Attractions

Here's the happy news about sightseeing around Fayetteville: most of it costs nothing. The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve charges no entrance fee, so you can stand on the Canyon Rim boardwalk and stare at the New River Gorge Bridge, drive the old road beneath it or walk out to a cliff-top overlook without opening your wallet. The big paid exception is the Bridge Walk catwalk tour under the deck, from $79 a person, and it's worth every dollar if heights don't bother you.

Start with the bridge and the stops right beside it, then work outward to the overlooks, the railroad town of Thurmond and two state parks with 1930s stonework and a famous grist mill. One planning tip: hours shrink in the off-season, and Grandview's visitor center and the Thurmond depot close for winter, so check the table below (built from the park's hours page) before you go.

Where to go: the attraction guides

New River Gorge Bridge

The big steel arch 876 feet over the river, free to admire. Where to get the best look, and the one day you can walk across.

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Canyon Rim Visitor Center

The easiest bridge view there is, free and open daily 9 to 5. Pick your deck: a ramp to the top one, 178 steps to the lower.

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Bridge Walk

Clip into a harness and walk the catwalk under the deck, 851 feet above the river. From $79, year-round, rain or shine.

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Fayette Station Road

The old road down to the river and back, eight free miles of hairpins that pass under the bridge three times.

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The best overlooks

Ten free viewpoints, from a stroll off the parking lot to a cliff-edge ledge, and which one suits your legs and your day.

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Thurmond

A near-ghost town where trains still roll through, reached by a one-lane bridge. The depot opens seasonally, free.

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Hawks Nest State Park

A 1930s stone overlook high above a bend of the river and the dam, free to visit, plus where the tram rebuild stands.

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Babcock State Park and the grist mill

Home of the Glade Creek Grist Mill and its water wheel beside a rushing creek. Free day use, and when the mill grinds.

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Grandview

Stand 1,400 feet above a horseshoe bend of the river at the Main Overlook. Free, with a seasonal visitor center.

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Sandstone Falls

The largest waterfall on the New, a river-wide spill you can walk out to on a boardwalk. Free.

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Coming soon: the Mystery Hole, the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and the historic stops on Court Street.

Hours and fees at a glance, fall 2026

Two road notes for this fall. A state paving job on U.S. 19 may close the Canyon Rim entrance for short stretches (the park's alerts page has the detour). And Fayette Station Road shows no posted closure, but the park hasn't formally announced its reopening after the August floods, so call Canyon Rim at 304-574-2115 before you plan the full drive.

See also the national park overview, today's river conditions, the trails section and Bridge Day.