Winding its way through the southern reaches of West Virginia is a force of nature that’s carving out the longest, deepest river gorge in the Appalachians. It’s the New River, and it’s extraordinary – so much so that back in 1978 a 70,000-acre, 53-mile swath was designated as a National River.
New River Gorge National River is a whitewater rafter’s Nirvana. The Lower Gorge of the New River boasts some imposing rapids, Class III to Class V beasts blessed with formidable currents and crosscurrents and – in more than a few instances – obstructed by bodacious boulders. The upper part of the river is a tad tamer. It’s composed of Class I to II rapids. That means you can canoe if you know what you’re doing. There are a number of commercial white water outfitters along the New River. They run trips April through October.
You don’t have to engage in derring-do to enjoy this riverine slice of America. Hiking is superb, and you can bike along an old railroad grade. From Diamond Point gaze down upon the ruins of Kaymoor, an early New River coal mining town.
You can see the region’s rich cultural heritage through the surviving subsistence farms, former community sites, homesteads and such which dot the park. See the gravestones of early Appalachian pioneers, the folks who brought king coal to the surface where it powered this nation’s industrial revolution.
New River Gorge provides a front-row view of one of the most globally significant salients of forest in existence. Cliff and rimrock habitats, forest seeps, wetlands and mature bottomland forest all weave a mosaic that’s magic. And that’s just the land. The New River itself supports an aquatic ecosystem of native fish, mussels, crayfish and rare amphibians.
Solitude, introspection, insight – not to mention adrenaline- pumping whitewater, they’re all for the experiencing at New River Gorge National River.
(Image: pkasco)
