Posted in West Virginia Hiking, Nature October 24, 2016 by

The Unrivaled Canyon Hike In West Virginia Everyone Should Take At Least Once

The Grandview area of the New River Gorge National River was once a West Virginia state park, but has since been transferred to the National Park Service. It’s best known for the view from the main overlook by the visitors center, but there are beautiful trails to hike here, too. Here are a few suggestions for how to get the most out of your hike.

You'll start your journey at the Grandview visitors center.
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From here, it's a short walk to the main overlook.
Flickr/Steve Bernacki
The overlook is easy to reach and wheelchair accessible, so if you aren't up for hiking, you can still get a beautiful view here.
To start the hike, follow the signs from the overlook to the Castle Rock trail.
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This trail follows a ledge in the exposed rock cliffs of the gorge.
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You'll also see a coal seam in the cliffs.
The Castle Rock trail is just .6 miles, but it's rough and rocky, so wear hiking boots and watch your step.
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The Castle Rock trail reaches its end at the Grandview Rim trail.
National Park Service
From here, you can take a left, and take a short, easy hike back to the visitors center. Or you can take a right, and continue on the trail down to the Turkey Spur overlook.
The Turkey Spur overlook has more incredible views of the New River Gorge.
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Turn around here, and hike a little over a mile back to the visitor's center.
On the way back to the visitors center, you'll see more great views of the gorge.
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Make sure to stop at the North overlook. It has similar views to the main overlook, but will be less crowded.

This is a perfect hike for the fall when the trees are changing! It’s also very beautiful in the springtime, when the rhododendrons are blooming. If you hike the Castle Rock trail and loop back, it’s a little over a mile. If you go on to Turkey Spur and then back, it’s about 2.5 miles.

To reach the visitors center from Beckley, follow I-64 East five miles to Exit 129 B. From Lewisburg, follow I-64 West forty miles to Exit 129. From either exit, turn right and follow Route 9 North six miles to Grandview.

For another short hike in West Virginia, take a look at how to hike the Appalachian Trail and see three states in just 4 miles.

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