3 Days of New River Gorge with Toddler

Always a great time here. Lots of different activities to do. Great camping and cabins. The grist mill is like something from Thomas Kinkade. The water was flowing really good tonight.

I love visiting Babcock and taking in the beautiful views and history. This location has an Almost Heaven Swing, walking path, lake nearby, and a swinging bridge. Anytime I've visited there's been plenty of parking and so many happy people sightseeing around me. it's always an amazing visit. this is my trip from summer of 25' and my first time finding the swinging bridge

We stopped here on a Sunday in June while traveling. We were looking for the Almost Heaven swing and it is between the park headquarters and the grist mill. You will see it when you pull into the parking lot. There are restrooms in the park headquarters. The mill was open but closed for an hour between 12p and 1p if I remember correctly. There are great views here and access to hiking trails. You can walk down on the rocks, just be aware they can be slippery if wet and we saw a snake. The water was somewhat low so we could get down onto some of the rocks. We would have like to hike a bit but we didn’t have much time.

This is a great place to take photos. If you are even remotely close by, you need to stop here. A beautiful and still functional mill, waterfalls and creek with hand cut stone walls make this one of the most photographed places in WV.

Great overnight trip - rented a cabin at the Babcock state park. While in the area, please check out the humpback bridge. Inside the park there is also a suspension bridge, that can be accessed from Cabin 7 via a short trail. Please note that there are no camp stores inside the park.

There is a souvenir shop and other products right next to the parking lot. There are also toilets available on the lower floor of the same store. If you are thinking of spending the day, it is interesting to bring snacks because there are only sweets for sale. The place has some tables outside, ideal for a picnic. It also has a trail near watermill. Also, at the watermill house, I believe it's possible to see the interior, which would be very interesting. However, we went during the week around 4 pm and it was closed. I don't know the exact visiting hours. Anyway, is a beautiful place!

I chose this first swing to find because I’d seen pics. of the BEAUTIFUL Glade Creek Gristmill in the background! There is a ledge on the backside of the Almost Heaven sign, that faces the swing, to place your phone for a selfie!! Across the parking lot from the mill is a small gift shop with restrooms. Ready to hunt for more swings.

A nice spot to take a photo. The swing is right next to the parking lot for easy access, faces the nearby watermill, and has a stand for you to set your camera on. Note that the stand is wide enough for a phone or smaller camera, but it probably isn't wide enough for a larger camera with a lens.

Always a great time here. Lots of different activities to do. Great camping and cabins. The grist mill is like something from Thomas Kinkade. The water was flowing really good tonight.

I love visiting Babcock and taking in the beautiful views and history. This location has an Almost Heaven Swing, walking path, lake nearby, and a swinging bridge. Anytime I've visited there's been plenty of parking and so many happy people sightseeing around me. it's always an amazing visit. this is my trip from summer of 25' and my first time finding the swinging bridge

We stopped here on a Sunday in June while traveling. We were looking for the Almost Heaven swing and it is between the park headquarters and the grist mill. You will see it when you pull into the parking lot. There are restrooms in the park headquarters. The mill was open but closed for an hour between 12p and 1p if I remember correctly. There are great views here and access to hiking trails. You can walk down on the rocks, just be aware they can be slippery if wet and we saw a snake. The water was somewhat low so we could get down onto some of the rocks. We would have like to hike a bit but we didn’t have much time.

This is a great place to take photos. If you are even remotely close by, you need to stop here. A beautiful and still functional mill, waterfalls and creek with hand cut stone walls make this one of the most photographed places in WV.

Great overnight trip - rented a cabin at the Babcock state park. While in the area, please check out the humpback bridge. Inside the park there is also a suspension bridge, that can be accessed from Cabin 7 via a short trail. Please note that there are no camp stores inside the park.

What a lovely place to visit! The center was spotlessly clean and clearly very well maintained throughout. The views were absolutely breathtaking, and the gentle breeze made the experience even more enjoyable. Our kids had a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Highly recommend this spot for a relaxing family outing — we’ll definitely be back!

A fantastic first stop before visiting New River Gorge Bridge. The staff was incredibly helpful, answering our questions and recommending places to explore based on what we were looking for. Inside, there were interactive exhibits, plenty of maps and information, clean restrooms, and a nice gift shop. The overlook trail offers incredible views of the bridge and is absolutely worth the walk. Highly recommend stopping here before exploring the area.

