America's Newest National Park Is An Appalachian Beauty With Scenic River Recreation

America's national parks began with a bang when Yellowstone became the world's first national park in 1872. Today, more than 150 years later, new national park designations haven't gone out of style, as the most recent addition to the nation's park collection shows. West Virginia's New River Gorge National Park & Preserve became America's 63rd national park when it was redesignated from New River Gorge National River in December 2020. Ironically, despite being the country's newest national park (and having the word "new" right in its name), New River Gorge protects rock formations hundreds of millions of years old. But even if you aren't up for a geology lesson, New River Gorge's landscape features awe-inspiring vistas of the gorge, cliffs, and lush forests hewn straight from West Virginia's timeless Appalachian Mountains. 

New River Gorge National Park is located about an hour away from the West Virginia capital of Charleston, amid open forests, rolling Appalachian peaks, and charming small towns. Entry to New River Gorge National Park is free, helping keep a visit budget-friendly. At the same time, New River Gorge's namesake river is far more than decorative. With plenty of rapids and extraordinary scenery, the New River and its surrounding national park are prime spots for whitewater rafting, boating, and all sorts of thrilling — and scenic — water recreation. Above the river, the national park also hosts some of the most picturesque trails in West Virginia. No matter where you go or what you do in the park, you'll get to enjoy true immersion in an ancient geological marvel and a worthy (if late) addition to America's national parks.

New River Gorge may have officially become America's 63rd national park in 2020, but the more than 70,000 acres it protects have a much longer story. Despite its name, the New River is one of the world's oldest waterways, with an estimated age of 260 to 325 million years, though scientists still debate its exact age. Even if the New River and its gorge are on the younger end of their estimated ages, they would still be much, much older than Arizona's picturesque natural wonder of the Grand Canyon, which is estimated to be "only" around 5 to 6 million years old. 

Age aside, the New River is a stunning, 320-mile waterway that runs from North Carolina through Virginia and into West Virginia. In West Virginia, it carves an epic gorge through the Allegheny Plateau, creating the deepest and longest river gorge in the entire Appalachian Range. 

With depths of nearly 1,000 feet in places, the New River Gorge features steep, rocky cliffs at its rim and softer riverbanks below, all decorated in lush Appalachian forests. The national park's sandstone cliffs and rock formations can at times evoke the American Southwest, while its biodiverse mixed mesophytic forests and patches of old-growth forests keep things firmly grounded in Appalachia. Beyond the river, New River Gorge National Park also includes smaller mountain streams, lovely waterfalls, and historic mining towns and farmsteads. The park's most prominent manmade wonder is the 876-foot-high New River Gorge Bridge, one of the highest and longest bridges in the U.S.

New River Gorge National Park's recreational opportunities are nearly as deep as the gorge itself. The park sees lower visitor numbers than the ever-popular Great Smoky Mountains, America's most popular national park, so you can enjoy timeless Appalachian scenery with fewer people overall. The park protects 53 miles of the New River, whose free-flowing rapids are famous for whitewater. As it passes through the park, the river drops about 750 feet, creating thrilling Class II to Class V rapids. 

Visitors can experience the New River's whitewater thrills with one of several licensed commercial outfitters. Rafters have two main options for whitewater trips on different parts of the river. The Upper New River is the milder option, with Class I to Class III rapids that are more approachable for beginners and anyone just looking for a relaxing day on the water. The Lower New River has much more intense Class III to Class V rapids that make for adrenaline-inducing thrill rides. Both sections of the river have amazing Appalachian scenery rising hundreds of feet above rafters. 

New River Gorge National Park also has extensive, scenery-rich hiking trails for those who would prefer to stay dry. Among the park's many named trails, the 5.4-mile Endless Wall Trail is a particular favorite for its immersive forest sections and sweeping gorge views at the clifftop Diamond Point Overlook. Overnight stays are available at the park's eight primitive campgrounds and nearby resorts like Ace Adventure Resort and Adventures on the Gorge. If you're turning your park visit into a longer West Virginia road trip, you can also stop in the state's vibrant, historic, and modern capital of Charleston, about an hour from the park, for a more comprehensive Appalachian tour.