Long Point is the walk that gets you the postcard: the whole New River Gorge Bridge, side-on, arching across the gorge with the river 876 feet below its deck. It's 1.6 miles each way from a lot on Newton Road just outside Fayetteville, mostly a lazy downhill through field and forest, then one steep pitch onto a bare rock point with no railing and nothing between you and the view. There's no fee, leashed dogs are welcome, bikes can ride most of the way, and the Park Service rates the 3.2-mile round trip moderate.
How to get to the Long Point trailhead
From US 19, follow WV 16 south into Fayetteville and turn left on Gatewood Road at the sign for Kaymoor and Cunard. Go 1.9 miles, turn left on Newton Road, and the lot is 50 yards along on your left. Trust those directions over your phone, since the park warns that Apple Maps and Google Maps can steer visitors toward rough, inaccessible corners of the park.
There's a vault toilet at the trailhead and no RV parking. The lot is a fair size, but hikers on AllTrails say it still fills early, and the point draws a crowd even when the side trails are empty. Want the rock to yourself? Be walking before mid-morning.
What the walk out is like
The trail crosses open field, slips into the woods and, in the Park Service's words, "lazily descends through the forest," which is why so many hikers call it easy. Do the math before you celebrate, though: downhill all the way out means uphill all the way back, and the one steep section, right before the point, gets climbed twice. Hikers' GPS tracks on onX and trail blogs put the round-trip gain at roughly 320 to 345 feet, and that return climb is what earns the park's moderate rating.
Riding? Bikes are allowed until the last 0.2 mile, which the park keeps bike-free. There's a rack where the riding stops, so lock up and walk the final stretch.
Then the trees give way to sandstone and there it is: the New River Gorge Bridge, side-on across the gorge, the entire arch in one frame with the New River far below. Pack a snack and stay a while. Nobody walks 1.6 miles for a glance.
Turn it into a longer hike
Two connectors let you stretch the day. Timber Ridge is an easy 1.0 mile that starts 50 yards up Newton Road and joins the Fayetteville Trail near Wolf Creek. Butcher Branch is rougher, a 0.8-mile, hiking-only link from the Kaymoor Top lot with steep stretches and a stream crossing, and it's the key to pairing Long Point with the Kaymoor Miners Trail. A 2023 Hikes and Hops trip report strings the two together into one full day.
Stay safe at the point
The rock is narrow and there's no railing, so the Park Service asks everyone to "use caution around the unprotected cliff edges." Keep small children within arm's reach and dogs on their leash, which park rules cap at six feet. And leave the drone in the car: flying one from park land takes the superintendent's written approval under the park's compendium, however good that bridge shot would look.
When to go
The trail is open all day, every day, and it's free. Your real deadline is the parking lot, which fills early on nice weekends.
Fall is the prize, when the forest around the rust-brown arch turns color, and it brings the gorge's biggest day with it: Bridge Day, Saturday, October 17, 2026, when US 19 over the bridge closes from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM and BASE jumpers leap off the deck. Long Point faces the whole show, but crowds and parking out here that day are hard to predict, so check with the park before you build your plans around it.
More gorge views and where to stay nearby
Hungry for another rim view? The Endless Wall Trail looks down the length of the gorge instead of at the bridge. The best overlooks guide lines the viewpoints up side by side, and the trails hub lists every trailhead in the area with its current status.
The trailhead is a short drive from downtown Fayetteville, so a cabin, campsite or room in town puts you first in line for the morning lot. The map here compares places to stay nearby.
