HappeningFall color in the gorge and crisp days. Bridge Day, an annual fall event on the New River Gorge Bridge, closes the road for a day (dates vary). Rooms fill early on color weekends, so book well ahead.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Arrival day
Before Day 1. The sights are spread along a long gorge, so you will want a car, and a room near Fayetteville for the first two nights.Details
Flying in
The nearest airports are Raleigh County Memorial Airport near Beckley and West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston. Scheduled flights are limited at the smaller airport, so check ahead. Pick up a car at the airport, since there is little public transport between the sights.
Driving the mountains
The roads climb, drop and bend, and some of the gorge roads are narrow. Fuel up in the larger towns, check the road ahead before you set off, and give yourself more time than a map suggests. In winter, snow and ice can close roads.
Where to base
Fayetteville sits beside the gorge and suits Days 1 and 2. Day 3 ends in Lewisburg, a drive to the east, so you can move on that day and finish the trip there. If you keep your room in Fayetteville instead, check the road and the light before the drive back.
First evening
Take an easy walk in Fayetteville, and look over a map of the gorge. Day 1 starts on a cliff trail on the rim, so bring walking shoes with a good grip and water.
How much walking? On foot, about 0.3 to 1.9 miles a day, and 148.4 miles by car in all across 4 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Day 1. Babcock and the Greenbrier valley
4 stops · 45.9 mi by car
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
Morning
Babcock State Park
A state park on the gorge with trails, a lake and the Glade Creek Grist Mill, a replica of an older mill completed in 1976 from parts of three other mills. Look at it by the stream, and ask whether the park sells cornmeal or buckwheat flour from it. Trails can be wet and steep, so wear shoes with a good grip, and check ahead on the road.
Go whenMorning, when the light is soft on the stream.
Local tip The mill sits beside Glade Creek, and the trails near it can be wet and slick. Ask at the park whether cornmeal or buckwheat flour is for sale, and check ahead on the road, which climbs and bends.
The county seat of Greenbrier County, in a valley to the east. Its historic district holds old log, stone and brick buildings from the late 1700s onward. Walk the streets with an eye on the details, and look into the shops. A pleasant place to end the trip.
Go whenMidday, then again at the end of the day (about 6:47 PM).
Local tip Walk the streets of the historic district slowly. Look at the doorways and the stonework, and read the plaques. It is a good place to buy apple butter and a few small gifts.
Salty, cured ham tucked into a warm biscuit, a mountain lunch you can eat on a bench in town.
Local tip Country ham is very salty, so drink water with it.
About 29 min by car or transit7.9 mi
3
Afternoon
Greenbrier River Trail
A long rail trail along the Greenbrier River, on the bed of an old railroad, with a crushed limestone surface that is flat and wheelchair accessible. Walk or ride a short stretch near Lewisburg and turn back when you like. Take water, and check ahead on the trail surface after rain.
Go whenAfternoon, when it is cooler under the trees.
Local tip The surface is flat crushed limestone, so it suits an easy walk or a bicycle ride. Walk a short stretch and turn back. Take water, and check ahead on the surface after heavy rain.
A regional arts hall in the center of Lewisburg, with concerts, films and classes through the year. See what is on during your visit, and check ahead on tickets and dates. If nothing is on, the building itself is worth a look from the street.
Go whenEvening, if a show is on.
Local tip It is an arts hall with concerts, films and classes, so check ahead on what is on and whether there is room. If not, look at the building from the street and finish with supper nearby.
Dinner
Chicken and dumplings
Chicken simmered in broth with soft dumplings of rolled dough, a plain comfort dish. In early fall, ask whether anyone has pawpaws, a native fruit with soft, custard-like flesh that bruises easily and does not keep.
Local tip Eat the dumplings while the broth is hot.
If it rains. Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg is covered, so keep it. Move Babcock State Park, Lewisburg and Greenbrier River Trail to a dry day if you can.
Day 2. The lower gorge and Grandview and Hawks Nest and the north
4 stops · 0.3 mi on foot, 73.6 mi by car
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from Carnegie Hall in LewisburgAbout 1 h 3 min by car36.2 mi
Where Day 1 ended.
