Five minutes here and you'll know everything that trips up first-time visitors to the New River Gorge. Four rules matter most: no drones without written permission, no firewood brought in from outside, dogs on a six-foot leash, and stay off the railroad tracks, which are very much in use. The river deserves the most respect, since most drownings involve people who never meant to go in. As for services, expect patchy cell signal below the rim, no drinking water at trailheads, no public restrooms downtown, and urgent care in Fayetteville open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The park's rules live in its Superintendent's Compendium (July 1, 2026), which covers the national park and preserve, the Gauley River National Recreation Area and the Bluestone National Scenic River.
New River Gorge park rules that catch visitors
From the Superintendent's Compendium (July 1, 2026) and NPS pages. | Topic | The rule |
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| Drones | Launching, landing or operating one on park land or water is prohibited without the superintendent's written approval, covering the national park and preserve, the Gauley River NRA and the Bluestone National Scenic River. |
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| BASE jumping | Prohibited without a permit. In practice it is legal on Bridge Day only (National Weather Service Bridge Day briefing). |
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| Swimming and life jackets | No waters are closed to swimming or wading and no swim areas or beaches are designated. Life-jacket rules follow NPS, Coast Guard and state law. |
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| Alcohol | Prohibited at Dun Glen (developed area), Grandview Top, the Bluestone National Scenic River and the Thayer river access, day-use area and campsites. |
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| Fireworks | No area or condition makes them lawful. |
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| After dark | Sandstone Visitor Center grounds and the Glen Jean headquarters: sunrise to half an hour after sunset. The Beauty Mountain area is closed from half an hour after sunset to sunrise. |
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| Camping stays | No more than 14 days in any 28-day period in park campgrounds, and 28 days in a year. Developed sites: two tents (or one tent and one RV at drive-in sites), eight people, four pets, two vehicles, checkout at noon, quiet hours 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. |
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| Where camping is barred | Within 100 feet of day-use areas, river accesses, trails, trailheads, structures and water; within 300 feet of any cliff top or bottom; at Grandview Top, the visitor centers, Kaymoor and Nuttall historic areas, Fern Creek, Beauty Mountain and Keeney's Creek Flatrock. Sleeping in a parked car counts as camping. |
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| Fires and firewood | Fires only in provided rings or a fire pan at backcountry sites, and never at the visitor centers, cliff tops, Fern Creek or the developed river accesses. Bringing firewood into the park is prohibited. |
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| Climbing | Prohibited at Grandview. Motorized drills by permit only; commercial groups capped at four guests per guide. |
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| E-bikes | Class 1 and 2 only, and only on the Stone Cliff Trail. Class 3 e-bikes are banned on every park trail. |
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| Other | Physical geocaches prohibited; hammocks no higher than 10 feet; the Carnifex Ferry Tunnel closed to the public. |
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| Railroad | "The railroad line is active. Keep off the tracks." (NPS) |
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| Firearms | Allowed if carried under federal, state and local law; prohibited in posted federal buildings (NPS laws and policies page). |
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| Fishing | A West Virginia license is required, plus a trout stamp for trout; catch-and-release rules on Glade Creek and on a 12-mile stretch of the New for black bass (NPS fishing page). |
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The drone ban is the one people break without meaning to, usually at an overlook when that bridge shot looks too good to pass up. The park cites "interfering with rescue operations" among its reasons, and the ban holds on Bridge Day too. Breaking park rules can bring a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual, six months in jail, or both. The firewood rule keeps tree pests from hitching a ride in, so buy your wood near where you camp. Park campgrounds are free and first come, first served, with "no drinking water, no hookups, no electricity," as the NPS camping page puts it.
Bridge Day security rules
On October 17, 2026, every spectator goes through a security checkpoint, so pack light. The organizer's FAQ bans dogs, coolers, folding chairs, bicycles, skateboards, wagons, weapons, fireworks, alcohol and "quadcopters/drones." Backpacks, tote bags, large purses, camera bags and binocular cases get turned away; clear backpacks, clear totes, fanny packs and purses under 5 by 7 inches are fine.
Town and county rules
Planning to leave a car on a downtown street overnight? Check with your lodging or Town Hall (304-574-0101, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) first, since overnight street parking may be restricted. Short-term rentals in town need a town permit, and every rental in the county needs an annual health department permit, worth a quick check before you book a private rental. At Fayette County Park, "Animals and alcohol are prohibited."
Is hunting allowed in New River Gorge?
Yes, on the preserve lands, so fall hikers should know where they are. The Park Service allows hunting in areas designated National Preserve, but not within 500 feet of campgrounds, day-use areas and visitor centers, and it allows no trapping at all. On the park's maps, green areas are preserve open to hunting and red areas are park closed to it. Five zones are closed to hunting: the Lower Gorge, Grandview, Thurmond, Sandstone Falls and Camp Brookside.
Key 2026-27 dates from the WVDNR summary: squirrel from September 12; deer and bear archery and crossbow September 26 to December 31; youth, Class Q and Class XS deer and bear hunts October 17-18, which is Bridge Day weekend; buck firearms November 23 to December 6, over Thanksgiving; and muzzleloader December 14-20. Hunters must wear at least 400 square inches of blaze orange during the firearms seasons. The park recommends blaze orange for climbers in hunting season, and hikers on preserve trails would be wise to follow suit.
Is it safe to swim in the New River?
Swimming is legal almost everywhere and safe almost nowhere without a life jacket. The park's water-safety page puts it plainly: "Most drownings in the New River involve people who didn't plan on being in the water. Life jackets save lives," and "Approximately half of all boating and swimming deaths involve alcohol." This is a big river, with swift currents, deep holes and a rocky bottom, and its level changes daily. The Lower New runs "Class III to Class V" with "hazardous undercut rocks," and below Thurmond the park calls it "suitable only for advanced and expert paddlers."
