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 /
• Visit Southern West Virginia: visitwv. com
The iconic grist mill at Babcock State Park.
RIDERMAGAZINE. COM / SEPTEMBER 2026 / 27