USA Guide
The Capital Region
The New River Gorge
One of West Virginia's most spectacular river canyons, the New River Gorge, lies thirty miles west of Lewisburg along I-64. Stretching for over fifty miles, and protected as a national park, the thousand-foot chasm was carved through the limestone mountains by the New River – ironically one of the oldest in North America. Apart from one daily Amtrak train, there's no easy access to most of the gorge; to see it, you have to get out on the water, with the help of any of over fifty professional rafting companies. For details on the cycling, climbing, hiking, and rafting options available, visit the gorge's southern Sandstone Visitor Center, located where Hwy-64 crosses the river (304/466-0417), or the Canyon Rim visitor center, seven miles north of Oak Hill on Hwy-19 (304/574-2115), which sits alongside the New River Gorge Bridge, dramatically rising nine hundred feet above the river.
Hinton, on the southern end of the gorge (and another Amtrak stop), is an almost perfectly preserved company town, beautifully sited, with brick-lined streets angling up from the waterThere are the usual budget motels, highlighted by the New River Falls Lodge, 110 Cliff Island Drive ( 
304/466-5710, 
www.newriverfallslodge.com ), offering six basic B&B rooms (Price: $76-100) and four two-bedroom cottages with kitchens and fireplaces (Price: $161-200). Cantrell Ultimate Rafting, on Hwy-20, just south of town ( 1-800/470-RAFT, www.ultimaterafting.com ), charges $49-100 per person for river rafting, depending on the type of raft and the destination.
Opening time: Daily 9am–5pm
Website: www.nps.gov/neri
Price: Free