Have you ever wondered where the adventurous go to roam free and explore?As someone who loves adventure, I can tell you that the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia is an absolute gem. This is where you’ll find some of the most adventurous souls and beyond beautiful landscapes and views. I was ready to explore this amazing park with North.
I invited along my mother and her dog. It was quite the experience of adventure and solitude all in one. Yes, even with company. How exciting would it be to embark on a four-day road trip to a new destination? For me, nearby could mean a five-hour drive, but it’s all about the experiences and memories created. Two dogs in tow and my mother…off we GO!
As soon as we arrived at New River Gorge National Park, we wasted no time in starting our hiking. Our plan was to hike first, then have some food, and finally check into our AirBnb. The weather was quite warm during our visit, so we made sure to put on a cooling jacket for both North, my German Shepherd pup, and Snowy, my mom’s pup, to keep them both safe and comfortable. Safety first for all, my friend! 😉
Hiking in the New River Gorge
The New River Gorge National Park offers an endless selection of hikes. We chose a few of my favorite hikes that I researched before arriving in West Virginia. First up…
Long Point Trail
This is just the beginning of our first adventure in the New River Gorge NP. Everyone is happy, nobody is sweating, and even the dogs are cool. If you’re wondering, North is trained to look at the camera, so taking photos of her is easy. Snowy, on the other hand, loves posing for the camera in the opposite direction! 😉
I found Long Point Trail to be quite different from most of the hiking I’ve done before. The trail began by winding through a dense forest, until we reached a point where rocks were scattered about. The area felt more like a forest than just a collection of trees. I appreciated the beauty and unique scenery, which was different from my previous hiking experiences.
Long Point Trail is approximately 1.6 miles in one direction. It doesn’t loop so once you’ve ended the trail, you can either turn back to walk the way you came on the trail or catch the road to walk back. The hike, while not super long, is rated moderate. You hike through the dense forest and then there’s an elevation change as you’re entering the cliff area. This is where all the gorgeous views are to include a viewing of the New River Gorge Bridge.
It warmed up fairly quickly and before you knew it, we were all, dogs and humans alike chugging the H2O! It was only towards the end of our first half of the hike that we encountered a larger crowd on the trail. At certain points, the trail narrows and makes it difficult to pass one another. If you know North, you know how she loves to greet all the dogs she sees on the way! Hahaha.
The View
North discovered the most breathtaking view from the summit of the Long Point Trail. At the top, she found a refreshing mini pond of water to cool off and soak in the gorgeous view of the New River Gorge bridge. Words can hardly describe the beauty of this place!
Diamond Point Overlook Via Endless Wall Trail
Next up to explore was the Diamond Point Overlook Trail. The views. Oh my gosh, friend. Breathtaking. I’d consider the hike itself moderate for the level of difficulty. It’s approximately 2.3 miles roundtrip. The paths can be narrow in some places making exchanging places with others walking the opposite direction a bit challenging but nothing crazy. All along this trail there are outlets where you can soak in panoramic views of the New River and the gorge. We stopped at nearly every outlet! Hahaha…I couldn’t get enough of the majestic views! I must say, North loved the views too! She loves her rocks to climb to the top! I think if allowed to, North would jump off the cliffs! Hahaha…she’s my adventurous pup. I love it!
This is one hike where you will want to have the right footgear – sturdy hiking shoes or athletic shoes with grip will suffice. Be sure to bring lots of H2O! In the summer months, it gets very hot on this trail. There are shaded areas but the majority of the trail when you reach the outlets is straight sun and rocks. Personally, I love it! If you’re bringing your furry friends hiking with you, please be sure to bring them plenty of H2O!! I carried bottles of water in my bag, my water bag itself and then more water with my mother. We poured water over the dogs as the heat was ramping up during our hike. Both dogs wore their cooling jackets which was a huge life saver.
Grandview Rim Trail To Turkey Spur Rock
Another trail we decided to hang out on was the Grandview Rim Trail. This hike alone is approximately 1.6 miles one way. We finished off at 3.2 miles. The views, once again, did not disappoint. This trail is considered one of the moderate level hikes. This trail definitely provides you with more views of the New River and the gorge. You see these pictures, as did I before actually hiking them myself and you think…”There’s no way this is that beautiful” until you see it for yourself and you get to snap a photo for a memory like this one above.
North and Snowy had the best time of their lives hiking this trail. North always had to take the lead and Snowy was always trying to ahead of North. Hahaha. Honestly, you just can’t go wrong hiking any of the trails in the New River Gorge National Park. They all come with AHMAZING views and different levels of difficulty for your liking. 😉
Lake Front Trail
We took a break from the New River Gorge National Park hiking and ventured over to Little Beaver State Park in Beaver, WV. It was a short 15-minute drive for us from our home base in Beckley, WV. This was a pup’s playground for sure! As you can see, both North and Snowy loved swimming in the lake!
