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Standing on the rim of the New River Gorge, it’s hard to imagine that the deep, narrow, and rocky landscape was once bustling with industrial activities. Read this post to learn how to best explore the remnants of the long-lost coal mining complexes and communities that once filled the Gorge.
Science is just starting to understand why people like waterfalls. It turns out that when water molecules collide while tumbling over rocks and into a splash pool they release negative ions into the atmosphere. When these negative ions hit our bloodstream our bodies produce biochemical reactions linked to alleviating depression, relieving stress, and boosting energy. […]
Southside Trail is an easy seven-mile riverside trail that provides great views of the New River and passes through several abandoned mining towns. Rush Run, Red Ash, and Brooklyn were all once-bustling communities located along this abandoned railroad line. It’s one of the few trails in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve that […]
Editor’s Note: Michele Sons was the first of three 2022 New River Gorge Creatives-in-Residence at Lafayette Flats. Michele is an exhibiting fine art landscape and portrait photographer originally from England and currently based in southwest Virginia. This is a excerpt from her recent blog post. I am recently home from a cold, beautiful, snowy month […]
The New and Gauley Rivers offer some of the best whitewater rafting experiences in the United States, if not the world. But the New River Gorge and the surrounding area have many other adventure activities. In fact, the New River Gorge is also considered to be one of the premier rock climbing and mountain biking […]
Did you just give that title a double-take? It may be because you aren’t used to rivers flowing north; not many do. But the New River does, so head south from Fayetteville to explore the upper section of the New River Gorge. You’ll find a very different landscape upriver. Immediately, you’ll see a much wider, […]
Like many people, we used to schedule most of our outdoor activities during the more temperate times of the year. Visions of verdant landscapes, blooming wildflowers and fruiting mushrooms are what most often lure us into the woods, and those things only happen during spring, summer and fall. A few years ago, though, we challenged […]
Rail trails are former railroad corridors that have been converted for hiking & biking. These types of trails often have three tremendous advantages over regular hiking trails. First, rail trails often contain substantial infrastructure left behind by the railroad companies, like trestle bridges over creeks. These provide easy access to rugged areas of the forest. […]
America’s newest national park has received lots of media attention since its designation was announced in January 2021. As long-time New River Gorge enthusiasts, we are thrilled to share our playground with a wider audience and are thankful for the well-deserved media coverage, but we’ve found that many of the stories miss the mark. It’s […]
The best way to truly experience the New River Gorge National Park is to take the trails less traveled. By avoiding the most popular hiking areas – and other humans – you are much more likely to see wildlife, find undisturbed flora, and experience the natural rhythms of the forest. Here are five less traveled […]
