Top 5 Things to Do in New River Gorge

Are you looking for the ultimate adventure opportunity in the Appalachian Mountains in one of the most underrated destinations in the country? Welcome to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, the newest National Park in the United States, and home to one of the oldest rivers in the world (despite its misleading name).

New River Gorge is located in wild and wonderful West Virginia, and is home to some of the most unexpected landscapes on the eastern side of the country. When you picture West Virginia, you might not picture rushing class five rapids, towering sandstone cliffs, and a multitude of waterfalls and wildlife, but you’ll find all of that and more in New River Gorge National Park.

I had the privilege of working as an Assistant Climbing Guide in the park during the summer of 2022, which means I got to spend all of my free time climbing, exploring, and enjoying unexpectedly wild West Virginia. Here are the top 5 things you should make sure you do during your trip to New River Gorge.

Know Before You Go

There are a couple things you should know ahead of your visit to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. This is all my advice for navigating this park for the first time.

The weather in New River Gorge is unpredictable. Always assume it’s going to rain even if the weather isn’t calling for it. This is considered a rainforest, and showers can come quickly and come down hard. That being said though, summer is absolutely the wet season when it comes to rain. If you’re a rock climber looking for the driest time of the year to visit, we call Fall “send season” for a reason.

Dogs are allowed pretty much everywhere in New River Gorge as long as they’re kept on a leash. Feel free to bring well behaved dogs with you on trails, to the crag, or to picnic areas, and always make sure you have an extra poop bag on you so we can keep our wild spaces wild.

New River Gorge is not your classic National Park where you’ll enter through an entrance station and be within the park the rest of your time. New River Gorge is a park that’s interspersed with neighborhoods, Highway 19, and the adorable town of Fayetteville. The official National Park boundaries are the quarter mile of space surrounding the New River itself. Everything else is still considered “The Gorge” though, and is just as worth checking out while you’re there.

Go Whitewater Rafting

Since New River Gorge National Park is known for the New River, you can’t skip out on going whitewater rafting during your time here. You’ll want to book a trip with one of the local outfitters and the most popular company to raft with is Ace Adventure Resort, although you can’t go wrong with any company that’s going to get you safely on the water.

If you’re traveling with children, you’ll want to keep in mind that there are some age restrictions on the river. If you have young children, you’ll probably want to look into rafting the Upper New River, which only goes up to Class III rapids. Teenagers love the Lower New River, which goes up to Class V. Some companies even offer all day trips that will include time to swim in the river, lunch, and an overall longer adventure.

If you’re visiting in the fall and have a party of people over 16 years old, you might consider the biggest adventure available in the New River Gorge area: rafting the Gauley River. This rafting trip includes some of the most intense Class V rapids in the country (possibly even the world). While this river isn’t within New River Gorge National Park boundaries, it is part of the Gauley River National Recreation Area, also managed by the NPS. The Lower Gauley is slightly less intense if you’re not sure about embarking on the ultimate Upper Gauley adventure.

Rafting on the Lower New just before Fayette Station

Go Hiking

There are lots of hiking trails available in New River Gorge National Park and they all lead to somewhere beautiful. You can pick up a trail guide in the visitor center, but these are some of the most popular trails for finding the best views in the park.

(trail classifications and ratings are my own, based on the available terrain in the area)

Endless Wall Trail

Endless Wall is easily the most famous view in the park. Here, you’ll eventually reach Diamond Point Overlook, where you’ll gain views of some of the rapids and rafters below. This trail is dog friendly, and there are two parking lots. I recommend parking at the first one you’ll pass as you come from Highway 19. You’ll have the opportunity to make the trail a loop by hiking parking lot to parking lot, and if you park at the first lot, the section of this loop that will have to be along the road will be downhill rather than up (unless that’s your thing!).

Endless Wall is about 3 miles round trip, and I would classify this hike as easy.

