As West Virginians, one our our biggest pride and joy landmarks is the world-famous New River Gorge Bridge. At the time it opened to traffic in October of 1977, it was the longest single-span arched bridge in the world (it's currently ranked number four). It's among the most photographed places in the entire Mountain State. Are you among those who have visited and captured your own memorable moments at the bridge? Let's just say there's a reason we consider the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia to be one of our most beloved landmarks. Continue reading to learn what makes this landmark one of the most beautiful bridges in West Virginia:
While many of us have crossed the bridge in our car, stopping and actually seeing this man-made wonder is another experience entirely.
There is a variety of ways and places to see the bridge, including the Canyon Rim Visitors Center.
The visitor's center is located on the north side of the bridge. From here you'll get views from both above and below the bridge.
The center has a boardwalk trail that leads to two overlooks that dole out awe-inspiring views of the bridge, the canyon, and one of the world's oldest rivers.
If you're up for a spine-tingling experience, then you should take the bridge walk tour. At the beginning, you'll be on this catwalk that leads...
... all the way under the bridge. There's a catwalk down there that was built to aid in inspections of the bridge. It's now open for walking tours — and don't worry about falling; you'll be tethered to the bridge the entire time.
You'll need to pay to take the catwalk tour, which lasts 2-3 hours, and reservations are required.
Learn more about how you can walk across the New River Gorge in our previously published article.
You can also take a drive down the mountain to the Fayetteville Station Bridge which crosses the New River more than 800 feet below the canyon rim.
A pedestrian lane provides a safe haven for gawking, photographing, or just enjoying the views from deep inside the canyon.
And last, but definitely not least... if you haven't seen the New River Gorge Bridge from the perspective of the water, by all means, get a rafting trip on your bucket list. What a dynamic duo: rafting one of the oldest rivers in the world under one of the longest-arched bridges in the world!
If you're looking for even more travel inspiration, check out this absolutely stunning footage of the New River Gorge Bridge:
Exploring and visiting the New River Gorge Bridge is a fantastic way to spend a day. Have you visited lately? If you need a place to spend the night, be sure to check out these unique vacation rentals near the New River Gorge in West Virginia. You'll be packing your bags in no time!
West Virginia was the first to build a bridge this big and this long, but we've led the pack on many other occasions. For related content, check out a list of other things West Virginia was the first to do. You'll be impressed by our state's creativity and resourcefulness!
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