Many people think of The New River Gorge Bridge mainly as a vehicular bridge, but few know there is a walkway beneath the road that allows you an unobstructed view of the vast landscape far below.
Near River Gorge Bridge, located near Fayetteville, is a steel arch vehicular bridge 3,030 feet long and 876 feet high, making it the tallest vehicular bridge in the U.S.
Most people have no idea that there is a walkway hiding beneath the bridge, accessible by a short path near the road. The walkway is open everyday for tours, but you cannot visit the walkway any other way, as the gate to the walkway is behind a locked fence. Visitors are shuttled to the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, which is located on the north end of the bridge.
The tour itself is generally given in small groups. You tour guide will unlock the gate and lead you to the walkway beneath the bridge. Before the tour begins, each visitor is tethered to a steel cable via a safety harness provided at the visitor center.
From there, if you look 876 feet straight down, you are greeted with an unobstructed view of the of the gorge below. The tour does rush you to the other side, but allows time for visitors to ask questions, take pictures and enjoy the view.
From up there, as hundreds of cars pass above your head, you can enjoy both an architectural marvel and the vast beauty of nature - the melding of man and nature combined at a single destination.