Long Point Trail

Long Point is the other trail where you’ll gain some million dollar views of the park. Here, you’ll gain views of the famous New River Gorge Bridge and this is one of the best places to catch the sunset in the park. The trail starts off fairly flat and then starts to gain some elevation and rocks on the path toward the viewpoint.

Long point is about three miles round trip, and I would classify it as moderate.

Glade Creek to Kates Falls

Glade Creek is easily my favorite trail in the park, but it doesn’t lead to some incredible viewpoint. Instead, you’ll hike deep into the forest, along the rushing Glade Creek, to the stunning Kates Falls. This trail is fairly flat but long, so be prepared for at least a half day on trail with no cell signal. I recommend parking at the Lower Glade Creek Trailhead as the Upper Trailhead lot is 4x4 access only. Hiking to the falls from the Lower Glade Creek lot is about 9.2 miles one way, and I would classify this trail as difficult. Make sure you keep an eye out for the sign to Kates Falls on the left once you’re about a mile and a half from the bridge, and prepare for flooded trails and creek crossings—trekking sandals would be a great choice for this trail!

Kates Falls

Paddleboard on Summersville Lake

One of the most beautiful places in New River Gorge National Park is Summersville Lake, which is located about a thirty minute drive from Fayetteville. Here, you’ll find hidden waterfalls, climbers deep water soloing, and one of the best sunsets in the park (from the water of course).

Rent a paddleboard or kayak or bring your own to explore this huge and warm lake in the summers, just make sure that you bring a personal floatation device (PFD) for every passenger on your board or boat.

Be aware that some years, in the fall, the lake does get drained, so make sure you check the park website for updates.

The view from Diamond Point on the Endless Wall Trail

Go Rock Climbing

Other than whitewater rafting, climbing is the most popular sport to do in the New. Rock climbers from all over the world travel here, and many end up staying, because of the beautiful Nuttal Sandstone walls, incredible trad routes, and fun sport climbs. There’s even a good assortment of boulders for anyone who’s not stoked on rope climbing.

If you’ve never climbed before, there are outfitters who can take you on your first climbing trip—gear included! I personally worked for Ace Adventure Resort, but other climbing outfitters include Adventures on the Gorge and Appalachian Mountain Guides.

Another great resource for climbing (other than Mountain Project and the local guide book), is the local climbing shop: Waterstone Outdoors. Every employee here is super knowledgeable and wants to help you get on the rock as soon and as safely as possible.

Hal Homel lead climbing in New River Gorge National Park

Explore Fayetteville

There’s a reason Fayetteville is known as the “Coolest Small Town.” Downtown Fayetteville, West Virginia is super cute and has a lot to check out. Other than Waterstone Outdoors, our local climbing shop, there’s a huge assortment of places to visit like the Hobbit Hole, which is the antiques shop, the Great Googly Moogly, which is the local crystal shop, and restaurants like Cathedral Cafe and The Takeout.

Overall, there is so much to see and do in New River Gorge National Park and its surrounding areas, so make the most of it, get out of your comfort zone, and try something NEW.

Where You Should Go As a First Time Visitor: West Coast

PART ONE

This month, Jared, Lassen, and I are staying put to build our new tiny home on wheels, and while I’ll be writing a big post at the end of this giant adventure talking about the whole process, I decided to start a new series while we wait, talking about some of the states I know well, and leading up to a bigger project I’ve been working on in the sidelines. The goal with this series is to talk about the ONE place you should visit if you’ve never been to a state or region. A lot of you are planning road trips, or simply planning domestic travel in general, so if you’re looking for the best place to see what a state has to offer, you’re in the right place. For the first installment of this series, we’re gonna talk about my absolute favorite part of the country: the West Coast, which includes California, Oregon, and Washington.

Olympic National Park, WA

Southern California: Joshua Tree

I decided to split California into two sections because the north and the south are so drastically different from each other. Southern California is known for three things: beaches, cities, and desert. While I could have easily picked a beach for this, I truly think the Southern California desert is one of the most unique places in the country, so, let’s go to one of my favorite National Parks: Joshua Tree.