Check the level before you go near the water. The live reading comes from USGS gauge 03185400 at Thurmond, translated into plain terms on the river conditions page. For recorded river information, call Bluestone Dam at 304-466-0156, the Gauley River line at 304-872-5809 or the Corps of Engineers at 304-529-5127. Below Hawks Nest Dam, the bypass reach "is NOT safe for floating or tubing under any flow condition," and sirens sound before releases.
Two incidents this year are a sober reminder. On May 31, 2026, a climber who broke his leg in a fall at Fern Creek took about three hours to extract by high-line rope system and a CSX rail truck (WCHS), and in early July a swimmer drowned near Brooks Falls in Summers County (WVVA). Climbing? The park's climbing safety page says wear a helmet, never climb alone, know "the copperhead and timber rattlesnake," and get off open cliffs in lightning. Snakes, ticks and other wildlife get their own wildlife and safety guide.
After the August 2026 flood
The August 15 and 16 flash floods killed one woman in Fayette County and put all 55 counties under a state of emergency (West Virginia Watch). They closed Nuttallburg, Cunard, Glade Creek and part of Fayette Station Road. As of a September 3 park update, the road to Nuttallburg has reopened, Brooklyn Campground is open and one lane of Cunard Road is open again.
Status as of September 22, 2026: Several gorge roads damaged in the August 15 and 16 floods may still be closed or down to one lane, and Fayette Station Road has not fully reopened. Call park headquarters at 304-465-0508 before driving a river-level road. Check the
NPS closures page before you go.
Cell service, restrooms, water and parking
Plan on patchy signal. The town itself lists cell service and broadband as ongoing concerns, and campers report weak or no signal at river-level sites, so download the NPS app map before you leave town. Need Wi-Fi? It's available at the Canyon Rim and Sandstone visitor centers and at the library in the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building, 200 West Maple Avenue.
Restrooms take a little planning, since downtown has no public ones (the town plan lists "No public bathrooms" as a problem). The Sheetz at 27 Whitewater Avenue is open 24 hours with restrooms. There's no drinking water at trailheads or park campgrounds, so fill your bottles at a visitor center.
Downtown parking is tight; even the town calls Court Street "particularly troublesome." On festival days, park in the courthouse lot off Wiseman Avenue or the school lots off Fayette Avenue after hours. The Long Point and Endless Wall trailhead lots fill on summer and fall weekends and take no RVs, so arrive early.
EV charging
The town has two Level 2 chargers near the library, and Hawks Nest State Park lists EV charging too. For a fast charge, there's a Tesla Supercharger with eight stalls at the Sheetz on Robert C. Byrd Drive in Mt. Hope (Chargemap); check your car's app before you rely on it.
Hospitals and urgent care near Fayetteville
In an emergency in the park, call 911. For park questions that aren't emergencies, call Canyon Rim at 304-574-2115 or Sandstone at 304-466-0417, and the Fayette County 911 Center's non-emergency line is 304-574-3590. Fayetteville has no hospital of its own; Jan Care runs the ambulance service, with a substation on Court Street.
Trauma levels from the state trauma center list (2022). Urgent care and CAMC Plateau from their own pages. | Facility | Address and phone | What it is |
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| UPMC GoHealth Urgent Care | 5447 Maple Ln., Suite B, Fayetteville; 304-900-0317 | Urgent care, daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; X-ray and lab; sees children |
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| CAMC Plateau Medical Center | 430 Main St, Oak Hill; (304) 469-8600 | Emergency room for "non-urgent, urgent and emergent needs"; not on the state trauma center list |
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| Raleigh General Hospital | 1710 Harper Road, Beckley | Level III trauma center |
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| Beckley ARH Hospital | 306 Stanaford Road, Beckley | Level IV trauma center |
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| Summersville Regional Medical Center | 400 Fairview Hts. Rd, Summersville | Level IV trauma center |
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| CAMC General Hospital | 501 Morris Street, Charleston | Level I trauma center |
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Groceries, pharmacies, fuel and visitor information
Stock up on the edge of town, since downtown has no grocery store. The Walmart Supercenter at 204 Town Center Road has a pharmacy, and CVS at 72 Whitewater Avenue is open Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. For a full supermarket, Kroger at 411 Mall Road in Oak Hill is open daily 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sheetz on Whitewater Avenue sells fuel around the clock. On Saturdays from spring into October, don't miss the Fayette County Farmers Market in the courthouse lot on Wiseman Avenue, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
For friendly local advice in town, drop by the Historic Fayetteville visitors bureau at 162 South Court Street (304-574-1500), open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday; it's closed Tuesdays. The county's New River Gorge CVB at 310 West Oyler Avenue in Oak Hill (800-927-0263) keeps weekday hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. And Canyon Rim Visitor Center, the park's main desk, is open daily 9 to 5 except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Budget for two taxes on top of quoted prices: the county's 6 percent hotel occupancy tax and the town's 1 percent sales tax. For routes in, and the weekends when the roads get busiest, see getting here.
Accessibility in the park and town
Some of the best views in the gorge are easy to reach. A fully accessible ramp leads to Canyon Rim's upper observation deck and its bridge view (the lower overlook is 178 wooden steps down). Grandview's Main Overlook has a wheelchair platform at the end of a 500-yard uneven path, the Sandstone Falls boardwalk is fully accessible, and park films are open-captioned (NPS accessibility page). The Rend Trail, closed until late 2027 at the earliest, is set to become the park's only fully accessible earthen trail when it reopens. In town, sidewalks have gaps for wheelchair users. The Bridge Walk requires the ability to walk 1.5 miles.
