A new state and a new National Park …
Today we head north, leaving North Carolina and through Virginia to West Virginia – state number 45 and the country’s latest National Park, also in West Virginia.
We briefly rejoined the Blue Ridge Parkway for a short section then cut across country between interstate highways. The area we travelled through is very green and in some sections very hilly and dense.
Our main goal today was to visit the newest National Park in the US – New River Gorge National Park. The river cuts through the Appalachian Plateau and some of the exposed rock is said to be 330 million years old. For centuries the area was inaccessible to most then in the 1870’s the railroad arrived to service the coal mines. Eventually the area became popular for its premier whitewater stretches and in 1978 a section of 53 miles was designated a National River before gaining National Park status in 2020.
Our first stop was Sandstone Falls. Although not high falls, they span approx 1,500 feet across the river. The river was prone to flooding however a dam built some years ago now limits the flooding danger.
Moving along, the road rises high above the river providing spectacular views down to the river at various intervals. The best is a spot called Grandview which sits above a U-shaped bend in the river.
There are visitor centres in various parts of the park and we stopped at one for our picnic coffee break . The last stop was off the highway US16 where a bridge crosses the gorge. The New River Gorge Bridge is a spectacular feat of engineering and was only completed in 1977. At the time it was completed it was the longest single span arch bridge in the world. It is still said to be the longest in the western hemisphere.
Our stop for the night is in nearby Oak Hill at the Comfort Inn. Not much option for dinner so we tried the local Mexican restaurant – El Rio – which was excellent and very popular ! Sometimes the unlikeliest places turn out a hidden gem !
Onward north tomorrow and into Ohio
Nice train