Joshua Tree is located about halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles, in adjacent to the towns of Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley. It’s also less than an hour from the Salton Sea and Slab City. This unique National Park is home to the largest population of unique Joshua “trees” in the country. The trees are actually part of the agave family, and the oldest is over 300 years old!

What should I not miss?

·       Hike Ryan Mountain

·       Find the Hall in the Hall of Horrors

·       Walk through the Cholla Cactus Gardens

This unique desert is one of my favorite destinations in Southern California, and because of its proximity to other SoCal hotspots, you’ll be able to make a whole road trip out of it!

Northern California: Yosemite

Seriously, if you thought I’d pick anywhere else in NorCal for a first time visitor… you haven’t been to Yosemite! Yosemite is one of the three most famous National Parks in the country (the others being Grand Canyon and Yellowstone), and it’s a hiking, rock climbing, and sight seeing destination for travelers coming from all over the world.

Yosemite is known for its giant rock formations, or monoliths, including El Capitan (which you might recognize from documentaries like Free Solo and The Dawn Wall), and Half Dome. It’s also known for having the tallest waterfall in the Lower 48, which you can hike to the top of.

What should I not miss?

·       Drive up to Glacier Point

·       Hike the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls

·       See Mirror Lake (in the spring and summer only)

·       See Yosemite Falls

·       Watch the sunset from the meadows over Half Dome

Yosemite was the National Park that made me fall in love with National Parks, and I hope it does the same for you, first time visitor. Have fun, and keep an eye out for black bears!

Oregon: Mount Hood

I easily could’ve picked Crater Lake for this spot, but nowhere in Oregon captures the beauty of the Pacific Northwest quite like Mount Hood. Mount Hood is a National Forest (run by the USFS, not the NPS like Joshua Tree and Yosemite), and it’s home to lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and of course, the famous mountain itself.

The Pacific Northwest is the best place to experience wild nature, and Mount Hood definitely has plenty of that. From opportunities to climb the mountain, to places to relax by the water, to more civilized excursions, like visiting the famous Timberline Lodge for some awesome views, this National Forest has a little bit of everything.

What should I not miss?

·       Trillium Lake

·       Tamanawas Falls

·       Timberline Lodge

Mount Hood is truly a Pacific Northwest destination that will give you the best of Oregon and keep you wanting to come back again and again.

Washington: Olympic

Olympic is truly the place that embodies everything Pacific Northwest. Here, you’ve got the coast, the forests, the mountains, the animals… everything you think of when you think of the PNW, Olympic has it somewhere within the Park boundaries.

Olympic is definitely a difficult place to get to, though, especially if you’re flying into Seattle, rather than driving from Oregon. You will have to either cross the Puget Sound by ferry or drive around it, and then you can decide which direction you’d like to loop around the Olympic Peninsula. Olympic is a huge National Park, but most of the park is wilderness and isn’t accessible by car. This makes it one of the best parks for backpacking in the entire country.

What should I not miss?

·       Rialto Beach

·       Hoh Rainforest

·       Hurricane Ridge for sunset

·       Obstruction Point (if you’re not scared of heights)

·       Crescent Lake

Olympic is easily one of the most unique National Parks in the country, and one of the places you’re sure to experience the best of the Pacific Northwest in its rawest form.

If you’re a first time west coast traveler, you have so many amazing landscapes to look forward to. So, why not start with one of these and go from there? If you’re looking to travel soon, but have no idea where to start, check out my new consulting services outside of Patreon for new travelers looking to plan a one time trip.

The Three Best Woodlands to Explore Along the West Coast

The West Coast of the US is full of wonder. There’s no question why this is one of the top road trip destinations for Americans this summer. But the truth is, there’s so much more to the west coast than just the stunning coastline, brilliant rock formations, and potential whale sightings. The West Coast is home to some of the most unique forests and woodlands in the country, with tons of diversity stretching from Central California all the way up to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.

