New River Gorge Photos: The Best Places to Get Awesome Photos!
West Virginia is a beautifully underrated state. The mountains and rivers are something out of a story book. But where are the best places to take amazing New River Gorge photos? I’ll show you!
There are several areas throughout the park, and outside of the park, that offer incredible views. Use this post as your cheat code so you can skip the wandering and get right down to photographing!
So grab your camera gear and let’s head to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
Important Links
–New River Gorge National Park website
Basic Information
New River Gorge National Park is located in southern West Virginia. With over 1.7 million visitors in 2023, this park is so much more than just a bridge.
The park offers amazing views, wild adventures and some incredible history. New River Gorge is home to 50,000 acres of land and 53 miles of the New River.
So with lots of ground to cover, here are a few basics you should know before heading there.
Fees
New River Gorge National Park is one of the few parks that is free to enter! So don’t worry about a national parks pass for this trip.
Maps
There is very limited cell phone reception in New River Gorge National Park, so you will want to stop at a visitor center to pick up a map.
I also highly recommend downloading an offline map onto your phone so you are still able to use your GPS app.
Alright, let’s get to why you are here!
Best Photo Spots In the Park
With so many beautiful places to take amazing New River Gorge photos, I’ve compiled a fairly comprehensive list for you to get started. While this is hardly an all-encompassing list, this is more than a head start for you!
Northern Area of the Park
With 3 main sections of the park, we’ll start with the northern area of the park. This area includes the famous New River Gorge Bridge and is a great place to start your photography trip!
Canyon Rim Visitor Center
First on our list of locations to take New River Gorge photos is the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. You’ll want to start here to grab a map and get some information about the area anyway.
Once you have gotten your map, you can head straight out the front door and follow the signs for the bridge. There is an upper platform and a lower platform where you can get up-close-and-personal with the New River Gorge Bridge.
Tip: On a cool morning, you might be able to capture a misty bridge picture as the cool air and warm water create a fog.
Fayette Station Bridge Area
Another place to take some great New River Gorge photos is from the Fayette Station Bridge via the Fayette Station driving tour. This free driving tour starts just outside the Canyon Rim Visitor Center and winds you down and around the New River Gorge Bridge. You will then cross the New River on the Fayette Station Bridge and you can park at the closest parking spot.
You’ll then want to walk back up to where you crossed (be careful, this is an active road!) the bridge and you can grab some photos of the rafters floating down towards the river.
Tip: There is also a great place to get photos at the first parking lot after the Fayette Station Bridge and the second parking lot after this bridge. Follow the parking lots down to the water’s edge and grab some photos of the water, the rocks and the New River Gorge Bridge.
Long Point Trail
Still in the northern area of the park is a 3 mile hike that will lead you to one of the best views of the New River Gorge Bridge. The Long Point Trail is an iconic place for New River Gorge photos as it will give you an uninterrupted view of the bridge that spans the gorge.
This is one of the most photographed spots in all of West Virginia and you’ll definitely find it’s worth the hike. Even if you are not much of a hiker, this trail is easy to follow and doesn’t have a lot of elevation gain.
Tip: The sunsets and sunrises here are to die for!
Endless Wall Trail
And our final installment in the north end of the park is another quick hike. The Endless Wall Trail will always make the list for must-take New River Gorge photos. This unique trail leads you out to Diamond Point and gives you both a great view of the canyon rim, as well as the New River below you.
The rim of the canyon seems to stretch out forever in front of you. And if you stay here long enough, you will inevitably see kayakers and rafters navigating the waters below you.
Tip: Hike this trail as an out and back trail out to Diamond Point. The loop trail will have you completing the loop on the road.
Middle of the Gorge
Our next two areas of the park are in the middle section of the New River Gorge National Park. There are dozens of trails and points of interest all throughout this section of the park, but here are 2 you just can’t miss!
Thurmond
The first place is not only an amazing piece of history, but it’s also the smallest town in all of West Virginia. With only 3 full-time residents, this place is nearly a ghost town.
