New River Gorge National Park. All photography is ours.
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West Virginia with Kids
If you’re planning West Virginia with kids, go to New River Gorge. It became a national park in 2020, and it’s still finding its crowds. We hiked the Park Loop Trail from downtown Fayetteville and took the 178 steps of the Canyon Rim Boardwalk down to the lower bridge overlook. Then we drove the old Fayette Station Road down to the river.
It was too early in the season for us to raft, and that’s definitely a reason to return. The New River has some of the best whitewater anywhere. The upper New River runs family trips all summer.
Destination guide · Updated November 2026 · Last visited May 2021
Best months
May–June, Sept–Oct
National parks
1 + 5 NPS sites
Fly into
CRW · PIT · IAD
How long
3 days for the gorge, 5 with the highlands
Book ahead
Bridge Day · Gauley season rafting · Snowshoe holidays
Our trip was in early spring. We stayed in Beckley, which has the hotel chains, and drove to Fayetteville each day. The Canyon Rim Boardwalk by the visitor center is an easy win for kids. Fayette Station Road was one of our favorite parts of the park. The old road switchbacks down under the bridge to the river and back up the other side.
New River Gorge is the part of West Virginia we know, and it’s a great start. Harpers Ferry, Blackwater Falls, and Snowshoe are still on our list, and you’ll find them below with the rest of the state’s highlights.
Your West Virginia guide
Enjoy exploring West Virginia with kids!
Keep scrolling for the essentials, three road trips, and where to stay.
Essential West Virginia
Why we love West Virginia
We think you’ll love it too.
West Virginia is where we’d send a family that wants to drive across one of the longest steel arch bridges in the world and raft the world-class whitewater that it spans. New River Gorge is wild, green, and deep, and the bridge stretches right across the top. Scroll down for the West Virginia essentials, starting with the gorge.
New River Gorge National Park Guide
New River Gorge became a national park in 2020, but the river that carved it is one of the oldest on earth. Our full guide covers rafting, camping, hiking, and the drives.
The New River Gorge Bridge Guide
The best view of the bridge is from the lower overlook at the end of the Canyon Rim Boardwalk. Bridge Walk runs catwalk tours underneath for older kids.
Canyon Rim Boardwalk Guide
The Canyon Rim Boardwalk starts at the visitor center and drops 178 steps to the lower overlook. We did it, and the kids handled the steps just fine.
Fayette Station Road Guide
Fayette Station Road winds down under the bridge to the river and back up. It was one of our favorite experiences in the park.
And the rest we’d cross the state for
Park Loop Trail Guide
The Park Loop Trail starts at Town Park in Fayetteville. It’s an easy hike, and we did it on our visit.
Rafting the New River Guide
We were too early in the season to raft, so it’s our reason to return. The upper New is Class I to III, and most outfitters take kids as young as six.
Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry has John Brown’s fort, the Appalachian Trail through town, and the view from Jefferson Rock. It’s an hour from Washington and on our list. Are you looking for more national park sites? See our guide to West Virginia national parks.
Blackwater Falls
Blackwater Falls is a 57-foot amber waterfall in a canyon near Davis. A boardwalk leads down to the base, and there’s sledding in winter.
Seneca Rocks
Seneca Rocks is a fin of quartzite 900 feet above the valley. A trail climbs to an observation platform with a great view.
Snowshoe Mountain
Snowshoe is the biggest ski resort in the mid-Atlantic, with a village right on top of the mountain. That means you ski down first and ride the lift back up to dinner.
The Greenbrier
The Greenbrier is a grand old resort with a Cold War bunker tour underneath it. It’s a fun bit of secret history for older kids.
Cass Scenic Railroad
Cass Scenic Railroad runs steam logging locomotives up a switchback track to Bald Knob. It’s a long ride, and perfect for train-loving kids.
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Visiting New River Gorge National Park
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Routes
Three West Virginia road trip itineraries
One state gives you three very different trips. Choose the gorge and the Greenbrier, the Potomac Highlands, or Harpers Ferry from Washington. See all the best stops on a map.
Home base
Beckley
This is where we stayed. It has several hotel chains, and it’s thirty minutes from the park. Our gorge guide covers the trails and the drives.
Then head to
Canyon Rim & Fayette Station Road
Walk the boardwalk from the visitor center, then drive the old road down to the river and under the bridge.