(I’m defining these as woodlands to get rid of any confusion with National Forests, which are often just referred to as Forests by campers.)

These are the top three woodlands to explore on your next road trip up (or down) the West Coast!

See the tallest trees in the world at Redwoods National Park in California

Sequoia National Park, CA

Let’s start this journey in Central California, in the Western Sierras. Sequoia National Park is home to the world’s largest trees, including the General Sherman Tree, which is thought to be one of the oldest trees in the world. These trees are known for their wide trunk diameters and towering heights. The National Park is home to stunning wildlife such as black bears and marmots, and on a trip through the General’s Highway, you’ll be introduced to huge trees, hidden waterfalls, and beautiful views to hike to.

Sequoia National Park is connected to its sister park, Kings Canyon via the Sequoia National Forest, so you’ll have plenty of time to see this forest of massive trees between the two parks.

Explore the largest trees in the world at Sequoia National Park in California

Redwoods National Park, CA

High up in Northern California, located along the coastline, is Redwoods National and State Parks. Contrary to what most people think, Sequoia is not home to the world’s tallest trees. Instead, that secret spot is the Redwoods. These trees are skinnier than Sequoias, but don’t let that fool you! The Big Tree, one of the top attractions in the park is 23.7 feet in diameter (and 286 feet tall!).

Redwoods National and State Parks is just that—a mix of National and State Park land, which means there’s plenty to do for any traveler, no matter how long you want to spend there. You’ll likely see some elk in the woods and meadows and some seals in the ocean during your trip.

For a full guide to Redwoods National Park, click the button below!

Redwoods National Park is a hiker’s heaven

Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, WA

Olympic National Park is a unique one all on its own, but did you know it’s also home to the only temperate rainforest in the US that you can drive your car into? The Hoh Rainforest is one of the most biodiverse places in the country, and it is made distinct by the fact that the forest itself creates its own weather system.

While Olympic is known for its unique set of landscapes, the Hoh Rainforest truly stands out as one of the most distinct. It is home to multiple species of moss, banana slugs, and larger animals like bears. It is one of the only places in the country where you can experience a landscape as unique as this one.

For a full guide to Olympic National Park, click the button below!

Explore the only temperate rainforest you can drive to in Olympic National Park, WA

Trees are something that really define the West Coast, almost as much as the ocean does. With so many unique species of trees along these states, you truly can’t go wrong with a road trip to any of these destinations. You’ll be guaranteed to not only see Sequoias and Redwoods, but also Ponderosas, Spruces, and more. So keep your head high and your views higher—I’ll see you in the trees!

Interested in living on the road full time but don’t know where to start? Check out my ebook: A Beginner’s Guide To Living As A Nomad by clicking on the button below!

A Visitor's Guide to Olympic National Park

At the end of my 3 month solo road trip, I made a 3 day stop in Olympic National Park, Washington. The Pacific Northwest (PNW) will always have a special place in my heart. It’s the home of pine trees, mountains, and grey coastal shoreline. I first visited Washington as part of a day trip to Portland during the solar eclipse season of 2017, when I went up to Oregon for the very first time. This time, I came at Washington from the East, after visiting Glacier in Montana, and slowly made my way to Olympic about halfway through the week that I spent there.

Olympic is an incredibly unique National Park. It’s home to a vast array of different landscapes and ecosystems, and has a strange layout in terms of its road system. Olympic is known for its temperate rainforest, and is a favorite among backpackers and long distance hikers from all over.

This is my guide to Olympic National Park, and why you should add it to your bucket list.

Rialto Beach, Shore Section, Olympic National Park, WA

Getting to Olympic

Olympic has a strange layout in that you cannot drive through the park, you can only drive around it. Of course, you can drive into certain sections, but you can’t drive straight through, so you have to be really cautious of where each entrance is. The good news is, as you drive the 101 around the park, you’ll pass through plenty of towns, such as the Twilight-famous town of Forks.

