The Grandview At New River Gorge National Park
Grandview is one of the deepest parts of the New River Gorge National Park and offers one of the most incredible views found within the park. You are 1400 feet above the New River while standing at the Main Overlook taking in dramatic views including seven miles of the river and its watershed.
When we first arrived at Grandview it was 10 am and the fog was still blanketing the area. We did hikes in the area for a couple hours then headed back to the overlook to see if it had cleared up. The fog had finally lifted and we were greeted with a truly spectacular view.
The Main Overlook trail can be accessed directly from the main parking lot at Grandview’s visitor center. This well marked, mostly paved trail is wheelchair accessible and ends at a large viewing platform. It’s maybe 0.2 miles total and relatively flat. An informational plaque on Grandview is also located at the platform.
If your lucky you just might get to see a train passing by down below. An active railway still runs parallel to the river. On a clear day you can see the town of Quinnimont. It was from this town that the first coal was shipped out of the gorge back in 1873.
The North Overlook also offers a panoramic view of this horseshoe bend in the New River. The North Overlook is easily accessible from another parking area on the main road.
The Grandview section of the park is open year round, but the visitor center located here is only open seasonally. It’s normal hours of operation are Memorial Day through Labor Day, from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Depending on staffing, it may be open later in the fall on the weekends.
Besides the visitor center and the magnificent view from the main overlook this area also offers multiple hiking trails. We hiked three of the five trails available here during our visit. The Castle Rock and Tunnel Trails were cool, but we found the rim trail lacking. Make sure to check out Turkey Spur Overlook while visiting. It can be accessed from another parking lot on the main road.
Restrooms, water fountains, picnic areas and playgrounds can also be found near the main parking lot. There’s even a baseball field here. This is an incredible day use area for everyone visiting the park with a ton of activities to enjoy.
If you happen to be visiting this national park I strongly encourage you to come check out Grandview. Have a picnic, take hike or just enjoy that amazing view for a while. You will not be disappointed that you made the stop.
