Story & photos by Ed Balthazar
Go to West Virginia just to see a bridge?
Well, the bridge is a prominent feature at 876 feet above the water. And every third Saturday in October, called Bridge Day, it is open for walking, rappelling, legal BASE jumping, and the largest one-day festival in West Virginia. Bridge Day is internationally known as a “World Series” of BASE jumping. Last year over 300 jumpers came from across the world with 130,000 people attending. Nearby Fayetteville (the coolest small town) booms. But I digress…
Being fortunate enough to live nearby, almost on the precipice so to speak, I ride the area frequently. New River Gorge National Park, long and sinuous, follows the water with a vast amount of beauty and absolutely great riding. There is no single road to follow, with some areas remote and hard to access. “Cain’t get thar from here,” we tell bemused folks. I decided to take an all-day ride around the park and follow the drive attraction route on the park map to hit the main locations.
Despite its name, New River is one of the world’s oldest rivers, predating the Appalachians. Unusual for eastern U.S. rivers, it flows northward because it cut through the mountains as they rose. The national park here in southern West Virginia encompasses more than 70,000 acres and stretches 53 miles from Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park.
I pulled out of my driveway in Edmond, crossed the aforementioned bridge, and followed State Route 16 onto U.S. Highway 60 (aka Midland Trail), riding north beyond the park and reaching the town of Gauley Bridge, the confluence of the New and Gauley rivers. Gauley River, known for intense whitewater, draws rafters from around the world for six fall weekends of scheduled dam releases. Having been down it a few times, I can attest to “intense.” Both the scenic Kanawha Falls and Cathedral Falls are located here as well. I stopped at both for a quick photo and a chat with many fellow bikers.
Backtracking on U.S. 60 took me along great twisties, gliding by Chimney Corner Cafe and the bizarre attraction called Mystery Hole, which claims to defy the laws of gravity. A past stop there with biking friends led to such mental disorientation that we had to stroll the parking lot for half an hour before feeling steady enough to ride. I spotted some riders taking a butt break, then reached Hawks Nest State Park, the northern tip of the national park, with a scenic overlook and the river and infamous dam below. This dam was the scene of a terrible 1930s disaster where hundreds of mostly migrant workers died of silicosis while digging a hydro-electric tunnel by hand. As is typical, the cause of the incident and the death toll were vigorously denied at the time. Finally, in 1971, recognition led to the recovery of some workers’ remains, which were reinterred in a nearby memorial cemetery.
Taking a rugged shortcut on State Route 5, I reached the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, an excellent beginning for visitors touring the area. From there, I wound down to the river at Fayette Station, a class IV whitewater rapid under the bridge. I saw a few paddlers sizing up the rapid before plunging down with excited, perhaps frightened, yells. Rafting and kayaking are both extremely popular here; six major raft companies offer trips on all sections of both rivers. I took a couple requisite photos and rode on.
All the roads around have great riding – twisties, up and down big hills, over rivers and creeks, through the woods, and across occasional farmland. There can be some rough spots. West Virginia topography has everything slowly oozing downhill, and winter freeze-thaws can be damaging.
Climbing back up the plateau to Fayetteville, I passed the county courthouse and my favorite local tavern, Southside Junction Tap House. A cute little town, Fayetteville has a number of shops, restaurants, and bars catering to locals and visitors alike. Leaving town, I took a side trip towards the Kaymoor mine, noting the Arrowhead Bike Farm on the way. Arrowhead offers another type of riding: bicycles, with extensive trails in the woods, along with brats and beverages for the famished and thirsty. I hiked a steep mile down to the Kaymoor mine portal, one of the more intact remaining mine complexes around, and snapped a pic. This entire region has extensive coal mining history. The Nuttallburg mine near my home is also worth a hike. In addition, an exhibition coal mine in nearby Beckley offers the unique opportunity to explore an underground coal mine led by veteran miners. I definitely recommend all of these locations for anyone interested in the coal heritage of West Virginia.