It’s important to know where the visitor centers are, and Google Maps will let you put in a specific visitor center when navigating to the park. Look for the Olympic National Park Visitor Center and Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center for information when you first enter the park. For extra information, the Hoh Rainforest Visitor Center is great but a little out of the way. You can also go to the Kaloch Ranger Station for help and the Wilderness Information Center for information regarding backcountry permits.

To enter certain parts of the park, such as Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh Rainforest, you will need to pay an entrance fee or show your interagency pass. It is $30 per car to enter, and your entrance fee at one section of the park will get you into the entire park for 7 days.

Lake Crescent, near Fairhomle Campground

The different landscapes

Olympic has one of the most diverse ecosystems I’ve ever experienced in a National Park. They’ve got bears and banana slugs, beaches and rainforests. Every part of the park is something completely different, and it’s important to check out each of them. The following sections will bring you through each different ecosystem (and let you know which is my favorite!).

The Hoh Rainforest

“While there are multiple temperate rainforests in the United States, the Hoh is the only one you can drive your car into,” said a ranger at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center when I first arrived. I was immediately intrigued and set out to do my big hike through the rainforest on my second day in the park. The Hoh is known for backpackers, and has three trails. Two of them are small loops near the visitor center, but the Hoh River Trail is 17.3 miles long and is used for backpacking. You don’t have to have a permit to day hike on it though, so I went to Five Mile Island and back, making for a 10 mile hike.

The rainforest is home to lush greenery, crazy wildlife, like banana slugs and their darker, invasive species cousins, and tons of tourists. This is definitely the most popular part of the park, so plan accordingly! There is a campground in the Hoh too, just make sure you’ve got your rain fly if you’re tent camping.

Hoh River Trail, Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, WA

Hurricane Ridge

It’s not Washington without mountains. Hurricane Ridge is the mountainous part of the park that is most easily accessible to visitors, as you can drive straight to it! It offers clear views of the park, but is pretty far from the rest of the attractions and is one of the few spots in the park that you need to pay an entrance fee for. Unfortunately, this is also one of the only parts of the park I didn’t get to explore, because it was Labor Day and the roads were too crowded for me to make the day trip.

You can camp at Hurricane Ridge, at Heart O’ the Hills Campground.

Lake Crescent

I recently talked about Lake Crescent in my Best Lakes of 2019 post, so I’ll make this short. Lake Crescent is known as one of the prettiest parts of the park. You can camp here at Fairholme Campground, which I did for 2 nights, and it was lovely. There is a nearby camp store with food, souvenirs, and other camping essentials like ice. The lake is open to boats, kayaks, SUPs, and other water recreation, and the area has plenty of hiking trails. I personally loved the Spruce Railroad Trail, which takes you through a really cool tunnel, and goes along the length of the lakeshore.

Be careful, though, this is the only part of the park that has poison ivy.

You’ll also be nearby Elwha and Sol Duc Valley when you stay near Lake Crescent and both are worth a little day trip (although Elwha is currently closed to cars).

Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park

Shore Section

All of this mountain and forest stuff is connected somehow, but on the other side of the highway you’ll find the shore section. The Olympic shoreline is easily my favorite part of Olympic National Park. It’s my Pacific Ocean that I grew up with, but it’s so different. There are pine trees overlooking the shore, and it’s full of rocky tidepools to explore.

Rialto Beach is my personal favorite, but you can also visit Kaloch and Ruby Beach and the coast near Lake Ozette. You can camp near the shore at Mora Campground (requiring reservations for 2020), and South Beach.

Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, Shore Section

Truly, Olympic is the most diverse National Park I’ve been to. If you’re looking for a destination with beach, pine trees, mountains, lakes, and a little bit of rainforest (or a lot, depending on how far you hike), you won’t be disappointed with Olympic. So, make sure it’s on your list, and don’t miss the rest of the PNW while you’re at it.

If you’re interested in visiting Olympic and working it into a much larger road trip, check out my ebook: Around the States in 90 Days.