Add on
White Sulphur Springs
White Sulphur Springs is ninety minutes east. Take the Greenbrier’s bunker tour, then head to Lewisburg’s main street for dinner.
Home base
Davis & Canaan Valley
Davis and Canaan Valley are three hours from Washington. See Blackwater Falls and the Lindy Point overlook, then save time for the pool at the Canaan Valley resort.
Then head to
Seneca Rocks & Spruce Knob
Seneca Rocks is an hour south. Hike to the Seneca platform in the morning, drive up Spruce Knob in the afternoon.
Finish
Cass & Green Bank
Cass is an hour further. Ride the Cass train up the mountain, then tour the observatory.
Start
Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry is an hour from DC, or you can take the MARC train. Explore the lower town and John Brown’s fort, then walk the footbridge across the Potomac on the Appalachian Trail.
Then head to
Shepherdstown & Antietam
Shepherdstown is twenty minutes north. Stop there for lunch, then cross the river into Maryland for the battlefield.
Finish
Berkeley Springs
Berkeley Springs is an hour west. It’s a spa town with a warm spring pool in a state park in the middle of town.
When to go
Time your visits with the weather and the region
We went in early spring, before rafting season, and the overlooks and the drives were all open. The gorge is warm from May through September. The Potomac Highlands are cool all summer and snowy all winter. Fall color peaks in mid-October and Bridge Day is the third Saturday of October.
Swipe the chart sideways to see the full year.
May – June
Rhododendrons bloom in the gorge, waterfalls run high, and the rivers are at good family levels. Snowshoe opens its summer season.
July – August
It’s warm in the gorge and cool in the highlands. Rafting season is in full swing, and this is when we’d go back.
September – October
Fall brings Gauley season for the grown-ups, fall color in mid-October, and Bridge Day on the third Saturday. Book Fayetteville for that weekend a year ahead.
November – April
It’s cold, and it’s snowy in the mountains. We went in early spring and had the overlooks to ourselves. Snowshoe and Canaan Valley open for skiing.
Where to stay
Pick a good base to start your West Virginia adventure
West Virginia is easier when you pick one region. Here’s where we’ve stayed and where we’d stay next.
Gorge trips
Beckley & Fayetteville
We stayed in Beckley, which has several hotel chains and is thirty minutes from the park. Fayetteville has cabins, a couple of inns, and outfitter lodges with pools if you’d rather be closer.
- Where to stay at the gorge, from our trip
- Beckley chains on points
- Outfitter resorts like ACE or Adventures on the Gorge
Highlands trips
Davis, Canaan Valley & Snowshoe
Blackwater Falls and Canaan Valley both have state park lodges with pools. Snowshoe’s village is slope-side condos, booked a year ahead for holidays.
- Blackwater Falls Lodge for the waterfall
- Canaan Valley Resort for the pool and the ski hill
- Snowshoe village for ski-in, ski-out
Splurge trips
The Greenbrier
A national landmark resort with a bunker, a bowling alley, and a casino you won’t see. Expensive, and the kind of place kids remember.
- The Greenbrier for the whole experience
- Lewisburg inns for a cheaper base nearby
- Book the bunker tour separately
Good to know
Questions families ask us about West Virginia
Yes, it is. The Canyon Rim Boardwalk is 178 steps down to the lower bridge overlook and back up, and our kids handled it fine. The Park Loop Trail from Fayetteville’s Town Park is an easy hike. Save time for the drive under the bridge on Fayette Station Road. Our guide has all of it.
The upper New River takes kids as young as six with most outfitters. The lower New is twelve and up, and the Gauley is sixteen. It was too early in the season for us to raft, and it’s the reason we’ll go back.
Fly into CRW (Charleston) for the gorge, an hour away. Pittsburgh (PIT) works for the northern highlands, and Washington Dulles (IAD) works for Harpers Ferry. Most families drive. West Virginia is within a day of half the country.
Yes, you’ll need one everywhere. The roads are winding and slow, so plan on longer drives than the map suggests.
The third Saturday in October, when the bridge closes to traffic and hundreds of BASE jumpers leap off it. It’s the biggest one-day event in the state, and hotels within an hour sell out a year ahead.
You can’t walk on the deck, except on Bridge Day. Bridge Walk runs guided tours on the catwalk under the deck, 850 feet above the river, for ages eight and up.
Map
Essential West Virginia, mapped
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