Traveling With a Dog: New River Gorge National Park
New River Gorge: the second newest National Park in the United States, and in my opinion, the most dog-friendly. Previously, I would have ranked Cuyahoga Valley or Indiana Sand Dunes the most dog-friendly, but upon my stop into the Visitor Center, I was told, “Dogs are permitted on every trail.” Every trail? I had never heard of such a thing, and when planning our itinerary, I didn’t come across anyone talking about this.
So, I’m putting that here to start this article because that’s a major perk, but it’s also just one of many at New River Gorge. New River Gorge is just like the two previously mentioned National Parks in terms of location, as it runs through towns and isn’t blocked off by an entrance gate. If you’ve driven north or south along the East Coast, you may have driven across the New River Gorge bridge and just not realized it.
The gorge is beautiful year-round, but we went for Reese’s birthday, so our trip was in mid-November. While the trees were turning brown, there was still plenty of color and so many leaves to crunch on. It was also not cold at all, and there were barely any people around. I would say it was a phenomenal time of the year to go, but I’ll let you decide that for yourself after seeing our photos and full itinerary!
Reese at Tru by Hilton Beckley.
Where to Stay
If you’ve read this series on our site before or you have seen Reese’s numerous Instagram posts about this hotel chain, then you know what I’m going to say. Our favorite hotel chain of all time is Tru by Hilton, and we rarely stray. Tru by Hilton is a dog-friendly hotel chain that offers free parking (at most locations), free breakfast, and free coffee and tea around the clock. Since they are a part of Hilton, you are able to gain points toward future stays as well.
We always stay at Tru by Hilton since it is a modern chain built for travelers. It is also comforting to me that I never have to be surprised when I walk in. They are all designed with very similar layouts, and since it is newer, the hotels have all been built recently, so I know I’m not booking a rundown room that is going to ruin my trip.
I recommend booking a nonrefundable stay to get the lowest price on the room, and dogs cost $50-75 for the entire stay. For this particular trip, we stayed at Tru by Hilton Beckley. It wasn’t the best Tru by Hilton that we have ever stayed at, and the staff weren’t the friendliest, but I still would recommend staying here. Why? The location was amazing. It was on a populated strip with a ton of food options and by a CVS if you need to stop in for anything. We were able to have dinner from directly around us every night, and it was very easy.
Reese isn’t a fan of sleeping away from home, so having her stay somewhere as recognizable as possible is my perfect solution! If you decide to stay here, I recommend signing up for a free Hilton Honors account to start earning and achieving the most savings.
Where to Hike
During this trip, Reese hiked a little under 14 miles! This is very easy to adjust if your dog is looking for something a little lighter, as you can only do the most popular hikes, or take off the moderate trails. To speak to what I know, I will only be writing about the hikes that we did.
Day 1
Reese and I at the Lower Canyon Rim Boardwalk.
Long Point Trail (3.5 miles - easy):
Long Point Trail is one of the most popular hikes in the park and for good reason. The trail is very easy, just watch your footing when stepping on rocks and around roots. It is a there-and-back trail, so you’ll see everything twice, but it will all look the same since it is all forest. The only moment that isn’t only forest is the “long point” itself. This trail leads to a fantastic jutting point that you can walk out on to see a great view of the bridge. If you are afraid of heights, this may not be the best view for you, as there are no rails on the outside of the rock, and you have to walk on slimmer ground to see the best view this trail has to offer. Even if you don’t go out on the point, I still recommend this trail since it is easy, peaceful, and one of the longer walks that the park offers.
Canyon Rim Boardwalk and Lower Canyon Rim Boardwalk (0.75 miles - easy):
This is a trail that is made of stairs on the side of the gorge. There are many different levels to stop at, and this will take you to a lower point for one overlook, and then one overlook to the right that is the same level as the ground you start on. This is a very easy trail that offers a great side view of the bridge; it’s not scary at all for those who have a fear of heights, and it is right next to the Visitor Center. It’s a great quick walk to do while stopping in and getting some souvenirs, or to do before leaving!
Day 2
Reese and I at the Lower Nuttalburg Mine.
Lower Nuttalburg Mine via Town Loop Connector Trail (2.00 miles - easy):
This trail was absolutely fascinating, and I would recommend it to everyone. The only scary part of this experience was getting to it. My car is a Subaru, so I was comfortable whipping it around on the side of the gorge, but if you have a smaller car that isn’t built for the mountains, I would recommend taking another car. There is also no service here or on the way down, so make sure to download the trail. Once you are on the trail, though, it is so cool and right by the water, so very serene. Along this trail is a ton of information about the town that used to live down there, and the old mining architecture was unlike anything I had ever seen before. If you are someone who likes to learn about the history of where you are, I highly recommend hiking on this trail.
Island in the Sky Trail (0.75 - moderate/hard):
I’ll start by saying that this is ranked moderate on AllTrails+, but I would definitely consider it a hard trail. Reese and I were the only ones on this trail, and it may be easier in the summer, but when the entire trail is covered in leaves, it sure is slippery. This is also supposed to be a slightly longer trail than what we did, but Reese and I ended up turning around. There were so many different places where your footing could have slipped due to the leaves, and Reese ended up getting scared of the rocks, so I carried her. When we finally got to what I thought was the top, there was a spot where you had to duck under a rock and climb up a mini ladder to get to the rest of the trail. That is where I called it a day. I’ve done many moderate to hard trails, and I would rank this with those, but maybe just because of the conditions during the time of year.
