New River Gorge in West Virginia: Canyon Rim visitor center, hiking trails, Grandview visitor center and overlooks, Sandstone Falls visitor center, and more!

June 2019, 2 weekdays, traveling as a couple

In addition to this blog post, you can find more photos and information in the New River Gorge photo album on my Facebook page.

View of New River Bridge from Canyon Rim visitor center 
lower observation deck

Canyon Rim visitor center and New River Gorge bridge

There is no charge to visit any of the New River Gorge visitor centers. The staff member at Canyon Rim was an excellent resource for information about the areas we wanted to visit. He provided trail maps, trail information, and clear directions.

View of New River from deck at Canyon Rim visitor center

New River is visible from the back deck at Canyon Rim, and there are two trails that walk down toward the bridge. The main trail is handicap accessible to the first observation deck. There are many steps to the lower observation deck. Both decks offer excellent views.

View of New River Bridge from Canyon Rim visitor center 
upper observation deck

The second path next to the road is steep and ends just before the bridge. We had hoped we would be able to get closer to the bridge with a view of the river below; however, the area is gated off and it is for authorized personnel only. Maybe, the entire trail is intended only for employees, although we did not see a sign until we got to the gate by the bridge.

View from Diamond Point

Endless Wall Trail and Diamond Point

There are two parking areas on Lansing-Edmond Road for Endless Wall Trail. The first one, arriving from the north/US-19, is not labeled before you enter. From the road, it looks more or less like a roadside rest stop with an outhouse. The trail starts out very easy, and then it becomes a bit narrow in spots, although it is still pretty easy to navigate. More photos, including one of the trail, can be found in the Facebook album.

View from Long Point Overlook

Long Point trail and overlook

Long Point Overlook offers the best view of the bridge. This trail also starts out very easy, and then it gets a bit tricky just before reaching the overlook. The distance is about 1¾ mile one-way.

Another view from Long Point Overlook 

We did not see anyone our entire hike out until we had almost reached the overlook. The view is definitely worth the hike.

Main overlook at Grandview

Grandview visitor center, trails, and overlooks

The rainiest day of our trip was the day we stopped at Grandview. We had initially planned to hike Tunnel Trail, and the trails to and from all of the overlooks: Main, North, and Turkey Spur. It was raining quite hard when we arrived, and after a short break under the picnic area roof, we were able to hike a portion of Tunnel Trail. We did not hike the entire tail because the tunnels were closed for safety reasons.

Turkey Spur on the way to the top of the overlook.

We climbed a lot of stairs at Turkey Spur!

We visited all of the overlooks; we just drove between them instead of hiking. Main and North overlook are easy to access, and Turkey Spur has a few steps to climb. The visitor center is not as large as the one at Canyon Rim, and it did not open until noon at the beginning of June. 

Sandstone Falls and visitor center

Sandstone Falls visitor center is located next to I-64, and the falls are about a 45-minute drive from the visitor center. In addition to the educational information inside the center, the center has picnic tables with a nice view, restrooms, and a small garden.

Sandstone Falls

We took the crazy backroad (Irish Mountain Road) to the falls through the mountains! If you are considering this, my husband says he wishes we had taken that road from the falls instead. We were braking most of the way down to the falls, and he said he would have preferred to climb up the mountain instead.

The falls are beautiful, and there is a nice walkway around the area. There is an overlook rest stop on Temple Street across the river (just a bit south of the visitor center), although you cannot really see the falls from there. See the Facebook album for more info.

Bridge Brew Works

One more bonus tidbit of info! We stopped at Bridge Brew Works in Fayetteville, which is south of Canyon Rim. The setting is fabulous. The bar is outside with a covered roof, similar to a pavilion. There is also outside seating in a yard area under the sky. 

Bar top at Bridge Brew Works

The beers were good, although a bit pricey, and the bartender was presumptuous and cocky (this is not just my opinion; my husband was offended by his attitude before I was). He provided some excellent information about the brews, and I expressed interest in the barleywine, which he had said is a barrel-aged beer. The bartender flat-out told me I would not like it, and he knows absolutely nothing about me. Barrel-aged Dragon's Milk by New Holland is one of our favorite beers, and their barleywine sounds similar. I had not asked for a taste; I merely remarked that it sounds interesting, and we would probably like that. I already had a porter, which I liked, so I just ignored his attitude. The double IPA my husband ordered had excellent favor, as well. The porter I was drinking was also available barrel aged in a single serving bottle (it was not on tap), which we thought we would purchase to-go, until we learned the cost was $15! The bartender then criticized Founders Dirty Bastard, which he had never even tried, after we told him they fill growlers of it in Grand Rapids for only $11. He had a closed-minded know-it-all attitude, and I was glad we had only planned to stop for one beer. Next time, we will have enough sense to order our beers and then take them away from the bar to enjoy.

Let me know if you have any further questions about the areas we visited. Happy travels!