What used to be the mining and railroad capital of the gorge, is now just a few buildings. However, the Thurmond train station is still operational! This small town is part of a southern Amtrak tour from Chicago to Washington D.C. and there are 3 passenger trains per week that stop here.
The trickiest part about Thurmond is getting there. The roads become skinnier and skinnier until you are on a one-lane bridge that leads you to the Thurmond Depot. This Depot is open on the weekends and acts as the visitor center for this area on these days.
Tip: Do a walking tour with a Park Ranger or Volunteer to get the full experience of the area.
Grandview
Another location to take amazing New River Gorge photos is the Grandview overlook. This place is absolutely gorgeous and it truly gives you a grand view of the New River. This overlook has stunning views of the curves of the river while also giving you a view of the luscious trees throughout the area.
There is a short hike here that you can add called the Grandview Rim Trail to the Turkey Spur. The views are stunning and there is a reason that this is a fan favorite area of the park.
Tip: You might want a wide angle to capture more of the landscape and river here!
Southern Part of the Park
We have reached the southernmost tip of New River Gorge National Park. In this area, there are several old towns and of course, Sandstone Falls. This waterfall is the beginning of the gorge (since the New River runs from south to north) and the waterfall is where the New River begins to descend into the gorge. The river drops hundreds of feet in elevation as it flows north.
Sandstone Falls
The Sandstone Falls area is the last must-photograph area within the park boundaries. Yes, there are more than just these few on the list, but these 7 are absolutely Must-Sees.
This waterfall spans the entire width of the New River and can be quite impressive after a hard rain. There is a boardwalk trail here where you can walk and view the waterfalls.
Tip: There is a trail where you can go off the boardwalks and follow a dirt path until you reach the hardest flowing area of the falls. This spot makes for the best long exposure photos.
Towns Near the Park
Now this list of spots for the best New River Gorge photos wouldn’t be complete without a few old towns just outside of the park. There are two towns, Hinton at the southernmost point and Fayetteville near the northernmost point.
Both of these towns are old and simply charming. Hinton was founded in 1873 and Fayetteville was founded in 1837 under a different name. Both of these towns have deep rooted history and you can even take a Historical Haunted Walking Tour in Fayetteville!
These towns have the cutest Main Streets that are just dotted with adorable restaurants and shops you’ll want to capture.
And I have 2 more suggestions for you that are just a little ways outside of New River Gorge National Park.
Best Photo Spots RIGHT Outside the Park
There are several nearby West Virginia State Parks that will also make you want to grab your camera.
Babcock State Park has the world famous Glade Creek Grist Mill as well as several vistas and waterfalls along their trails.
Hawks Nest State Park overlooks the New River as it flows north over the Hawks Nest Dam. There are several overlooks here where everyone is welcome to view the beauty of the gorge below
And there is also Bluestone State Park, Summersville Lake State Park and Little Beaver State Park that you won’t want to miss either.
While locals could add dozens of locations to this list, there are at least 25 other places that are worth visiting! In 2023, the WVTourism department erected 25 swings throughout the state of West Virginia, and here is why you might just want to pay them a visit!
Almost Heaven Swings
Throughout the state of West Virginia, there are 25 “Almost Heaven” Swings. Most of these are in state parks, but others are a bit random. Each location is a great place to photograph a little slice of heaven in West Virginia.
Each swing is located with a beautiful backdrop and they are a great opportunity to road trip through West Virginia. If you want to find out more about the beautiful swings, head over to my post all about the Almost Heaven Swings!
Conclusion
There are so many stunning places to take New River Gorge photos in the park, and the surrounding areas. While you might not have time for all of them, you’ll be able to prioritize your desired locations while in our nation’s newest national park.
From the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, to the nearly-ghost town of Thurmond, to the waterfall in the Sandstone area, you won’t want to miss the diversity of New River Gorge National Park!
As always, please feel free to reach out to me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions.
-Happy Hiking and Photographing!
Megan C.
Avid hiker and traveler around the US. I've been hiking consistently since I was 18 and I can't wait to teach you my tips, tricks and hiking hacks! Travel and hike with me and my camera.
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