West Virginia National Parks

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1 National Park in West Virginia

About the West Virginia National Parks

West Virginia is home to one national park: New River Gorge National Park. Tap a park to check it off, drop a pin on the map, and track your progress — your checklist here counts toward the full National Park Tracker of every US national park. Each park links to its own guide with current hours, entrance fees, alerts, campgrounds, and things to do.

New River Gorge: America's Newest National Park

West Virginia's one national park is the newest in the country — New River Gorge was redesignated from a national river to a full national park in December 2020. The name is a geologic joke: the New River is actually one of the oldest rivers on the continent, and it has had time to carve a gorge nearly 1,000 feet deep through the Appalachian plateau. The result is some of the best whitewater in the East — the Lower Gorge's big-water rapids draw rafters from everywhere — and more than 1,400 established rock climbing routes on the gorge's sandstone walls.

The icon is the New River Gorge Bridge, the third-longest single-span arch bridge in the world when it opened in 1977 and still the most photographed spot in the state. Every October on Bridge Day, the road closes and BASE jumpers leap 876 feet to the river — one of the biggest extreme-sports events anywhere. For a tamer visit, walk the Endless Wall Trail to Diamond Point, ride the Fayette Station Road switchbacks to the bottom of the gorge, or catch the view from the Canyon Rim visitor center. There's no entrance fee.

Beyond the Park: Other National Park Sites in West Virginia

The park is the anchor of a whole cluster of protected river country, plus one of the most storied historic sites in America:

  • Gauley River National Recreation Area — just upstream; fall dam releases turn the Gauley into one of the most challenging commercial whitewater runs in the world.
  • Bluestone National Scenic River — a quieter gorge of rhododendron and warm-water fishing south of the New.
  • Harpers Ferry National Historical Park — where John Brown raided the federal armory in 1859 and the Shenandoah meets the Potomac; the Appalachian Trail runs straight through town.
  • Appalachian National Scenic Trail — clips the state's eastern panhandle on its 2,190-mile run from Georgia to Maine.

Only New River Gorge counts toward your national park checklist — and as the newest park on the list, it's the one plenty of long-time park collectors are still missing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many national parks are in West Virginia?

West Virginia has 1 national park: New River Gorge National Park.

How do I track the West Virginia national parks I've visited?

Tap a pin on the map or a park's photo to check it off. It counts toward your progress — both here and on the full National Park Tracker of all US national parks.

Can I download or share my West Virginia parks map?

Yes. "Download Your Map" saves a personalized image of the parks you've checked off — ready to post so friends can compare.

National Parks in Other States

Alaska (8) American Samoa (1) Arizona (3) Arkansas (1) California (9) Colorado (4) Florida (3) Hawaii (2) Idaho (1) Indiana (1) Kentucky (1) Maine (1) Michigan (1) Minnesota (1) Missouri (1) Montana (2) Nevada (1) New Mexico (2) North Carolina (1) North Dakota (1) Ohio (1) Oregon (1) South Carolina (1) South Dakota (2) Tennessee (1) Texas (2) Utah (5) Virgin Islands (1) Virginia (1) Washington (3) Wyoming (2)

Or see them all at once on the US National Park Tracker — the interactive checklist and map of every national park.