After the dogs’ swimming sesh, we decided to walk along the lake trail. Hence the name Lake Front Trail. 😉 It’s an easy, relaxing walk around the lake. There were a few other inlets where the dogs could jump in and cool off. They loved this so much! It was nice for both my mother and I as well. It was a break from the usual hiking terrain. An easy stroll around the Lake Front Trail is approximately 1 mile. The majority of this trail is shaded.
Where the Adventurous Roam Free
The Bridge Walk
Are you afraid of heights? How fearless are you? Would you walk across the undercarriage of a bridge that’s 851 feet high?
This is exactly where you could find my mother and I on one sunny afternoon in the New River Gorge National Park. I love adrenaline rushes and I love heights. I was so excited for this next adventure. A little change up from the hiking adventures and I was here for it!
The Bridge Walk was an adventure I had never experienced before, and it was the perfect new activity for me. My mother is also fearless, and I admired her willingness to join me and step outside her comfort zone. Shout out to Mom for being so brave!
Where to Feed Your Face & Treat Yourself
The Burrito Bar
After finishing our Bridge Walk adventure, we decided to unwind by grabbing a cold beer and burrito at The Burrito Bar. It was no more than a mile from the Bridge Walk meeting spot. The place was recommended by our tour guide from the Bridge Walk, and she couldn’t have been more right! The food was delicious, and the beer was just what we needed to relax. The burritos are insanely stuffed! We both had to take half back to our home base to grub on later. It was a great way to end our adventure.
The Stache
I was looking for a place we could get some dessert because let’s face it. Who doesn’t love a good dessert to finish the adventure off?! Hahaha. Driving back from Lansing to Beckley I found an ice cream shop called The Stache located in Fayetteville. It was a quaint little ice cream shop that seriously gave you more than your fair share for the cost. We sat outside of The Stache to enjoy our ice cream and take in the quaint town view.
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
Food to the face time!! Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen was both gorgeous and unique on the outside as it was on the inside. The landscaping of the grounds were stunning. I love a good, unique-styled grub hub! Hahaha.
The food at Cheddar’s in Beckley, WV was delicious and their drinks were amazing! We decided to visit this location since it was close to our home base, and it’s the only one in the area. After all the hiking my mother and I did during our trip, I’m not going to lie, we stopped into Cheddar’s for some fuel for two evenings in a row. The food was yes, THAT GOOD! If you’re nearby, I highly recommend giving it a try! You won’t be disappointed!
Our Home Base
Where the adventurous roam free, they also need a place to rest their weary head. This is where my mother, myself, North and Snowy camped out (or in, haha) for our evenings after each adventurous day. When looking for somewhere to stay for this trip, I wanted something close to the New River Gorge National Park that provided a yard for North and Snowy to roam free.
I found this AirBnB located in Beckley, WV. It’s a 2-bedroom home with a huge front and back porch, massive fenced-in backyard, full kitchen, comfy beds AND…if you love all animals like I do, you’ll love to hear they have chickens and mini goats on-site!!!
A Peek Outside of our Home Base
The host/hostess, Joseph and his daughter, Cat live just down the street. If you ever have questions, they are more than happy to help you or come over to see you. As a kind gesture, they left us fresh eggs from their chickens and lovely homemade soaps made by Cat as complimentary welcome gifts! They came over to say “Hi” and meet us once we arrived.
A Dog’s Paradise
North and Snowy loved their stay. The back porch was a popular spot for both the dogs and my mother and I. It was so nice just to sit out back and relax early in the mornings before our hiking adventures and in the evenings with dinner.
The dogs were ecstatic to have such a large yard all to themselves! Every evening, after their long hiking adventures, they would run around and explore freely. North, who was only 9 months old, and Snowy, a mere 1 year old, had never seen chickens or goats before. Watching these two young pups interact with these new animals was adorable! As you can see they were WIPED OUT nightly, hahaha.
I highly recommend exploring the New River Gorge National Park. There is so much you can do in this park. I shared just a highlight of the hikes available to choose from depending on your comfort level and experience. There are many other activities you can experience such as white water rafting, the bridge walk, as well as visiting the Grandview and Canyon Rim. I loved the New River Gorge National Park. It has some of the most breathtaking views I’ve seen on the east coast. If you’re not too far away, take that road trip and find yourself lost in the New River Gorge’s views as I was.
Share your next adventure in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you. 🙂
Remember…
“Adventure is a path. Real adventure, self-determined, self-motivated, often risky, forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world.”
-Mark Jenkins
XO, Christine
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