New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is located in West Virginia, United States. Established in 1978 as New River Gorge National River, it was officially designated a national park and preserve in 2021. The park encompasses over 70,000 acres along approximately 50 miles of the New River.1

The New River itself originates in North Carolina and flows north through Virginia before entering West Virginia. There, it joins the Gauley River to form the Kanawha River. The park is known for the New River Gorge Bridge, a significant steel arch span completed in 1977. The region experiences abundant rainfall, which can lead to rapid river rises and floods, a characteristic of the Appalachian region's hydrology.12