New River Gorge National River

The New River Gorge National River is a unit of the United States National Park Service designed to protect and maintain the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. Established in 1978, the NPS-protected area stretches for 53 miles (85 km) from just downstream of Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted. New River Gorge is also one of the most popular climbing areas on the east coast with over 1,400 established rock climbs.

The cliffs at "The New" are located just below the rim of the gorge and are made up of a very hard Nuttall sandstone. The rock is very featured, and an abundance of crack and face routes, with occasional large roofs. Almost all climbs are one pitch long and range from 30 to 120 feet (37 m) in height.

 

The Lower Gorge of the New River is a premier whitewater rafting location that attracts thrillseekers from all over the country and the World. The rapids, ranging in difficulty from Class III to Class V, are imposing and forceful, many of them obstructed by large boulders which necessitate maneuvering in very powerful currents, crosscurrents, and hydraulics. Commercial outfitters conduct trips down the river from April through October. The upper part of the river offers somewhat less challenging class I to III rapids for whitewater canoeing.