New River Gorge Bridge Walk: Everything You Need to Know!

The New River Gorge Bridge is one of the most photographed places in all of West Virginia, so it’s no surprise that it’s a very popular place.  But did you know you could walk under the bridge!?  The New River Gorge Bridge Walk company gives you an amazing opportunity to experience this iconic bridge in a whole new way!

Doing the Bridge Walk isn’t for the faint of heart, but for those who do it, it’s an incredible way to experience the New River Gorge.  In this article we’ll cover everything you need to know to enjoy an incredible bridge walk experience.  

If you’re planning a visit to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, this is something worth splurging for!

Important Links

New River Gorge National Park website

Bridge Walk LLC – buy tickets here!

Location

New River Gorge Bridge Walk is located in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.  The parking lot for these tours is right next to Canyon Rim Visitor Center for the park.  

Address to use: 57 Fayette Mine Road Lansing, West Virginia 25862

Or, type in Bridge Walk LLC into your preferred maps app.  

The Bridge Walk is only an hour from West Virginia’s capital city Charleston, WV.   However, it’s 4 hours south of Pittsburgh, PA, 4 hours west of Richmond, VA, 4 hours northeast of Knoxville, TN and 4 hours east of Columbus, OH.  So, unless you live nearby, you will probably have to plan on spending the night somewhere because of its distance from most major cities.  

Parking

There is a decent amount of parking at the New River Gorge Bridge Walk parking lot.  However, I would not bring an oversized vehicle here as there aren’t many large parking spots.  

Just use the address 57 Fayette Mine Road Lansing, West Virginia 25862 to lead you right to the parking area!

What Ages Are Allowed

The New River Gorge Bridge Walk company indicates that visitors doing the bridge walk must be at least 8 years old  and at least 48” tall to do the walk.  Unfortunately, this means no small children can complete this experience, but remember, this is all for their own safety.

And on the flip side of the coin, seniors are more than welcome on this tour as well!  The oldest recorded visitor was 95 years old. 

Is it Safe?

Alright, let’s get to the burning question at the back of everyone’s mind…is this even safe?

In short, yes!  You are harnessed in for the entire duration of the bridge walk.  The harness is around your body and you are strapped in, never having to unhook for the entirety of the bridge walk.  The cabling makes it impossible for you to fall from the bridge.

And as far as what you are walking on, you are walking on a 2 foot wide metal catwalk that was constructed as part of the bridge.  This catwalk has sturdy metal handrails all along it and there was never a moment when we felt unsafe on this tour.

How High Are You Above the Gorge?

The New River Gorge Bridge is 876 feet above the New River.  The catwalk that you will be walking on is 25 feet below the bridge, putting you approximately 850 above the New River.  From this height, people down on the banks of the river look extremely tiny!

What to Expect

Before booking your New River Gorge Bridge Walk tour, you might want to know what to expect.  What we experienced was pretty standard for how a tour goes.

• Arrive at least 15 minutes early to get checked in, sign the Bridge Walk Waiver, and to use the bathroom
• Meet your guide and get into your body harnesses (don’t worry, your guide will double check that you are hooked in correctly).
• Take a bus over to the Canyon Rim Visitor Center (3 minute drive)
• Walk down the Bridge Walk Trail (0.2miles) to the start of the bridge catwalk
• Your guide will then attach each visitor onto the cables and explain the cabling safety system to everyone.  
• Walk across the bridge!  -On your tour, your guide will teach you all about the incredible design of the bridge as well as direct your attention to points of interest along the way.
• Unhook from the cables and walk to the bus that awaits you.
• Ride the bus back to the Bridge Walk parking lot (8 minutes). 
• Return your harness and you’re done!

Estimated Tour Time

The estimated tour time for the New River Gorge Bridge Walk is between 2 – 3 hours. This depends on how long it takes to get everyone harnessed in, ride over to the start of the tour, walk the bridge, and then ride back to the Bridge Walk parking lot. 

Your tour guide will walk at a leisurely pace, giving you and your group plenty of time to take photos and videos along the way.  

What to Wear

You might be wondering what you should wear for the Bridge Walk.  You should wear closed toed shoes and make sure you dress warm enough.  It is often breezy, or even windy, underneath the bridge. 

As our guide put it, “The temperature at the welcome center is very different from what you will experience out on the bridge”.  So I highly recommend at least a light jacket.  

Hats may be worn, but if the wind kicks up, you might not want to risk losing it.  Glasses/Sunglasses might also want to be secured around your neck via chums or some sort of glasses strap.  

What to Bring

As far as what to bring, you don’t want to have any loose items in your pockets or a purse/backpack.  You really only want to have yourself out on that catwalk in case something would slip through your fingers.  

However, you are allowed to bring a camera or a video camera, as long as it is attached to you.  Phones are also allowed, but they must be secured to you.  We used our GoPros and attached those to our wrists.  

Price

The price to complete the New River Gorge Bridge Walk is $77.50 per person.  While this may seem steep, the experience is incredible!  Plus, you must consider the price of their equipment and insurance costs to even take you out there.  

You can book your desired date and time here!

Annual Pass Option

Now, if you live nearby, or are planning to stay for a longer stay, you might want to look into the annual pass option!  

The Bridge Walk annual pass costs $159 and is good for a full year of visits.  In other words, you can walk under the famous New River Gorge Bridge in any weather condition you can think of for an entire year.  

Our Experience (*hint hint* It Was Awesome!)

You might be wondering how I liked the Bridge Walk and I’ll tell you right now, it was awesome!  

I completed the New River Gorge Bridge Walk in September of 2024 with my husband and my parents, and we all had an absolute blast. 

First thing I will say is that our guide was knowledgeable and professional the whole time.  He also did a great job of explaining everything that we would experience to ensure that we wouldn’t be afraid as we got started on our Bridge Walk.  

The second thing I will say is that the views from underneath that bridge were indescribable.  Being able to look straight down at the New River as it flows swiftly 850 feet below you, was like nothing I had ever experienced before.  

And who could forget to mention the massive size of the canyon walls as the gorge stretches on for miles below you!  This was like no hiking experience I had ever done before and I highly recommend this experience to anyone who isn’t afraid of heights.   

We did bring some way to document this whole experience.  My husband filmed the whole thing on his GoPro and I took photos on my GoPro, so we got to re-experience the whole thing when we were done.  

Our family chose to do the 9am tour so we could have the rest of the day to hike and explore the immediate area.  

Nearby Hiking

West Virginia is a wonderland when it comes to hiking!  And once you have completed your Bridge Walk, you have the whole rest of your day to explore one of the nation’s newest national parks.

You can read all about hiking in New River Gorge National Park here.  And you can read all about hiking in Babcock State Park here!  These are two great places to start your adventure.  

Nearby Camping

Since you will probably be staying the night somewhere after or before doing the New River Gorge Bridge Walk tour, you might want to consider camping!  There are several primitive campgrounds throughout the national park, but if you would like a little luxury and have electric hookup, you might want to consider camping at Babcock State Park.

Babcock State Park is only 20 minutes away from the Bridge Walk parking lot and is a great way to stay for fairly cheap.  For all the information about Babcock State Park, check out my post on Camping in Babcock State Park!

Conclusion

The New River Gorge Bridge Walk was a splurge worth splurging for!  This incredible experience took us out on a catwalk that had us standing 850 feet directly above the New River. 

This once in a lifetime experience was worth every penny and I highly recommend it to anyone who is over 8 years old and also not afraid of heights!

As always, feel free to reach out to averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions about this awesome experience!