The New River Gorge is kind of famous. It’s got great white water rafting, a national park, and it’s home to one of America’s coolest small towns.
Oh, and there’s a big ol’ bridge.
Waaaaaaaaaaay on up there!
The New River Gorge Bridge is one of those few manmade objects that stands as a monument to everything that’s awesome about us as humans. The fact that it’s standing there at all, 876 feet above the river below, just goes to show that we, as a species, are pretty good at math.
A lot of people want to know this: What do I do once I get there?
Well, it kind of goes without saying that there are a ton of outdoor adventures to be had around the gorge. From mild to… hmmm… what rhymes with mild? Oh. Wild. Yes, from mild to wild, there’s all kinds of outdoor-sy type stuff to do with friends, family, loved ones, acquaintances, and any mixture thereof.
But this post is going to be about where to go for Bridge facts and factoids. Oh sure, I could write them down for you here (did you know it takes 4582 cans of spray paint to write “Git ‘Er Done!” across the entire bridge?), but where’s the fun in that?
When You’ve Arrived
This is a list of places to go when you’re actually there. Because we all know, there’s a huge difference between surfing the internet for facts (or, in other cases, Wikipedia) and actually being there, live and in person, to experience some of that history for your very own self.
And with that, I present to you The Bridge Day List Of New River Gorge Bridge Fact Places (sorry for the long title):
Canyon Rim Visitor Center: First stop on anyone’s list of where to go for the lowdown on the high span is the National Park Service. There’s a truly beautiful visitors center located on the southeast side of the bridge, complete with overlooks, a museum, and a slideshow (pretty outdated, but still fun to watch). Nearly any bridge related question can be answered at the visitors center in the park.
The New River Convention And Visitors Bureau Here’s where you’ll find the strongest ties to Bridge Day in the entire gorge. The good folks at the New River CVB can not only answer Bridge questions; they can also answer Bridge Day questions. And food questions. And lodging questions. And activities questions. In fact, you’re going to be hard pressed to find better question answerers anywhere in the world. This should be a mandatory stop for any traveler.
Outfitters Be warned: rafting outfitters will try to sell you raft trips. Be warned again: White water rafting in the gorge is worth every penny. You won’t find a better way to spend time, and it happens to be the only way most people will ever be able to run the rapids under the bridge. Plus, the raft guides know all kinds of bridge history. And if they don’t know the answer to your questions, it’s a good bet that they’ll make something up that sounds plausible.
Shops You can stop into any place around the gorge, restaurant, antique store, or other, and they will know way more than the average joe or jane about the bridge. You can especially rely on any of the local antique shops or restaurants. They make it their business to be helpful.
So, There You Go
When you make it to the New River Gorge, you’ll know exactly where to head for the information you want on Bridge Day. And we’ll be ready for you.
See you here.
