Visiting the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia? Check out the easy Long Point Trail for gorgeous views of the bridge, river and valley.
I grew up a few hours from the New River Gorge in West Virginia, and visits were always a special occasion.
The area is one of America's newest national parks, and is definitely worth exploring! (You can even camp for free.)
The New River Gorge is a lush, green valley in central West Virginia. The New River cuts through the valley, flowing north (not south).
Last weekend, I took my husband to the New River Gorge for an impromptu hiking trip.
And since we didn't have much time, we stuck to the trails that promised some of the very best views in the park, the Endless Wall Trail and the Long Point Trail. (On another trip, we explored the gorgeous Grandview area too!)
Love hiking in West Virginia? Check out Pinnacle Rock State Park (Bramwell), Summit Lake (Richwood), the Kanawha State Forest campground (Charleston) and the Gray Flats Trail in Beckley, WV.
Getting to the Trailhead
The Long Point Trail is in Fayetteville, WV, about 10 minutes away from the Endless Wall Trail.
To reach the trailhead, turn off Route 19 onto Gatewood Road.
Follow the road 1.9 miles, turn left at Newton Road, and the trailhead will be on the left.
Is the Long Point Trail Difficult?
It's a 2.9-mile out-and-back moderate trail, but just like the Endless Wall, it was a pretty easy hike.
Most of the trail is a flat gravel path through the woods.
Along the path, you'll see pine trees and more rhododendron.
So much rhododendron! You can really see why it's West Virginia's state flower.
Towards the end of the trail, you'll enter a rhododendron thicket.
Once you've entered the thicket, you're almost to the overlook.
This is the most difficult part of the trail because you'll be stepping over lots of rhododendron roots. But the thicket isn't very long.
The Bridge Overlook
The path will clear suddenly, and you'll walk out onto a rocky shelf with a breathtaking view of the historic New River Gorge Bridge.
Once we reached the overlook, we rested, ate a snack, and smiled happily as we looked out at the gorge.
Finally we hiked back out — happy, tired, and ready for our next hike!
The New River Gorge area has a lot to offer — here are 10 things to do during your stay!
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