If you’re looking for a beautiful area to visit in the fall, consider the New River Gorge region of southern West Virginia, an area I’ve previously visited with my brother Steve.

Originally planned as a “manly man” camping trip, we ended up “camping” at the EconoLodge in Summersville due to a forecast of steady rain and forty-degree temperatures. I have to credit Steve with being the manlier one of us though, as he refused to carry an umbrella; apparently this would be neither cool nor manly. 
 Not to be deterred by a little wet and chilly autumn weather, we managed to hike through many of the region’s beautiful parks. The New River Gorge—renowned as one of the top whitewater rafting destinations in the East—features numerous heavily wooded parks within a seemingly endless maze of mountains, plateaus, and deep river canyons.

We began our adventure hiking through Babcock State Park in the pouring rain. Babcock boasts the Glade Creek Grist Mill, one of the most photographed locales in the entire state. The Island-in-the-Sky Trail begins just behind the mill and offers a short but challenging hike around and through a maze of rocky ledges to a small shelter atop a rugged outcrop. I needed a “heave-ho” at the end of the trail in order to squeeze through a narrow opening in the ledges to reach the top.

This 4,127-acre park, located off W.Va. Route 41 near the small town of Clifftop, provides several overlooks with stunning views into the 1,000 foot-deep Mann’s Creek Gorge. We could actually see a small thundercloud rolling its way up the gorge toward us as we stood at one of the overlooks.

Hawks Nest State Park, situated on U.S. Route 60 in Ansted, features the only overnight lodging facilities perched directly atop the New River Gorge. I highly recommend staying at the park’s AAA Two Diamond Hawks Nest Lodge when visiting the area. The facility offers reasonably priced rooms, many with balconies overlooking the gorge.

Aside from the park’s stunning main overlook, one of the best attractions here is the aerial tramway that descends to the bottom of the gorge where visitors can board the New River Jetboat. The experience provides a thrilling 30-minute excursion on Hawk’s Nest Lake (an impoundment of the New River) up to the base of the New River Gorge Bridge and back aboard a covered high-speed jetboat.

The New River Gorge Bridge carries drivers on U.S. Route 19 across the world’s second largest single-span steel arch bridge. The towering structure looms 876 feet above the river rapids below, making it the highest vehicular bridge in the Western Hemisphere. A nearby visitor center offers sweeping views of the bridge and canyon below. For a unique experience, stop by the location Saturday, October 17 to take in the 30th annual Bridge Day Festival. The extreme sports extravaganza features daredevils who leap off the bridge with specially designed quick-opening parachutes strapped to their backs.

My favorite spot to peer into the dizzying depths of the gorge can be found at Grandview, a unit of the New River Gorge National River located off I-64 at exit 129 just east of Beckley. The park’s main overlook provides a breathtaking panorama of a sweeping bend in the river. Turkey Spur Rock offers three separate overlooks accessible by a set of wooden stairs that reach to the top of a wind-swept outcrop 1,400 feet above the river rapids.  

w296ukv4bh