Welcome Aboard!
#63 New River Gorge National Park
Can you check a national park off your list if you only visited it BEFORE it was officially declared a National Park? I say…NO. So, with New River Gorge area of West Virginia being named our newest national park in 2020, it was time for a revisit. To this end, the Son of PT and I packed up the blog mobile and headed to West Virginia to welcome aboard our 63rd National Park…the New River Gorge National Park.
The Bridge is the Headliner
The New River Gorge NP park has thousands of acres of pristine woods offering hiking, river adventures, white water rafting, history, and all the usual draws in a national park. But, when it comes right down to it, the bridge is the headliner. The New River Gorge Bridge is an arch bridge 876 feet high, making it the third highest bridge in the USA.
There are many overlooks to view the bridge. Additionally, we drove over it several times in the course of our visit. However, there are no pedestrian walk ways and you can not legally walk over the bridge. There is one exception. Every year, on the third Saturday of October…which happens to be TODAY…the bridge is closed down for Bridge Day. This West Virginia holiday involves about 100,000 people crowding onto the bridge while various thrill seekers base jump and repel down the bridge. Its on my “to-do” list…visiting, not jumping.
Taking the Scenic Route
The 876 feet high bridge is 3300 feet long and allows you to travel 55 mph. But, there is another way to cross the gorge if you want the slower, more scenic route. If you are willing to drive down the side of the gorge on a narrow, one-way road for about 8 miles, you can cross the river at the Tunney Hasker Bridge.
The road down (and back up) is the Fayette Station Road. This road provides many scenic views of the gorge and bridge as you travel down to the river and the Tunney Hasker Bridge. The current Fayette Station Road bridge was reconstructed in 1998. At that point, they renamed the bridge after Tunney Hasker, who is the local resident that fought Muhammad Ali in Ali’s first professional fight (actually Cassius Clay at the time).
The Secret Crossing
There is one more way to cross the gorge. I said you could not walk on top of the bridge. However, I did not say you could not walk WITHIN the bridge. I give you the Bridge Walk…
To allow for bridge maintenance and inspection, there is a 2 foot wide catwalk within the supports, directly below the highway. For a nominal fee, you can don a harness and take a guided tour across the full length of the bridge. The catwalk itself seemed very stable and you have a safety harness. But, with every step, there is no denying the 876 feet view to the bottom. The bridge does shake a lot from the overhead traffic. Reportedly, the movement of the bridge is designed to dissipate the forces of the traffic rather than rigidly working against the traffic.
Wrap It Up
Once again…Welcome aboard to the New River Gorge National Park, our newest national park. The park overflows with outdoor adventures in and around the gorge and bridge. As you now know, there are lots of ways to cross the gorge. However, I am drawing the line at base jumping. I am sure a base jumping blog would be good reading. But, its not going to happen. Have a wonderful day. PT
I hope you have enjoyed reading “Welcome Aboard” on Traveling with PugsleyTonks.
Here was another national park post… https://travelingwithpt.com/the-path-least-traveled/
If you need to plan your trip to the gorge… https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm
P.S. Three Highest Bridges
I mentioned that the New River Gorge Bridge is the third highest bridge in the USA. I would be remiss if I did not let you know which bridges are the highest and second highest. And, I happened to have visited both…
At 956 feet, the Royal Gorge Bridge in Canon City, Colorado, is this nation’s highest bridge. At 890 feet above the Colorado River, the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge near the Hoover Dam comes in as the second highest bridge…first highest road bridge, as Royal Gorge Bridge is not a roadway.
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