A Visit to New River Gorge National Park (part one)

I arrived in Beckley, West Virginia on Sunday afternoon and checked into the Tru by Hilton with no problems. I’m not sure how I discovered this chain, or why I picked it over any of the others, but it was a newer hotel that was quite nice. Good wifi and tons of places to charge all my electronics. Just off the interstate – literally – but I had some nice views from my room, believe it or not.

And the free breakfast was pretty good. Now, West Virginia is on Eastern time and my employer is on Pacific, so that meant my hours got a little weirder, but I was game. I started work at 6am and watched the sun come up. By 9am I was out the door, discovering a new area of the Park each day.

My first stop was the big Visitor’s Center that sits right next to the New River Gorge Bridge.

The bridge is over 800 feet high, and before it was constructed in 1977, getting across this gorge and the New River meant a 45-minute drive via narrow and winding roads. (For comparison, driving across the bridge took me less than 2 minutes.)

After gathering information about camping, as well as the layout of the park, I headed out to see more of the bridge and take what used to be the only way across the New River.

The road was narrow and windy, although parts of it were also one-way so I could breathe a little easier. (Also, I was in my wee Honda.) When the road bottomed out at the New River I was able to cross on the “old” bridge.

The old bridge has slightly different weight requirements. While there’s no place to park along this cool bridge, there is a big gravel lot about 1/4 mile up the road. I had a pleasant walk back to the old bridge, which also gave me the chance to take more pictures of the new bridge.

There aren’t a ton of hiking trails here. There are a couple of mountain bike areas, but the main attractions here are rock climbing and rafting/kayaking. In fact, this area is kinda famous for its white water rafting and has been for a few decades. Good to note for a future trip!

The next day I took an opportunity to check out the Thurmond Historic District. The road followed along Dunloup Creek, with several waterfalls and pretty pullouts.

Thurmond is a historic town but it’s also an active rail station, with both cargo and passenger trains coming through. Someday I’d love to take the Cardinal Route from New York to Chicago. It’s not the fastest (or most direct!) but it would be incredibly scenic. Especially in the fall!

With my late September arrival I was a bit too early for fall color, which typically peaks in mid-October, but I still found Thurmond, West Virginia to be a beautiful place. The main drag of the town still stands, with what used to be hotels and a bank lining the gravel next to the rail lines.

This old structure was used to load coal and water onto steam locomotives back in the 1920’s and 30’s. I was a bit surprised that you could walk around underneath, given the looks of it. Of course I did walk around underneath, and nothing fell on me and I got some good pictures. Have I mentioned that the rail lines here are still active? Several trains passed through Thurmond Station while I walked around.

The conductor from the one above even waived. I also had a feline friend accompany me as I walked along.

Back at my hotel, I had some decisions to make about my next few days. Originally I had planned to check out of the hotel on Wednesday morning and head to the Park and find a place to camp. Get off the grid (literally, as there is no cell service in the Park). But the weather forecast was looking a bit ominous. Lots of rain and cold starting Tuesday night, lasting until Thursday. I know I’m supposed to be this intrepid solo traveler, and I still think I am, but the reality is that tent camping in the rain is no fun at all. Even in Taco Negro this would have sucked. Both options involve an outdoor kitchen. Neither option gives me any place to sit up and read or hang out in real comfort.

As I watched the forecast become more and more sure, I went downstairs to the front desk and extended my hotel stay for another night. Look, playing in the rain can be tons of fun. As long as you have some place dry and warm at the end.

I did hit up the grocery store for some snacks and made an interesting discovery: it was hard to find my car in the parking lot. See, I’d been expecting to find nothing but rednecks in giant pickups here in West Virginia. But in Beckley, at least, everyone drove small cars. The Honda Fit was lost in a sea of tiny vehicles that looked just like it.

I did not eat out much in Beckley but I did try a cool place worth mentioning: Pancho & Lefty’s tacos. I’m not trying to disparage this place when I call it a hole in the wall. The dining room looked spacious and cool. It was what I could see of the kitchen while I waited for my tacos, a Pancho (fried fish) and a Lefty (fried chicken). The refrigerator was … an actual refrigerator. No walk-ins here. And the whole place looked like a converted gas station. I couldn’t see much else but I was serenaded by the cook, who sang “Everyone Else is an Asshole” by Reel Big Fish as it played on a radio.

Also, the tacos were delicious. If you ever find yourself in Beckley, West Virginia, you should totally check them out.

Next post: Sandstone Falls, adventures in getting gas, and the plan for heading back to Arkansas. Stay tuned!