If you visit New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, you will find tons of hiking trails. It is hard to decide which trails to go on because there are so many excellent options. In this post, we focus on two of our favorite hikes: Endless Wall Trail and Long Point Trail. Both trails offer spectacular long range views of the gorge and the famous bridge. For a closer look at the bridge buttress, check out our bridge walk post.
Endless Wall Trail
We started our hike at the Fern Creek Parking area. The first section was heavily shaded in the forest with minimal elevation gain.
Soon we crossed Fern Creek on a foot bridge. At this point, the terrain became noticeably more rugged as we climbed up and down in elevation.
Not long after the foot bridge, we made it to the first section of the Endless Wall where the cliffs were accessible to rock climbers. The vertical sandstone walls dominated the landscape.
Here, we got our first glimpse of the New River some 1,000 feet below. We rested on the rocks to enjoy the river view.
Barley was very cautious as soon as he saw the precipitous drop. He opted to hang back for safety in the rhododendron bushes.
As we continued on, the views were more expansive. Our first vantage point of the bridge was the south buttress.
As we hiked along the top of the Endless Wall, we would weave in and out of rhododendron thickets.
The trail was more challenging at this point. We slipped through the trees to catch a glimpse of the river.
Soon we were at the Diamond Point Overlook spur trail. Barley was not sure if he wanted to do another overlook.
Diamond Point Overlook did not disappoint. As we hiked out the spur trail, we immediately saw the expansive views of the gorge.
We lingered a while to appreciate the bridge view to the north and the river view to the south.
We marveled at how tiny the kayakers and rafters appeared below. Then we remembered our rafting trip on this section of the river some thirty years ago! It was unforgettable. We talked about repeating the experience soon.
As we turned around to go back, the Endless Wall was dramatically displayed in front of us. We could see why climbers love the gorge.
After our hike, we stopped in Fayetteville, WV for lunch at The Take Out restaurant. We chose the Pacific Pita Asian style with braised beef. It was delicious. Just what we needed before our next hike: Long Point Trail.
Long Point Trail
On the opposite side of the gorge, we found the Long Point Trailhead.
The first part of the trail was very easy going and also bike friendly.
As soon as we made it to the end of the bike section, the hike changed.
We were back in the rhododendron thickets hiking up and down and over the roots.
Eventually, the thicket led to the Long Point Overlook.
Across the gorge, we could see the Endless Wall were we had hike earlier.
As we made our way to the overlook, the views opened up for yet another majestic vista of the gorge and bridge. We were able to see the entire bridge as it connects both sides of the gorge.
We completed both of these hikes on the same day. Our total milage, according to our All Trails app, was 5.96 with a combined elevation gain of 755 feet. Not bad for a day at the park!
And finally…don’t forget to check out our post on the New River Gorge Bridge Walk. The bridge walk is a must-do experience like no other!