Walk along the water at Babcock State Park (1.4 miles - easy):
This trail and the previous one are in Babcock State Park, a park right outside of New River Gorge National Park. When we went, the Visitor Center/gift shop was closed, and as it turns out, so was our planned trail around the pond. So instead, we just began walking on the paved road along the water. If you go to Babcock State Park on your trip, the pond should be open from spring to mid-autumn. If you go any other time, I recommend just walking here! It was very peaceful and a good break from leaf-covered trails. There were adorable cabins that visitors could stay in, and the rocks along the forest were covered in moss so beautifully. If you’re looking for something calm and easy, this trail is great.
Sandstone Falls Boardwalk and Island Loop Trail (1.10 miles - easy):
This was a very quick trail and was half on the boardwalk and half on a forest trail. It was a great way to close out our second day, as the water looked stunning with the blue and yellow sunset. Many may pass up this trail because it does take a while to get to since you have to cross a bridge in a further away town, but I really enjoyed it. It was simple and really pretty. A lot of people were taking group pictures here as well since there is a small but wide waterfall at the beginning of the trail.
Day 3
Reese on the Tunnel Trail.
Grandview Main Overlook (0.3 miles - easy):
I love conch-shaped mountain and river layouts, so I had to make a stop here. It was more out of the way, and something to note is that the road leading to it is similar to Nuttalburg, where it is very narrow and windy, so only one car can pass at a time. There are a couple of trails here that you can walk on, but there were no markers, and they were very standard trails, so we started walking on one but soon turned around. If you like overlooks, this was a great one, but if you are here purely to hike, this can be skipped.
Tunnel Trail (0.8 miles - easy):
I went on this trail once alone with Reese and then again with Reese and my mom, and it was amazing both times. This ended up being one of my favorite trails on our trip, as you get to walk along massive rocks that are jutting out and are genuinely stunning. We were the only ones on this trail both times we went on it, which was so nice, and saw no bear, but there was a sign to watch out for them at the beginning (this was the only trail I saw that sign for, so I was on the lookout). I think this trail was incredibly unique, and many trails around it speak to Native American history (but are ranked hard), so if you are into that, this collection of trails is a must-do for your trip.
Concho Overlook (0.5 miles - easy):
This trail presented another overlook with a conch shape, so we had to go on it. It was a super easy walk to see the mountain, and I’m certain it would look gorgeous no matter the time of year. But, same as the last one, if you aren’t into going to overlooks, this can be skipped.
Butchers Branch Trail (1.10 miles - easy):
This was a very simple trail and offers a lot of greenery. There was no ultimate reward on this trail and no overlook views. It was essentially a simple hiking trail that gave us an overview of the wildlife and nature that the New River Gorge consists of. The trails were wide and clean, and all around was moss, waving leaves, and tall skinny trees. We heard a decent amount of wildlife here as well, probably the most we heard on any trail, so it really was the most like a true forest hike.
Reese at Canyon Rim Gifts.
Where to Go
Canyon Rim Visitor Center
This is the main Visitor Center at New River Gorge National Park, and it is right by the Canyon Rim Boardwalk. There is another Visitor Center, the Grandview Visitor Center, but when I went, it was closed. This building has bathrooms, a water station, a gift shop, and an educational area about the gorge. There is a ton to learn and see, but I was on a mission to find the souvenirs I grab on every trip! When checking out, I asked about the B.A.R.K. Ranger program, and though they were out of tags, they offered to take my name and address to send me one when they were back in stock, which was so generous! The Park Rangers were so kind and gave Reese her B.A.R.K. Ranger certificate, and gave me a ton of information about the park. I would definitely stop in here for souvenirs and to ask any questions you may have about your trip.
Canyon Rim Gifts
Canyon Rim Gifts is right across the street from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center and is a great place to go for other themed souvenirs and gifts. I ended up buying our Christmas tree ornament from here, as I found a nice carved wooden one. It is a massive building, so you can look around for a long time, and there is also ice cream and fudge in the same store. We ended up getting ice cream and sitting outside at the tables while enjoying the environment. If you don’t find what you’re looking for in the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, definitely stop in here, as I’m sure they will have it.
Restaurants in Beckley
One of the main reasons I recommend staying in Beckley is because of the access to food. Whenever we are heading to our hotel from a day out, we are typically starving and want to swing by a restaurant or fast food establishment as soon as possible. Plus, going out of the way is not ideal. I prefer ordering ahead or getting fast food and taking it back to the hotel, as I don’t want Reese waiting for her dinner either. The strip our hotel was on offered so many different choices and was not overly crowded at all. I think this is a great option, especially if you are going on your trip with someone else or multiple people, since there will be an option for everyone.
Full Itinerary
Everyone’s trips look different and can be adjusted to best fit their furry companion, but I hope this gave a base outline for a great trip by itself! For our full itinerary, including driving time, please see below. We hope to see you on our next trip!
