Best Hikes in New River Gorge National Park: Endless Wall, Long Point and More
Six trails cover most of what people come to the park for: cliff-edge views on Endless Wall (2.4 miles one way), the postcard shot of the New River Gorge Bridge from Long Point (3.2 miles round trip), gorge views from Grandview Rim, and a strenuous 821-step drop into the old Kaymoor coal mine. All six sit inside New River Gorge National Park and Preserve boundaries, confirmed on nps.gov/neri. For a longer Appalachian trip built around trails like these, our Shenandoah National Park itinerary is the closest multi-day plan on our site.
New River Gorge Best Hikes, Ranked
| Trail | Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | What You Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endless Wall Trail | 2.4 mi one way (Fern Creek to Nuttall) | 427 ft gain, 545 ft loss | Easy to moderate | Cliff-edge views of the New River nearly 1,000 ft below |
| Long Point Trail | 3.2 mi round trip | Gentle descent, one steep stretch near the end | Moderate | Sandstone ledge looking straight at the New River Gorge Bridge |
| Grandview Rim Trail | 3.2 mi round trip (1.6 mi one way) | Rolling, steeper near Turkey Spur | Moderate | Views of the deepest section of the gorge |
| Castle Rock Trail | 0.6 mi, loops with Grandview Rim for about 1 mile total | Uneven rock steps | Strenuous | Close-up walk along cliff walls and exposed coal seams |
| Kaymoor Miners Trail | 2.0 mi round trip | 900 ft loss, on 821 wooden steps | Strenuous | Ruins of the Kaymoor coal mine, coke ovens and town site |
| Craig Branch Trail | 2.4 mi one way | 209 ft gain, 644 ft loss | Moderate | Gravel former road with river overlooks, connects to Kaymoor |
Endless Wall Trail: Where to Park
Endless Wall has two trailheads and the good one fills fast. The Fern Creek trailhead, 1.3 miles down Lansing-Edmond Road from Route 19, is the main access point and its small lot reaches capacity most weekends by mid morning. The Nuttall trailhead, 1.8 miles down the same road, has more room and works as a backup if Fern Creek is full, or as the other end of a one way hike if you can stage a second car. Either way, the trail follows rich forest, crosses Fern Creek, then zig-zags along the cliff edge with repeated views of the gorge. A popular shorter option is the 2 mile out and back to Diamond Point rather than walking the full 2.4 miles one way.
Long Point Trail: The Bridge Shot
Long Point starts off Newton Road near Fayetteville and covers 3.2 miles round trip. Most of it is an easy, gently descending walk through field and forest, with one steep section right before the payoff: a sandstone ledge with a straight-on view of the New River Gorge Bridge. There are no guardrails at the overlook, so keep kids and dogs close. Biking is allowed on most of the trail, but not the final 0.2 miles to the point, where a bike rack is provided.
Grandview Rim and Castle Rock: One Hike, Two Trails
These two connect into a loop of roughly a mile and the park recommends walking them together. Grandview Rim runs from the Main Overlook to Turkey Spur Overlook with river and gorge views along most of its length, and a self-guided brochure covers the first half mile. Castle Rock branches off about half a mile in and follows the base of the cliffs, close enough to touch the rock and see the exposed coal seams in it. Castle Rock's footing is uneven and it is not a trail for young children given the drop-offs.
Kaymoor Miners Trail: The Hard One
This is the trail people mean when they say New River Gorge kicked their legs. It drops 900 feet in one mile, the last stretch on 821 wooden steps, down to the remains of the Kaymoor coal mine: coke ovens, the old processing plant, and what is left of the town site near the river. The climb back up is the same 821 steps in reverse. The official trail page warns visitors not to enter any of the abandoned mine structures at the bottom; check nps.gov/neri for any current trail closures before you go, since access at historic sites like this one can change.
Craig Branch Trail: The Quiet Option
Craig Branch runs 2.4 miles one way on an old gravel road, with several steep sections but nothing technical, and it connects directly to the Kaymoor Trail if you want to extend the day. It gets far less traffic than Endless Wall or Long Point and still delivers real gorge overlooks along the way.
Fees, Timing and What to Bring
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve has no entrance fee, confirmed on nps.gov/neri, so nothing here needs a pass beyond your own gear. West Virginia summers run hot and humid, and the forest canopy on Endless Wall and Craig Branch holds the heat in, so an early start matters more than the mileage suggests. Fall brings the best light for the Long Point and Grandview Rim overlooks, once the leaves turn and the humidity drops. Trailhead lots, especially Fern Creek for Endless Wall, are smallest at any park in the system relative to how popular the trail is, so a weekday visit or an early Saturday start buys you a parking spot as much as it buys you solitude. Bring more water than you think you need for Kaymoor Miners Trail specifically. The climb out on 821 steps in August humidity is a different hike than the one you did on the way down.
Plan a Longer Appalachian Trip
New River Gorge pairs naturally with a few days further south. Our Shenandoah National Park itinerary is the nearest multi-day plan we have built, and we can help you stitch the two together if that is the trip you are after.
Best Hikes in New River Gorge National Park: Endless Wall, Long Point and More FAQs
Endless Wall Trail (2.4 miles one way, cliff-edge views), Long Point Trail (3.2 miles round trip, the classic bridge photo), and Grandview Rim paired with Castle Rock (about a mile combined) cover the range from easy to strenuous, according to nps.gov/neri.
Long Point Trail for a first visit. It is 3.2 miles round trip, mostly easy, and ends at the one view everyone wants: the New River Gorge Bridge from a sandstone ledge.
NPS rates it easy to moderate. It gains 427 feet and loses 545 feet over 2.4 miles one way, mostly on a rooty forest path with cliff-edge sections rather than steep climbing.
The Fern Creek trailhead, 1.3 miles down Lansing-Edmond Road off Route 19, is the main lot and fills by mid morning on weekends. The Nuttall trailhead, 1.8 miles down the same road, is the backup with more space.
Kaymoor Miners Trail. It drops 900 feet in about a mile, most of it on 821 wooden steps down to the old coal mine site, and every one of those steps has to be climbed again on the way out.
Dogs are allowed on the trails covered here, including Castle Rock, on a leash. Check current pet rules on nps.gov/neri before you go, since specific trails and facilities can restrict pets.
Yes. The worked day-by-day plan is Shenandoah National Park Itinerary: 3 Days on Skyline Drive (3 Days), with the permits, the stays and the drive times already sorted. Tell us your dates and we will put it together for you and confirm what is genuinely open on those days. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.
