.
- Choose a routeGlade Creek
- Separate trailheadsdrive transfers, not invented foot links
- Flexiblealternatives replace a primary outing
Start at the confirmed Glade Creek trailhead and choose a hike that fits the day’s conditions and your group. The other river and ridge trails are independent choices, not a promise that they all connect into one feasible day.
Keep meals, return travel and the actual booked overnight base in the day. No additional route is assigned simply because its card appeared in the old list.
With kids: choose a short local route after checking its actual access and conditions. Do not combine every alternative into the same day.
Where to sleep after day 5
Prince closes the loop back to the first gateway town for the last night of a five-day trip.
What to check before you go
Dates and rules below are drawn from the official sources listed at the end of the page.
Questions people ask before a New River Gorge trip
Is one day enough for New River Gorge?
One day is a Canyon Rim and Fayetteville-area sampler. A longer trip can add the separately accessed Nuttallburg, Grandview, Sandstone Falls and Glade Creek outings.
How many days do you need at New River Gorge National Park?
Use separate days for Canyon Rim/Fayetteville, Nuttallburg and Grandview. Road transfers connect the days; no continuous foot route between those areas is promised.
What is the Kaymoor Trail known for?
Town Loop, Tipple, Seldom Seen, Conveyor and the Headhouse connection belong to Nuttallburg, not downtown Fayetteville, Kaymoor or Grandview. Choose the trailhead for the route; do not treat separate park areas as one connected walking network.
Where should I stay near New River Gorge?
This plan uses two gateway towns from the park’s listings — Prince and Beckley — and alternates between them across the days above.
What’s the difference between Canyon Rim and Grandview?
Canyon Rim is where Day 1 starts, built around the bridge and its visitor center. Grandview is a separate rim covered on Day 3, with its own set of connector and loop trails.
Can you see Sandstone Falls without a hike?
Yes. The Sandstone Falls Boardwalk and the Stroll on the Sandstone Boardwalk both put the falls within easy reach without a trail. Kates Falls Trail is the hiking alternative.
This plan is built from the park’s trail network and the site’s existing guides, not from a personal visit — New River Gorge has no published field notes on this site yet, so there’s no first-person color here. Check current NPS pages for hours, fees, and any closures before you go.