Next, I cruised down U.S. Route 19, waving at other riders, to State Route 25, which dead ends in Thurmond, an abandoned but well-preserved example of an Appalachian industrial town. Most downtown buildings remain beside the tracks, along with a still-in-use rail depot. Most of the movie Matewan was filmed here. That film is a fairly accurate depiction of the events leading up to the West Virginia coal mine wars, the little known but largest armed civil insurrection in U.S. history.
My next stop was Grandview. It’s a short 7 miles as the crow flies, but topography and limited routes make it a 35-mile ride. I followed U.S. 19, then U.S. Route 64, circling the outskirts of Beckley, and ultimately State Route 9, to another dead end. Grandview is worthy of the name. Scenic overlooks abound throughout the entire national park, but this is arguably the best. The main view stands 1,400 feet above a great river bend, with sweeping up- and down-river panoramas. The place teems with rhododendron, and in the spring, it’s a riot of lush pink.
At this point, I was less than halfway along my journey; the goal was the southern end of the park through Hinton to Sandstone Falls. I continued another 10 miles to State Route 20 with a brief stop at the Sandstone Visitor Center. Although a modest center, the friendly rangers provide a wealth of local guidance. Another 11 miles south on SR-20 brought me to Hinton. This section of the park is no longer a gorge; the valley is wider, the river comparatively slow and shallow. Being far from the main areas of the park, Hinton has seen better days. It, too, has an active rail station and was once a vital terminal for the C&O Railway. It now struggles economically. Most folks, myself included, merely pass through to other destinations.
I crossed the river and headed back northward for 11 miles on State Route 26, ending at Sandstone Falls, the largest waterfall on New River. The falls span approximately 1,500 feet with drops up to 25 feet. During this dry-season visit, however, the falls were less than impressive; the river flow being one-fifth of normal. Downstream from here (confusingly northward), New River begins to narrow into a steeper gorge. The Sandstone name comes from the geology of nuttall sandstone – a distinctive formation within the gorge area, far different from the red western rocks. It is a gray, resistant sandstone composed mainly of quartz grains, thus very hard and durable. It forms prominent vertical cliffs and ridges along the gorge and attracts climbers nationwide.
Departing the falls, I returned through Hinton and headed back north on SR-20. After 35 miles of great riding, I came through the small town of Meadow Bridge. Amazingly, there is a genuine drive-in theater still in operation here. Seeing that Meadow Bridge has only 500 people at the most, it surely draws from all around.
I continued on State Route 31 to another small town, Danese, then turned east onto State Route 41. This SR-41 (aka Quinnimont Connector) plies east-west through the middle of the park and is the only central road that crosses the river. It is my normal day-ride route. I next arrived at Babcock State Park. Babcock adjoins the national park and is one of the most beautiful of all West Virginia state parks. It boasts the Glade Creek Grist Mill, which is exceedingly popular, likely one of the top 10 most photographed spots in all of West Virginia.
Now on my journey’s last leg, I peeled off onto Old Clifftop Road for one last narrow, twisty challenge before returning to U.S. 60. A couple miles later, I turned onto Edmond Road and headed home. I detoured to the Beauty Mountain overlook, half a mile past my house, and took one last photo. Then I returned to my abode and put the steel steed back in its barn.
It was a long day of riding – over 200 miles all told. But I reached both the far northern and southern ends of the park. I was already familiar with the aforementioned stops and did not need to tarry at them. However, for anyone wishing to see any of these in detail, a multiday visit would be in order.
My guidance to first-time visitors is to hit the high points in the Fayetteville area first. Then choose a theme for the later trips, like scenic overlooks, hiking, rafting, coal history, rock climbing, state parks, etc. I have lived here for 12 years and still have not seen or done it all.
Ed Balthazar, proud owner of too many motorcycles, has ridden on every road in the area. He also tried (and survived) many other outdoor activities the park has to offer.
MORE INFORMATION:
• New River Gorge National Park: NPS.gov/neri/index.htm
• Fayetteville, WV: VisitFayettevilleWV.com
• Bridge Day: OfficialBridgeDay.com
• Mystery Hole: MysteryHole.com
• Babcock State Park: WVStateParks.com/parks/babcock-state-park/