Hiking The Endless Wall Trail In New River Gorge National Park
The Endless Wall Trail is located in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia.
This pet and family friendly hike has about 400 feet of elevation gain and is popular with rock climbers as well as hikers.
The hike is 2-3 miles long depending on how you do it.
There are two trailheads for this hike.
Most people park at the Fern Creek Trailhead (38.06280, -81.05631), but if that small parking lot is full go to the Nuttall Trailhead (38.05982, -81.04920) 1/2 mile down the road. DO NOT park on Lansing Edmond Road or you might get towed.
If you hike the entire trail from trailhead to trailhead it’s a total of 2.4 miles. You then have a 1/2 mile road hike back to your car.
A lot of people just hike to Diamond Point then turn around and hike back. This is the option we chose and the hike totaled 2.1 miles and we started at Fern Creek Trailhead.
The start of the trail had us hiking through an open hardwood forest with lots of moss and ferns. It gave me real rainforest vibes. After crossing the bridge at Fern Creek you’ll make your way up to the rim of the gorge.
At this point in the trail you’ll be traveling among a ton of rhododendron thickets (which I love). Along the way many short spur trails lead to the edge giving you an opportunity for a number of different vista views.
Eventually you will come to Diamond Point and some spectacular views.
Almost 1000 feet below you will see and hear the rushing waters of the New River. In the distance off to your right you can see New River Gorge Bridge.
To the left you will see massive sandstone cliff walls stretching into the distance creating an “endless wall” inspiring the name of the hike. If you’re lucky you just might see a climber or two scaling that wall.
A wall of trees also surrounds the area and the views everywhere are just impressive.
We both really enjoyed this trail and it’s one I would recommend to anyone visiting the park.
The trail seemed to be slightly uphill the whole way though even though the hubby swears there were some straight parts.
It was a lot faster returning to the car than hiking to the point though (downhill is always so much easier on my old body).
There are a lot of roots and slippery rocks on this trail so watch your footing. This trail also had multiple patches of mud to avoid (which I’m beginning to think is a common theme in this area).
Remember, you are walking on the edge of a cliff during parts of this hike so watch your pets and little ones. Be especially mindful when exploring Diamond Point, because the drop-offs there are scary.