New River Gorge NP is near Fayetteville, West Virginia. The New River was designated a national river in 1978. In 2021, 53 miles of the river and 70,000 acres along the river were designated New River Gorge National Park. It is the 63rd national park created, and for us it was the 63rd national park we have visited. That means we have now visited all 63 national parks!!! Ours was a brief visit, but it was enjoyable. We started our visit at the Canyon View Visitor Center. There, after talking to one of the rangers there, we took some photos from the back deck and then hiked the two trails down closer to the bridge and river. One of the trails takes you down 178 steps! Next, we drove the Fayette Station Road. It is an 8 mile narrow winding road that is mostly one-way. It takes you down one side of the gorge, across a small bridge at the bottom and then up the other side of the gorge. Our last activity was a New River Gorge Bridge Walk (bridgewalk.com). It is just over two hours and is done on a catwalk under the bridge. The catwalk is 25 feet below the bridge and 24 inches wide. You are fastened onto a safety cable that makes it impossible to fall. It gives you very interesting views of the bridge and the river below. You also have a guide that leads you on the walk and provides lots of information about the bridge and the area.

New River Gorge Bridge Facts:
1. The Bridge Solved Travel Woes - When the New River Gorge Bridge opened in 1977, it changed the travel time for those driving from the south side of The Gorge to the North (or vice versa) substantially. The drive, which used to take 40 minutes down and up a narrow, winding mountain road, now takes less than a minute. This helped commuters get to work more efficiently and allowed families who lived on opposite sides of The Gorge the opportunity to visit their loved ones without such a long drive. For those who want to experience the old road, you can still drive it, but it is now a one-way road
2. COR-TEN steel, or weathering steel, was used in the construction of the New River Gorge Bridge. This type of steel, after years of exposure to the elements, develops a rust-colored patina. Weathering steel is a popular choice for outdoor sculptures as well as buildings. Due to this, the New River Gorge Bridge never needs to be painted.
3. The New River Gorge Bridge is the Western Hemisphere's Longest Single-Span Arch Bridge. It held the title of the longest single-span arch bridge for 26 years but is now the fifth longest in the world, still an impressive feat! The bridge is a whopping 3,030 feet long.
4. Despite its name, the New River, which flows underneath the New River Gorge Bridge, is the oldest rivers in the world. It is around 300 million years old. The oldest is the Finke River in Australia which is between 300-340 million years old.