1
Midday
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
The national park and preserve, set aside in 1978 as a national river and renamed in 2020. It stretches in a long ribbon along the river from near Hinton to Hawks Nest. This stop is a point in the lower gorge, where the old railroad town of Thurmond stands by the water. The road down is narrow, so check ahead on the road and the weather. Whitewater rafting and rock climbing are done here with licensed guides, so check ahead on river levels and the season.
Go whenMidday, with a full day ahead of you.
Local tip The gorge is long and the roads down are narrow, so decide on one area and take your time. River levels, heat and ice change what is safe, so check ahead on the road and the weather. Rafting and climbing need a licensed guide where it is required.
The old railroad town of Thurmond in the lower gorge, a place of coal and railroad money in its early days, now almost empty and mostly owned by the park. The old depot is a park visitor center. The entire town is a historic district.
Go whenLate morning, once the old buildings catch the light.
Local tip Walk the old railroad town beside the river and look at the depot, which is now a park visitor center. The road down is narrow and the town is small, so take water and check ahead on what is open.
A part of the national park on the southern rim, with an overlook over a bend of the river and trails through the woods. Trails near the edge can be steep and rocky, so wear shoes with a good grip and keep back from the cliff. It is a long drive from the rim at Fayetteville, so check ahead on the road.
Go whenAfternoon into evening (about 6:47 PM), as the light softens on the river.
Local tip Walk to the overlook and back, and add a trail only if your legs are fresh. Trails near the cliff are rocky and steep in places, so keep back from the edge. It is a long drive from Fayetteville, so check ahead on the road.
About 54 min by car28.6 mi
4
Afternoon
Summersville Lake
A reservoir on the Gauley River formed by a rock-fill dam, said to be the largest lake in West Virginia, with a long shoreline. Part of the north shore is a state park.
Go whenAfternoon, on a calm day.
Local tip A large reservoir on the Gauley River, with a long shore. Walk the shoreline or sit by the water. Do not swim without local advice, and keep back from the dam. The roads are long, so check ahead.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 3. Fayetteville and the rim
4 stops · 1.9 mi on foot, 15.6 mi by car
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Summersville LakeAbout 37 min by car or transit14.3 mi
Where Day 2 ended.
1
Morning
Endless Wall Trail
A rim trail that follows a long sandstone cliff above the New River, with views over the gorge from the edge. The ground is rocky and uneven, and the cliff has no barrier in places, so keep back from the edge and keep children close. Wear shoes with a good grip, and check ahead on the trail and the weather.
Go whenMorning, once the trail is dry and before the day warms up.
Local tip Keep back from the cliff edge, which has no barrier in places, and keep children and dogs close. The rock is uneven and slick when wet, so wear shoes with a good grip, and check ahead on the trail and the weather.
About 24 min walk1.2 mi
2
Morning
Long Point Trail
A trail on the rim near Fayetteville that leads out to a rock outcrop with a view toward the New River Gorge Bridge. The end is a drop with no barrier, so keep back from the edge. Check ahead on the trail.
Go whenMorning, when the air is cooler.
Local tip A trail on the rim that leads to a rock outcrop with a view toward the bridge. The end is a drop with no barrier, so keep back from the edge. Wear shoes with a good grip, and check ahead on the trail and the weather.
Lunch
Pepperoni rolls
A West Virginia bread roll baked around pepperoni, a snack carried by miners for their lunch. Soft, a little greasy and easy to carry on a trail.
Local tip Buy a couple warm from a bakery or a gas station case, and eat them with a cold drink.
About 14 min walk0.7 mi
3
Morning
Kaymoor Mine Site
The site of an abandoned coal mine, a coal processing plant and a coal town in the gorge, below the rim near Fayetteville. The town could be reached only by the railroad. A steep trail with many steps leads down.
Go whenMorning, before the day warms up.
Local tip The ruins of a coal mine and town beneath the rim, reached by a steep trail with many steps. Wear shoes with a good grip, take water, and remember the climb back. Check ahead on the trail and the weather.
A coal mining complex and town in the gorge, built around the railroad line at the bottom, with coke ovens, mine structures and a bridge across the river. The underground mine was sealed in 1958.