The Visitors Center is nice, and quite new - this being the newest National Park. It's not as big as I expected, but the real experience is outside! There are several areas that are nice for a picnic, and more that offer great views. The stairs to the right of the lodge take you to the rim where you get spectacular shots of the gorge and the bridge, down about 200 steps. It's a pretty easy hike, though, with lots of places to rest. The park is 100% worth the trip, and you can do the basics in under 2 hours. If you take a tour you might need tickets, but we didn't take one and got right in to the park.

This was such a fun visitor center! The wildflowers in the front of the building, the view from the back of the building, the grassy area with picnic tables, and the hike to see the bridge all make it a unique visitor center. All of the outdoor areas are dog friendly and the parking lot has plenty of space for everyone - including RVs! Our dog Peppermint Patty even got added another Bark Ranger certificate to get collection! There are restrooms and a gift shop too if you are just looking for a quick stop. We review a lot of our travels, including our trips to the National Parks, on our podcast - Marrying Your Passions: The DINK Travel & Adventure Podcast. New River Gorge National Park and the Canyon Rim Visitor Center will definitely be featured in an upcoming episode!

Very nice visitor center. Staff were all friendly and helpful. They have maps for the Fayette Station Rd driving tour. It also has a qr code on it for an audio tour. The visitor center has a beautiful indoor and outdoor view of the gorge. Bathrooms were decent and convenient. Theres a small area for kids to learn.

This was recommended by our lodge welcome staff. They suggested only walking to Diamond Point and make it an in/out trail. It was approaching sunset, so the turnback was wise. If we had continued to the end, there is a distance to walk along the road to return to the trailhead. It was a beautiful walk along a varying elevation trail. The AllTrails app helped us identify points along the way. The view from Diamond Point was so cool. We watched some rafters managing the rapids from high above them. I saw one rhododendron bloom along the way; lots of Mountain Laurel in bloom. There are some "root alerts" (as my husband calls them) along the way. And there is a tree at Diamond Point that is sideways, a perfect position for my husband to bang his head as he was making his way up from lower rock viewing area. Be careful!

Awesome trail with several great spots overlooking the New River with sidelong views of the "Endless Wall". You can either walk from one of the two trailheads to the overlooks and turn back which makes it about 3 miles or you can make it a loop like I did which ends up being just under 4 miles. If you do this, I'd suggest parking at the second lot and then road-walking downhill to the first lot. Start there so you're not stuck walking UP the road after your hike.

Great moderate hike providing fantastic view of the gorge There are several parking lots... and thankfully the "new" parking lot is rather large. We did not find a spot until we get to the last lot... which was almost empty when we got there, but was almost full when we left. The hike parrallels the gorge. And there are plenty of places to walk to and get a great view of the gorge, even before you get to the overlook. You could make the trail a loop and walk back along the road. But we chose to come back on the same trail.

Best trail with amazing look out points. The look out points give better view of the river. Accessible to people of any level of hiking experience. Family friendly. Totals around 5 miles for a whole hike. Not too many bugs as well.

Easy trail with beautiful views of the gorge and the river. Not too crowded and my dog loved all the smells! No issues parking or walking along the street to get back to my car.

Absolutely gorgeous I’m one of the better waterfalls. I’ve been to across the nation. Easily excessive no walk. Right off the road. Not a lot of parking though but you can get right up on the waterfall worth the trip

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful, Easy-to-Access Waterfall — A Must-Stop Near New River Gorge Cathedral Falls is absolutely worth the stop. The location is incredibly convenient — the waterfall is literally right off the road, so you don’t need a tour guide, hiking gear, or much planning. You’re simply driving through beautiful scenery, and then there’s a small pull-off/overlook where you can stop and walk right up to the falls. Very Easy Access One of the best things about Cathedral Falls is how accessible it is. You can park nearby and walk just a short distance to reach the base of the waterfall. No difficult hike — just a quick and rewarding stop with incredible views and beautiful nature. Best Time to Visit — Spring If you want to see the waterfalls at their most impressive, visit in spring. That’s when the water flow is stronger and the falls look fuller and more dramatic. In late summer or dry periods, the water flow can be lighter, but it’s still a beautiful place to stop. Parking & Visibility Tip One thing to keep in mind — there isn’t a lot of signage or clear marking, so it’s easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. Also, during the busy season (late spring and summer), parking can be limited, so it’s helpful to plan ahead or go earlier in the day. Perfect Stop Near New River Gorge Bridge Another great reason to visit — it’s very close to the New River Gorge Bridge, the third-highest bridge in the United States. The waterfall is only about 10 minutes away, so you can easily combine both stops in one short, scenic trip. Quick, Beautiful, and Convenient Whether you’re passing through, heading to other activities, or just exploring the area, Cathedral Falls is an easy and beautiful stop. No long hike, no complicated planning — just park, walk a few steps, and enjoy. Absolutely beautiful and highly recommend adding Cathedral Falls to your West Virginia trip.