Go whenMidday, in dry weather.
Local tip The ruins of a coal mining complex and town in the gorge, with coke ovens and a conveyor. The road down is narrow and rough, so check ahead on the road and the weather. Keep to the paths and off the old structures.
A pot of slow-cooked pinto beans, often with ham, served with a wedge of cornbread, a plain mountain supper that warms you after a day of walking.
Local tip Eat the beans with a spoon, and crumble the cornbread into the bowl, as many people do.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 4. Fayetteville and the rim and Hawks Nest and the north
4 stops · 0.4 mi on foot, 13.2 mi by car
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Nuttallburg Historic DistrictAbout 26 min by car or transit6.9 mi
Where Day 3 ended.
1
Morning
Hawks Nest State Park
A state park near Ansted with a clifftop overlook on the highway, high over the New River. It lies at the north end of the national park. A building of the Civilian Conservation Corps holds a museum and a shop. The tunnel that runs beneath nearby Gauley Mountain was the scene of the Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster in the Depression, an industrial tragedy that killed many workers, so read the exhibits with respect. Check ahead on what is open.
Go whenMorning, when the air over the river is clear.
Local tip Take in the overlook on the highway first, then step into the museum building. The tunnel disaster of the Depression is part of the story here, told with care, so read it with respect. Check ahead on what is open.
The visitor center of the national park on the rim, beside the bridge. Ask a ranger about trails, river levels and road conditions for your days. A boardwalk with stairs leads to a view of the bridge, so check ahead on the steps if stairs are hard for you. Rafting, climbing and bridge walks are offered by licensed guides in the gorge, so ask here, and check ahead.
Go whenLate morning, to plan the day.
Local tip Ask a ranger about trails, river levels and the roads before you head out. If you want a guided rafting, climbing or bridge walk, ask which ones need a licensed guide, and check ahead on dates.
About 8 min walk0.4 mi
3
Afternoon
New River Gorge Bridge
A steel arch bridge, 3,030 feet long, that carries a highway over the New River Gorge near Fayetteville. For years it was the longest single-span arch bridge in the world. Look at it from the rim and from below if you can. Guided walks under the roadway exist, with a licensed guide, so check ahead.
Go whenAfternoon, when the light falls along the gorge (about 6:47 PM).
Local tip Look at it from the rim first, then from the park trails below if you have the energy. The trails down are steep and have many stairs, so take water and check ahead on what is open. Guided walks under the roadway need a licensed guide.
The small county seat beside the gorge, a town of a few streets around a square. Stroll the sidewalks, look into the shops and stay for supper as the light fades. It is a good place to plan the days ahead and to ask about river levels.
Go whenEvening (about 6:47 PM), once the sights have closed.
Local tip Stroll the streets, look into the shops and take a table on a warm evening. Ask around about river levels and where the trails are wet or washed out.
If it rains. Canyon Rim Visitor Center is covered, so keep it. Move Hawks Nest State Park, New River Gorge Bridge and Fayetteville to a dry day if you can.
Departure day
After the last day. Day 3 ends in Lewisburg, so you leave from the Greenbrier side.Details
Leaving from Lewisburg
Greenbrier Valley Airport lies just north of Lewisburg, with a few scheduled flights. Check ahead on the days they run. The larger airports at Charleston and Roanoke are a drive away, so allow time for the mountain roads.
Things to carry home
A jar of apple butter and a bag of buckwheat flour or cornmeal from a mill are easy to carry. Wrap glass well, and check the rules on food before you fly.
If you have a few hours
Take one more slow walk along the Greenbrier River Trail, or stroll the streets of Lewisburg for a last look at the old stone and brick buildings before you set off.
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Fayetteville?
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, April, June and August to October are the most comfortable months for walking around Fayetteville. This plan is built for october, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 4 days in Fayetteville, planned for october. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
On foot, about 0.3 to 1.9 miles a day, and 148.4 miles by car in all across 4 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
4 days of ridge roads, waterfalls and Jefferson countryAbout 130 miles awayAn easy add-on
4 days of makers and mountains in AshevilleAbout 190 miles away
4 days in the Great Smoky MountainsAbout 220 miles away