The falls themselves are absolutely stunning, but they need more love from the State that maintains them. If you're visiting you the Gorge National Park you should absolutely stop by. The drive from the northern Canyon Rim Vistors Center is only 15-20 mins and feels more like a NP drive than many in the park. That being said there is little signage indicating where you need to go until you're almost past where you should stop. The parking lot is very small and during high demand seasons can fill up quickly. It appears that trash is not picked up regularly. While you can walk up to the base of the falls, feel the mist of the water rushing down, accessibility can be difficult for those with any kind of mobility issues.

Cathedral Falls was one of the most impressive roadside waterfalls I've ever seen. You don't have to hike for miles or work up a sweat to enjoy it. You pull over, step out of your vehicle, and there it is—an incredible waterfall dropping down the mountainside right in front of you. The setting is beautiful, and the sound of the water alone makes you want to linger longer than you planned. What amazed me most was the size of the falls compared to how easy they are to access. It's the kind of place that makes you wonder how many people drive past without realizing what's right beside the road. If you're traveling through the area, it's absolutely worth the stop. Bring a camera, take a few minutes to enjoy the view, and appreciate one of West Virginia's natural gems. Cathedral Falls proves that sometimes the best sights don't require a long hike to reach.

Very off the beaten path, but a beautiful drive, and such a beautiful moment in our travels. Easy to get to, and a really fun drive. Don't be in a hurry to get there, as the roads are very twisty with some sharp turn backs, but really beautiful, and the small towns along the way are fun as well. Wish we would have had time to stop and visit some of the local businesses!

Sandstone Falls was one of those places that grabbed hold of me the moment I arrived. I expected a nice waterfall. What I found was a place so beautiful and peaceful that I genuinely didn't want to leave. The boardwalk makes it easy to get out over the water and experience the falls from different angles. The sound of the river, the countless channels of water flowing around the rocks, and the surrounding scenery create a view that feels almost hypnotic. It's the kind of place where you sit down for a few minutes and suddenly realize an hour has gone by. What struck me most was how calming it felt. There are plenty of scenic places that are impressive, but Sandstone Falls is one of those rare places that's both breathtaking and relaxing at the same time. I found myself lingering far longer than I had planned because I simply wasn't ready to go. If you're visiting the New River Gorge area, don't rush through this stop. Take your time, walk the boardwalk, find a spot to sit, and just soak it in. For me, it was one of the highlights of the entire trip.

It's just really beautiful and it's wonderfully kept clean. Trash cans out almost every where, so no reason to be nasty and throw your garbage down. There is a bathroom on the premises. There's little trails, friendly people, fishing and bridges that are really nice. There's quite a few spots to sit on big slabs of rocks if you just want to sit and chill out for a bit. It's just a really nice little area to go & enjoy a few hrs or the day & yes, pets are allowed on leask of course. Better safe than sorry. 🤷🏻‍♀️☺️

We made the trip to the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk from the northern part of the national park. It was over an hour drive. The Sandstone Falls Boardwalk was very nice, well maintained, and provided good view of the falls. There are washrooms onsite and plenty of parking in a gravel lot. The boardwalk is wheelchair accessible and takes you through the viewing areas. You can also hike off the boardwalk. We did some exploring around the falls, but didn't do the original trail. This is a beautiful spot to see the falls.

The hike was very short and very accessible to people. You can park right there, walk along the boardwalk to the "falls". Mind you this is not a large waterfall, it is barley small waterfalls. However, with the trees and the river it is beautiful!! We did the island loop, it was fine, but nothing exciting, it could be skipped. There is a little beach and you can go walk on the rocks by the water it is really pretty! The only downside, is this is a good 30-45 minutes from the nearest welcome center...it is a far drive and it is on a dead end. If you are not short on time and do not want to spend an hour and a half driving, this is not for you. You will only spend maybe 20-30 minutes here to do everything. I am not sure we would go back. Hinton is the local town, it is cute, and quaint. There is gas stations and a Kroger and a coffee shop. Sandstone Falls has bathrooms, they were nasty and not taken care of at all, I would recommend going into Hinton if you can. Dogs are welcome, no tickets needed.

Definitely a must see part of New River Gorge National Park! It is about a 30 minute drive from the visitors center... but only seeing the falls from the overlook does not do any justice. A boardwalk will get you from the parking lot to a viewing platform. But there are places along the boardwalk to explore different views of the falls. There is also a short 1/2 mile hiking trail.